Could my four-year-old’s constant movement and poor wind-down need support?

[GibbyWB]

Hello

My son, a healthy 4 year old boy.
I am starting to wonder if he has additional needs and I am trying to work out if it's an age thing or sensory.

My son asks a million and one questions everyday, his brain can't slow/sit down. I love how inquisitive he is. We are trying to do one minute sit stills but this is impossible for him!

However I have noticed - when extremely exhausted his brain can't shut down. He can zone it to watch TV but that's it. We only give 20mins of tv a day for this reason.

When with us he has to press his full body weight into us. Head ways millions of lbs, his legs constantly moving. I have now noticed at bedtime he does this weird slow movement thing with his fingers in the air. I have attached a photo. But they hover in the air going round and round.
When laying in bed - he is moving so much! Can't just lay and rest.

How do you go about in getting support if needed, it's heartbreaking seeing him exhausted but unable to shut down for rest.

It may be worthwhile videoing him both at bedtime and during the day whilst he's displaying the behaviours you are concerned about @GibbyWB

Then have a chat with your GP.

My son was/is like this. He has ADHD and autism. We just thought it was normal until we had our second son. He goes to bed at 7pm but awake until 10pm. Thankfully he is well behaved and draws, reads, builds Lego etc quietly to wind down. When you get he would do multiple 100 piece jigsaws and he taught himself keyboard (with headphones) and is currently doing robotics. Tbh it presented during COVID and we didn't have the umph to worry so we just sent with it. He is happy and sleeps well (like the dead once he actually falls asleep) so we just let him get in with it.

A NESTI might be helpful. I haven’t tried one with my Ds because he regulates in other ways but a friend has had success with one. Her child has been prescribed melatonin. My Ds uses thunderstorm sounds on his Alexa or sometimes music to help settle down. He sleeps well once asleep. TV will cause him to zone out for as long as he watches it. Physical activity is great for helping. Ds was walking a couple of miles a day at age 4 to get to and from school. He has a constant need for movement and isn’t still even when asleep. Never stops talking unless deeply absorbed in something on tv and has zoned out. He has autism and ADHD.
Speak to your GP and the SENCO at school.
My dd used to do that with her hands as a baby when she was falling asleep. Undiagnosed but no doubt she also has ADHD and autism.

Sounds like he has some ADHD-type traits. It’s tricky because at his age some of those things can be normal.

Are these things causing distress for him or you? For example, is he taking hours to get to sleep at night, waking often, waking super early etc? Can he regulate or does he have huge meltdowns where he can’t be soothed?

If so definitely go to the GP. But even if your gut tells you something is going on, wanting to know what you’re contending with before he starts school in order to give him the best chance, is enough of a reason to go.