Please help, what is wrong with dc?

[gruffalomom]

My just turned 3 year old has always been a handful. He is very lively and very strong willed.

At around 18 months he went through a stage of head banging during tantrums. It was really distressing. He outgrew that but still has some huge episodes. I call them episodes because they seem different to his normal tantrums to me. they last longer, are quite violent and he cannot be bribed or begged out of them.i literally have to just hold and reassure him until he seems to come around.

He is super affectionate and social and a real little chatterbox but it is hard to keep him still.

He is literally full on from morning until night.

Having read up on it he seems to fit with ADHD but I've tried to get help and just keep being told he is the extreme end of normal.

It's not that I am keen to label him but I need help and I feel he does too.

He has some other odd behaviours too like he makes funny whiney noises and behaves as a puppy would. He can talk but tends to make these noises when he is being soppy.

Can anyone offer advice?

Have you noticed any particular triggers for the episodes? They sound like what is commonly referred to as meltdowns - my DS3 used to have the wildest meltdowns at that age, transitions were a particular problem.

It can be hard to get a preschooler assessed - particularly if your concerns are ADHD as I think typically diagnosis isn't really considered until school age (the case in my area anyway). I've always found the easiest route in has been through speech and language therapy (I have 2 with SN). It's not just about vocabulary, but also how the child interacts and is able to attend to games/follows instructions etc.

In our area, they don't diag ADHD until age 7, But I think it varies.
I'm wondering if the noises your son is making are his way of comforting himself, My son makes repetitive noises and movements to calm himself?
This whole area of Special Needs is a Minefield......My son has been monitored from 1 yr old as he's been very slow at everything.
The best advice I can offer is to keep a diary of anything you notice that you think may be of interest, I've found taking notes really helped as so much is going on I was forgetting things which may have been important. The notes have been great to read, as it's nice to look back and see how much your child has come along.
It's a long road, Get as much help as you can. Everyone has opinions, not all are helpful. Just do the right thing for your child. You can get help without a diagnosis. We got an Echp for 1-1 at school without the Diagnosis, But obviously the Diagnosis does make it easier to get access to the services you require. Xx