Signs of ADHD in 2.7 year old - anyone have experience?

[DIngdongmerryilyonhigh]

My 2.7 year old seems in my opinion to be different to other children the same age. She doesn't go to pre-school yet because I'm a SAHM atm so don't have any childcare needs and tbh can't afford to send her unless i'm working.

I'm concerned because....

• Bedtime is and always has been a nightmare because she just can't wind down and switch off/sit still until she is absolutely exhausted and crashes. She normally eventually goes to bed around 10pm and we have to go to bed with her otherwise she just won't settle. She's then up again by around 5.30am and will also be up during the night at least once.

• When she wakes up in the morning there's no gradual 'wake up' it is literally eyes open and full on energy!

• Atm she's doing laps running from one end of the room to the other and back again!!! On her own.

• She has no interest in eating at all because she can't sit still for long enough. I take her to a playgroup once a week and she is the only child out of about 25 that can't stay seated for a snack and several of them are younger than her.

• She will run around my home literally pulling all the books off the shelf, pulling all the clothes off the airer and throwing them around the room, pushing her little sister over until I send up shouting at her to stop, but she doesn't I have to physically grab her and make her calm down.

I've raised it with several health visitors and been told she 'just has a lot of energy', but sometimes when I try and slow her down or get her to stop she almost looks possessed and just can't stop.

Should I be worried?

For context I've been told she's very very bright and has excellent social skills, a wide vocabulary and is very friendly with other children.

How did she behave at her two year check? Did the HV see any of those behaviours?

How is your daughter around other children? Does she attempt to play with anyone at playgroup? How has her language and communication development been? And what is her understanding of ‘safe’ behaviour like? (Does she get more injuries than other children her age?).

She does sound like she has high activity levels, which sounds exhausting for you too. It might be worth raising this with your GP, and perhaps ask for a referral to a paediatrician. When I worked in child and adolescent mental health, I did see pre-school age children, so a referral isn’t impossible. Early help will also help you to manage that behaviour.

The one thing that might help you here is back-up form nursery, but I guess you’re waiting until the free hours happen. Are you ineligible for the 2-Year subsidy?

Both my children have adhd. They’re literally moving all the time. They climb, jump, run, utterly fearless with no sense of danger. Neither can keep still. There bodies move a lot and they find sitting very challenging. Even when sat their bodies are still moving. I’d keep a note of her behaviour. She is still quite young and a lot of paediatricians won’t diagnose until 6 (one was diagnosed at 6 the other at 4). My eldest who doesn’t have adhd was always a live wire. Didn’t sleep well, always awake and on the go. She’s still lively now. Very chatty and high energy.

A paediatrician told me they usually won’t assess until about 6 years old, as when they’re toddlers, they’re similarly behaved. As they grow and things get more complicated, the gap starts developing and showing. At that age, I’d assume you’ll be told she’ll grow out of it.

Also, body movement could be part of dyspraxia. They’re not getting the sensory feedback from their body parts when they’re still and need to fidget and move in order for their body parts to feedback to the brain.

She is too young to be diagnosed but what you describe does sound extreme.

I have a dd with adhd diagnosed age 8 although it presents itself differently from that eg impulsive behaviour, lack of attention, flitting between activities, constant talking and interrupting rather than high energy running around.

Sounds like my ds.
Didn't sleep through the night until he was 5 and at school. I could be up with him 6/7/8 Times a night then up or the day from 4.30-5am each morning.
Couldn't just walk anywhere, jumped, climbed, swung from anything/everything.
Had to be walked twice a day in fresh air, I walked hmm for miles and miles...still didn't sleep or get tired.
Couldn't take him to playgroups, cafe's, friend's houses, on a bus/tram/train it was impossible to get him to sit down, he would be off running Riot, climbing over chairs, furniture, people.
He could not sit for any more than a few seconds to watch a tv programme or a film so the cinema was a no go...he would be running up and down he aisles.

Washing/books/things in cupboards were continuously removed, toy boxes upended.

I was absolutely exhausted.

He was completely different from his peers.

Turns out he was just horribly normal. Now aged 14, he is pretty much the same, non stop energy...but much better. Still hard work.

So sympathies my friend, sympathies.

She sounds a lot like my DD, who is now 3 and still has the same energy levels but is a lot better behaved with it these days. She used to be exactly as you described. We don't have any other DC yet so have obviously been able to focus loads of time on helping her learn to channel her energy better. If you've had another DD while she's been young that must have been really hard I couldn't even face the idea until recently as DD is so high energy.

What happens when you try and channel her energy into activities or help her to burn it off?

Oh yes and early waking, ready for the day at 5am and still the same now as a teenager (sorry.)

My dd 2.8 is exactly the same. She has already been seen by a paediatrician for being completely unable to sit still, never stops moving, impulsivity, flits between activities, always charging about, short attention span.. she is adopted and has a full older sibling who is diagnosed and medicated for adhd. I feel it will be on the cards for dd too. She started nursery in September and this has been invaluable in getting their perspective and they are now keeping a diary for me on her behaviour at nursery. I would ask your health visitor to refer her as it does sound like it's not typical toddler behaviour.

Can't help in the adhd as she is so young, but she does sound sensory seeking. If you google that and find more constructive ways for her to get the feedback she needs - eg moving something heavy around - it might help to reduce the work she creates for you. Look after yourself.

Have you lined up a pre school place for when she does get free 15 hours?

Sounds a lot like my DS. Hes 3.5 now and a fair bit calmer. Preschool still struggle to get him to sit down and do activities but he will occasionally now as opposed to never. He’s focus and concentration has improved massively and he sleeps a lot better since he dropped his nap but still needs to be utterly exhausted to fall asleep. I even took him to a cafe the other day and he sat down nicely the whole time. I would never have thought it possible a year ago. Or even 6 months ago.

This behaviour is within normal parameters in my experience at this age. Exhausting but may not be anything to be concerned about.

Hi any updates please ☺️