When does active/naughty...become adhd/ODD?

[clare40]

I was wondering if anyone could help me. My 3.3 yr old, is a real handful - he is very boisterous, can be hyper (not always), loud, and seems to like doing naughty stuff just for the fun of it. He sleeps and eats really well, and has good language skills. He can watch telly (surprise!), listen to stories and play a game (but need adults supervision), but is not very good at just getting on with playing. If left to play he will become naughty and will do something like be mean/hurt his sibling or draw on something he shouldn't or start throwing - things he knows he shouldn't be doing. He needs attention a lot! He can be really rough and disruptive and finds it funny - this is when he gets hyper. But he can play nicely - and his nursery say he is fine and very socialable!

What do you think? He can be so lovely, but also can be so difficult to like at times!!!

I'm no expert but he sounds within the realms of 'normal' for his age. It sounds like he behaves naughtily for attention. I doubt a child with ADHD could just switch it on and off like you describe.

Hi. I have a son with ADHD aged 7. He can watch a film from start to finish and not move an inch. He can play on the Wii or on his DS and, If I didn't take them away, could sit there for hours. However, he's problems arise mainly in the classroom where he finds it really tricky to maintain the required level of concentration and attention. He's also quite impulsive ie: will have a walk around the classroom, restaurant and have a chat or a nose about. He's boisterous and loves any play that is physical. He IS NOT aggressive or violent (which is a huge misconception for kids with ADHD). When I look back at my ds aged 3, he was a real handful. He never walked anywhere and he was on a reign until almost 4 years. He would climb, jump, scramble his way about in the house or outside. He is very sociable and loves other kids company. It would be very hard to say if any of your ds's traits are ADHD and as you say these issues do not present themselves at nursery, then I doubt very much ADHD is a factor at all. My son was the same in all settings. No professional would look seriously at my ds until he was 6. So much of his behaviour was 'normal' for young children. I think you need to start implementing behaviour consequences to try and control some of his more harmful shenanigans. There's lots you can do .. look seriously at his diet too - some foods are truly evil !

He sounds to me well within the normal spectrum, Clare40. 3yr olds are a HANDFUL at the best of times (she says with only the expertise of being a mother of 4, including 3 boys, including one with challenging behaviour but even he was pretty "normal" at 3yo, too).

MadameSin can you list a few evil foods?!

I've become an expert a looking on the back of food packets. Generally, I've cut out Aspartame (sweetener) and dilute squash more. Foods containing the additives Sunset Yellow (E110), Ponceau 4R (E124), Carmoisine (E122) and Sodium Benzoate (E211). (These additives have been shown to cause temper tantrums and disruptive behaviour in up to a quarter of young children). Any processed foods/pre-packed meals, many biscuits, chocolate and sweets also contain harmful additives & preservatives. Most breads and some bacon (processed meats) contain harmful preservatives. By changing the way we fed our son, the whole family eat far more healthily. I'm not fanatical, just careful. I buy organic meat where I can and when we can afford it. I do lots of slow cooking with natural ingredients. He used to come home and eat biscuits/cake etc to snack on, now he'll eat humous, rice cakes, sushi. Not ideal for many kids, but he had to learn to acquire a taste for them. Check out this link for some more info :
www.ukfoodguide.net/bestavoided.htm

Really interesting - Thanks Madame
And has the change in diet made a big difference in your sons behaviour?