Adhd??

[mrssparkle123]

Posting on here for traffic, please don't tell me I'm being unreasonable 🙂
Oh and well done to anyone who makes it to the end of the post.... it will be a challenge!

Hi everyone,

I went to the GP with concerns about my 4 year olds behaviour and I only got a third of the way down my list when he said he'd refer us to rule out adhd, he did say it could be that there's nothing wrong with my son but a paediatrician would be able to assess more extensively than he could.

The concerns I have are mainly 'normal' child behaviour (I think) but possibly not that at the frequency and extremity that my son displays them. My brother is dyspraxic and some of these things do overlap, so that's also a possibility. I would just like some opinions from anyone who knows about adhd...

1. random loud noises at random times
2. very loud
3. interrupts half way through a sentence
4. 1 way conversations
5. frequent emotional outbursts, screaming and crying up to 10 times a day
6. irrationally aggressive, violent behaviour towards younger sibling (for example if he says a word he doesn't like)
7. hates loud noises
8. hysterical laughter
9. impulsive behaviour (jumping up on the table randomly)
10. always fidgeting, moving, can't sit still
11. lack of awareness of his own body (accidentally kicking people when flailing his limbs around)
12. obsessed with food
13. obsessed with death
14. inappropriate with body parts
15. very physical - sitting on people, squeezing people, jumping on people and likes people to do it to him, will be laughing while doing it and if the other child is crying he doesn't seem to realise/he able to stop
16. will totally switch off when television is on and be absorbed by it
17. very short attention span (unless it's for television!!)
18. very obsessive with characters/colours
19. very routined
20. takes a long time to fall asleep at night (up to 2 hours)
21. irrational fears, eg terrified of cars in the distance when he's on the pavement holding my hand, or terrified of a dog in the distance
22. appears sorry for doing something wrong but doesn't seem to stop himself from doing it 5 minutes later
23. repeats a question over and over until he is satisfied with your answer even though you've been saying yes all along
24. low self esteem and says he can't do things without trying
25. gets distracted half way through a task
26. instructions have to be repeated over and over very clearly and concisely

Thank you to anyone who managed to get to the end of my post 😂😂

Also have dyspraxia in the family and I'm aware the two can overlap, does anyone have any experience of this?

Dyspraxia is widely thought to be part of asd, especially in boys. My son meets the criteria for this and also has verbal dyspraxia along with ASD and waiting for adhd assessments. I was suspected dyspraxia as a child and pretty certain I meet the adult criteria

My daughter aged 7, exhibits a lot of the behaviours you list, OP. She was diagnosed with ADHD in Jan last year and ASD this April. She was assessed for ADHD fairly quickly following a referral being made, but we waited nearly 18 months for her ASD assessment. I know other children have waited much longer.
Good luck x

Sounds just like my DS 9 he has adhd and asd

Ds1 (14) does/has most of those, he has adhd and tourettes. Ds2 (10) also does/has some of those, he's dyspraxic. The good thing is that your gp is referring to a pediatrician, we fought for 8 years with Ds1 and have only just got a diagnosis

Sorry not rtft but sounds very like asd/adhd - they do over lap.

I'd somehow push to be referred to an OT as well as SALT through Nursery, gp or School if goes as he sounds like he has a lot of sensory seeking behaviour and also a good sensory diet might help his ups and downs. He needs some help with emotional regulation- Google SERTS, it's for professionals but has good info to explain a child like this's needs.

@Ekphrasis thank you, couldn't find anything on SERTS?

Very interesting that lots of people have mentioned ASD.. I hadn't even considered this, as his communication (eye contact etc) has always been quite good, he's also becoming a lot more adaptable to change and new people/surroundings etc. He started school on Tuesday and literally just waltzed in like he'd been there forever. He did go straight to the ta and start monopolising her attention though.

I saw his preschool teacher today and she said she would never have suggested there's anything different about him he's just young!

They said that about my DD too nothing to worry about blah blah but yeah if DD does have it it'll be mild bit it's worth pushing for it

My son does a lot of what's in your list. School said he's fine, GP said I was to take him back if I was concerned and did but no follow up appointment. Should I take him back again?

Sorry to hijack your thread.

Cameltoe we were referred to both Camhs and Pead 4 times by our GP, each time the referral was declined.

Eventually, we decided to visit the school nurse, the first professional to actually talk to our dd, and she told us she would make sure camhs would not be able to refuse her referral.

Now we're in the system it's great. She has play therapy, has had a full cognitive assessment, and we are on the waiting list for the Pead for the ASD and ADHD assessment.

I would keep pushing, it's notoriously difficult to get the support, especially if their 'fine' at school.

Sorry it's SCERTs but actually I don't think it's if huge help to you.

A lot of adhd children are very bright but get easily bored and frustrated, plus emotions can be all over the place. He sounds more adhd than asd but it's possible he's a little on the spectrum - it's very hard to tell! An asd diagnosis sometimes opens more useful doors than adhd alone - eg a lot of asd therapies work very well with children with adhd.

What might be of more use to you actually is the 5 point scale. If definitely try to find out how you could get a sensory profile and a sensory diet for him - an OT must lead this though. (Eg weighted blankets and bear hugs need careful guidance on proper use.)

www.5pointscale.com

My son has dyspraxia and ADHD. He’s 14 now and was diagnosed with Dyspraxia at 7/8 and ADHD at 10. He also has sensory processing disorder. I would also say he has many ASD traits.

Sounds like DD2 - the fidgeting and lack of bodily awareness with limbs flailing everywhere and some of the sensory stuff. Her diagnosis is DCD with some associated sensory processing/sensitivity difficulties and she's also just below the borderline for inattentive ADHD. We started along the diagnostic route about this time last year when she was still 4... diagnosis formally confirmed (it's been pretty firm for months now but they needed to check her neurologically just to eliminate anything else) earlier this week and she's 5 and a bit now - I know that's young to get it but it's been glaringly bloody obvious for ages now and school (and me) were very on the ball.

Some bits are just typical irritating aspects of 4 year old behaviour though (both of mine STILL do the asking a question constantly until they get the answer they want!)

Thank you so much everyone for your replies, they've been really helpful! I'd love to get some play therapy or something for him, he absolutely thrives on one to one, I will see where this referral leads us!!

20/26 are like my son from your list. But because he is ‘fine’ at school no one takes me seriously. He can’t concentrate properly and has said himself that even though he listens to the teacher that when it comes to getting on with work he doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do and copies his friends.
He’s good and quiet at school yet out of school it’s tantrums, noise and he can’t sit still, he fiddled constantly with things and if I tell him not to touch something he can’t conteol himself and has to touch it. My friend commented on it today.
Feck knows what I’m supposed to do because if he doesn’t display that same behaviour at school as he does at home then I’ve been told that he’s fine. I’m not convinced but dunno
What to do?

@QuietNinjaTardis have you been to your gp? How old is your son?

@Ekphrasis I've seen someone online who makes the weighted blankets and think they'd really help my son, but you say they need proper guidance from an OT, why is this?

I'm not sure 100% sure of all the ins and outs but I've known OTs give timed guidance over those sort of things. (I wonder if an OT could comment?) You can hire them from the OT services if you get under them. Some can be dangerous as are quite heavy or it could be that the effect "wears off" with over use. Stretchy socks (giant ones that you get inside) might be as effective to try. I work with children who use them but the OTs are often quite specific about use.

Lap weights might be good for sitting? Or vibrating cushions?

@Ekphrasis thank you for the info. I'm going to go back to the doctors this week and try and get referred to the OT!

@mrssparkle123 yes I went to the gp a few years ago and got referred to camhs.
At the time I thought he might have pda as he was so bad but because he was fine at school they just said there was nothing wrong. Funnily enough in the last meeting, they had the ‘adhd’ lady in as well and I was talking to her and agreeing with everything she said but that was it.
I did wonder if he might have adhd when he was a toddler because he never stopped. Literally never.
When my daughter sat down as a toddler and looked at a book I remember looking at her in shock and thinking ‘well that’s new’
I don’t know now. We just try and work with him on his bahaviour/temper and tell him to turn the volume down a lot. I’ve worked hard to get him into habits so he doesn’t forget things but its getting frustrating as he gets older to constantly have to remind him of everything.
I don’t know maybe I’m barking up the wrong tree and he is just a noisy temperamental disorganised kid. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I don't know how easy it is to be referred to an OT for this however; it may be an outcome of the diagnosis of that makes sense? Or through a school/ Nursery. But you could ask :)

Sounds very much like my 10 yo DD. Always been "different":
Extremely loud and outwardly over confident
Very few friends, classmates steer well clear as they just don't get her
brutally honest and insensitive
Lack of focus although obsessed by one or 2 activities
*impulsive and incredibly single minded

• perpetual torrent of emotions Loads of other behaviours and I just find her exhausting. Also worry about secondary school next year*