Does this sound like ADHD?

[evieleigh]

My Ds has never been the best sleeper & has always been quite whingey. Now at 2.5 I'm finding him the hardest and people have commented that he could have ADHD. What do you think? Speaking with HV this week..

• early riser (5am - usually only when teeth coming through)

• fussy eater
• can be very hyper at times especially when other children are around
• can also have chilled time when it's just me & him
• throws things, climbs on everything, smacks, very demanding, no patience at all
• doesn't like being in pram/high chair for long periods
• naps and goes to bed very well (in a toddler bed, doesn't get out)
• does have at least one night time wake up usually for dummy
• walked and talked very early
• can be affectionate with me and DH but not the most loving with others
• always fighting at nursery
• whinges an awful lot
• happy to play alone with toys for short periods but is quite rough with them
• easier if we stay in the house these days, gets quite hyper & overstimulated when out and about.

-tells me when he's tired and wants to go home

• runs off from me
• listens to discipline quite well eg will sit on naughty step for 2 minutes

It could be but a lot of what you've posted could just be normal infant behaviour, like waking once a night and waking at 5 am if he's teething.

Have you done the MChat test to see what his risk of having ASD is if you're beginning to think that he's not neurotypical?

Hello @PanicBuyingSprouts yes I agree. I have done the test and it came back as 0 chance but isn't it just for autism? Thanks

Yes just for ASD. Not sure how you get a diagnosis for ADHD sorry.

Sounds like a lot of toddlers I know I'm afraid! Including my own... 🙄

Could be but also could just be toddlerhood as it sounds very much like many toddlers.

They would never diagnose or even begin looking at ADHD in such a young child anyway, so it would be unlikely until he is at school tests/investigations would even start. By then you may be in a completely different situation.

Added to that, even if it is, and you get a diagnosis at some point it changes nothing. Unless you go for the medication route (but again not a game changer, more a ‘makes things slightly easier’

So it’s best to focus on just managing the difficulties you both have by being consistent and firm. And see how things go for a few years.

Thanks everyone