TODDLER ADHD?

[colditzcolditzcold]

Hi, can I pose a question? My friends 2.5 year old son has recently started playgroup. One of the staff has asked herto get him checked for ADHD. To me he seems quite normal, just boisterous. Is ADHD likely?

be very careful of getting a 'label' slapped on him just because the nursery cant cope with him - it happened to us. Get her to talk to her HV and see what she thinks

She is so worried. The problem seems to be that a lot of the "symptoms" on the sheet she has been given correspond to typical toddler behaviour. He is bright, sociable and very busy, but I don't think his behavior should be a major problem for anyone used to working with toddlers.

I may get shouted by parents of children who have it but i think it's something thats 'diagnosed' far too easily and quickly these days. Dp's ex's son was 4 and was told he had it and put on medication. A few months later they decided they had made a mistake and he was just being a little boy!! Does she get on with her health visitor?

I don't know about whether she gets on with the hv, but she's marching her son down to the doctors tomorrow. I would hate to see him put on ritalin, because I genuinely don't believe he has any behavioral problems.

Apparently he has been running round headbutting other children

don't they all??? At some point i think most of them go through some kind of anti-social behaviour.
Tell her to be strong and dont let them convince her it's something it's not if she thinks he's fine :)

I would really like to reassure her that he is pretty normal, but I can't do that 'til I've got the facts. I'm off to do a google.

A HV wouldn't be able to diagnose ADHD anyway so there is no danger that this boy will suddenly be taking Ritalin. Even if he is assessed by a Paed as having ADHD (probably unlikely at 2.5yrs) medication is not usually the first step. The first steps would probably involve things like food diaries (to see if anything in particular makes it worse). There are a few mumsnetters whose children have a dx of ADHD and IIRC their children were a lot older when diagnosed.

FWIW I've had a lot of comments in the past about ds2 (22 months). The usual comment is "Is he always this active?" or "Does he ever stop?" IMO he is at the higher end of the active scale but nowhere near being clinically hyperactive.

Children with ADHD are incredibly destructive.

It would be practically unheard of for a 2.5 year to be given ritalin (for comparison my friend's dd was given concerta - a form of ritalin) aged 5 and she was told that she was the youngest child in the area to be given the drug. It was only given after a lot of assessment and discussion (and it makes their life bearable- and is obviously reveiwed regularly- she is a very extreme case). It was not prescribed by a GP- I've never heard of a GP prescribing it- it was prescribed by a paediatric clinical psychologist in conjunction with a pead. Her sister (age 4) probably has ADHD but everyone has said to hold off diagnosing her until she is at least 6 and to not even think about medication until after that. She is under regular review of a paediatrician.

I shall watch this with interest colditz, as I often wonder about my kids.. who have been (dd)/are (ds) highly active.

I do think there is a thin line betweeen highly active/hyper active.
Believe me 'highly active' is also exceptionally difficult to deal with.

Sounds like the playgroup staff aren't really able to cope with your pals son.
Perhaps she should change playgroup, and find staff who are a little more 'experienced'.

Making comments about ADHD at such an early age, on the basis of very little evidence, is surely no help whatsoever?

Both my sons were highly active, boisterous toddlers and gave their nursery and preschool staff much pause for throught.

Looking at my oldest ds (would-be 10 year old weekend couch potato unless organised into doing stuff) you'd never believe how 'busy' he was just 5 years ago. When my youngest ds, then aged 3, joined a nursery the staff insisted he was 'beyond the normal sprectrum for livliness' and made me go to my HV about him. They even got my HV to view him in his nursery class. The HV told them my son was lively but perfectly normal. So far at school, my youngest ds has not been picked out as having any behaviour beyond the normal spectrum either. He's in year 1 now.

So IME, you can't predict with any certainty that the boisterousness of 2.5 year old is beyond 'normal'

I also think there's a difference between a child who "can be" hyperactive but "isn't" hyperactive iyswim? They can all be hyperactive, can't we all?
I think she should go to the GP as no harm done and look for another school or wait out the miserable staff who can't manage toddlers, they will leave given time!

I had the same problem. My DS was 2 year's 9 months when started pre-school. 3 weeks after starting preschool I had another baby (boy) and 3 weeks' after that preschool pulled me to one side and said they thought he had behavioural problems and they wanted him to have his own keyworker as he needed constant attention. In other words they wanted to label him. I got my HV involved. She went to the pre-school and watched him in action and reported back to me he was just a normal challenging "nearly" 3 year old. My HV also asked me whether I had thought about changing pre-schools. I have in fact decided to keep him there. I thought it would be good practice for the keyworkers to have a challenge!!!! Dont get me wrong I may sound like I am joking but it does concern me. Anything to do with my children does - that's my job isnt it....to worry!!!