To ask when you first started seeing signs of your child having ADHD

[glossypeach]

I have an about to turn four year old. He’s completely overactive which I just shrugged off to him being a normal child. He’s an only child, so I don’t have anything to compare. The past year has been tough, he is bouncing off walls from the moment he wakes up until 11/12 at night. He has no sense of danger and is jumping off things constantly and cannot sit still. He is constantly talking and moving. A few weeks ago I got called in by his nursery to discuss him and they mentioned that he constantly is spinning and he does not sit still. They made a note to keep an eye on it as it’s hard to differentiate between normal child behaviour and neurodivergence at this age. I never really noticed the spinning until it was pointed out and now I observe him and notice he does spin a lot. He cannot sit down at all, point blank. There’s a lot of things that he does fit in with adhd but I don’t want to push anything when he is likely just a normal kid. Those with neurodivergent children, what age did you first pick up on the fact that they possibly could be neurodivergent and what was the signs?

About 8. No signs at all before then so I believe it may have been triggered by trauma.

No spinning. Impulsiveness and short term memory problems were the main thing.

I am qualified to diagnose adhd and autism. What you're describing sounds like a child with adhd. He could also have autism as they co-occur frequently (spinning could be a form of stimming for example). Most parents of adhd boys (in particular) describe a pattern like yours from a young age. Adhd diagnosis not recommended til 6 at the earliest because of how common hyperactivity is in young children, but I would say you're probably right in your assessment.

To the pp who saw no signs til 8, I have seen this picture in children misdiagnosed with adhd when they're actually autistic. The two things can look similar sometimes and early signs of autism are easier to miss than early signs of adhd. Adhd is not typically caused by trauma - unless it was a significant head trauma and is coexisting with brain damage?

It was evident in DS from very early. He never stopped moving - even as a baby. And so much more than any baby of same age.

very hyperactive at nursery and school, so thought it was an issue then, however, felt that it was often dismissed as typical kid behaviour. I’d say his hyperactivity peaked at 4- it was off the scale.

the spinning is a sign of autism ( which often comes with ADHD)

referred at 7, diagnosed at 81/2.

@atthebottomofthehill might be able to confirm or correct this, but I was told that health professionals can also spot hyperactive kids by exhausted parents! My DS was non- stop and I was burnt out keeping up with him, despite having bags of energy myself.

do you find parenting exhausting? ( I know lots of people find parenting tiring, but I’m talking bone-deep exhaustion…almost like the newborn days)

Following

Pretty much when she went into year 1. Every parents evening from then on were filled with "She's well behaved but she's a daydreamer isn't she? Never finishes her work, needs to concentrate more". Nothing else in between was ever said. Wasn't a hyper kid by any means. Then she got to Year 7, lockdown, they spent the year in 1 place in school so largely uneventful. Year 8, moving around again, then it all went to shit. Wandering the halls, late all the time, forgetting everything, really impulsive, terrible sleep habits, I've been dragged into her school more times than she's had a hot dinner there. Referred in year 8, just diagnosed a month ago in year 10 with combined type. Often doesn't present itself as much when they are 'managed', but more evident as they get older and have to take on more responsibility.

My daughter was 17 and my boys were 20. They were all diagnosed within weeks of each other due to advice from a university welfare officer that one of them look in to it. I had no idea prior to that as they didn't exhibit what I thought were classic ADHD symptoms. Now I know more about ADHD and masking.

They have all told me lots of experiences from when they were younger but at the time they didn't know themselves that anything was wrong and what they were feeling wasn't considered "normal".

I wish I had know earlier as it would have saved a whole lot of heartache down the line. I didn't recognise the spinning as a sign. I know now that it is. My daughter's proprioception is off kilter which is also a sign but she also has hypermobility spectrum disorder and proprioception problems are a co-morbidity.