ADHD in toddlers: early signs and how diagnosis usually works

[JoyousMauveBear]

Hi,
does anyone have a toddler that is diagnosed with ADHD and if so what were the traits which you suspected ADHD and how did you go about getting a diagnosis?

just looking for some clarity really as I suspect my 3 year old daughter may have ADHD.

It’s understandable to want clarity when a toddler’s behaviour feels unusually intense or difficult to manage. At age 3, ADHD-like traits can overlap with normal development, sleep issues, sensory needs, or language delays. Keeping notes on patterns and seeking guidance from a health visitor, GP, or paediatric specialist can be a helpful next step.

What are the behaviours? It is unlikely to get a diagnosis for adhd at this age. You will have to see how it goes over the next year or 2

Yeah this is what I thought. Her dad has ADHD so I didn’t know if it could be linked. she will have a meltdown over the tiniest thing, she isn’t interested in anything for over 20 seconds no matter how much I try to encourage, she’s constantly on the go running/jumping and she gets really frustrated when I have to get her to sit for a while when her breathing gets bad, her meltdowns are near unbearable. She will stand and scream for a good 2/3 minutes if she doesn’t like something/something doesn’t go her way or again she also does this when she is clearly frustrated. She bites herself and pulls her own hair. She physically attacks her 6 month old sister by kicking, stamping, hitting. The list goes on.
I know at her age these can all be normal but this is behaviour that has been going on for nearly over a year and has been getting progressively worse. She has a 2 year old sister and they are completely opposite, it was at this age when the behaviours started

At 3 years old, many behaviours that resemble ADHD can still fall within typical toddler development, so it can be difficult to tell the difference. If concerns persist across different settings and are affecting daily functioning, it may be helpful to discuss them with your health visitor, GP, or paediatrician. Keeping a record of specific behaviours and situations can also be useful when seeking professional advice.

ND conditions tend to run in families as there is a genetic link. I have relatives with ASD, dyslexia and dyspraxia - so her dad having ADHD does mean there is an increased chance that she may.

It's hard to get a diagnosis at this age though as others have said, according to Google it's hard to get a diagnosis under 6. Make a note of all the extreme behaviours you notice though in as much detail as you can as this will be useful when she does get assessed.

Does she go to nursery? How is she there?

Thankyou. I have started a record to show how often it happens and any trigger. I know it can just be normal development, I’m just a little worried about her. I have spoken to her health visitor who is sending someone from home start to come and speak to us about it and give us some support. She asked me if anything had significantly changed but nothing has other than her now being on a brown inhaler for her breathing.

I have set up a meeting with nursery to discuss her behaviours to see if they are consistent. We never really get a hand over from nursery when picking up, so a meeting is my best way to discuss it in full. They have told me on a few occasions they normally give her jobs to do when she’s becoming frustrated or refusing to sit for group time etc. but that’s the most they’ve ever handed over. But when she’s been at nursery all day and gets home her behaviour is worse. Is it possible she could be masking at this age?
This is all new to me and I’ve never really thought about it until I noticed the massive change in her behaviour

My sons just been diagnosed with ADHD, along with autism and anxiety. He’s 7.
I never thought ADHD when he was younger, I only thought he was autistic.
it was only the last year I started thinking about ADHD also.

I only thought adhd as her dad has it x

It can really be hard to tell at this age if someone would have ADHD. Some parents who later had children diagnosed describe things like being constantly on the go, very little sense of danger, difficulty sitting still even for short periods, intense emotions, impulsivity, poor sleep, and struggling to focus on activities compared with their peers. Others notice that their child seems much more active or overwhelmed than other children of the same age.
A diagnosis at 3 can be quite uncommon, and many professionals prefer to monitor children over time, particularly once they start nursery or school and different environments can be compared.
If you're concerned, you can mention it to your health visitor or GP and also speak to her nursery, if she attends one, to see whether they notice similar behaviours. Sometimes getting observations from different settings can be really helpful.
I found it useful reading about how neurodevelopmental traits can present in young children, and resources from organisations such as ADHD Certify can be helpful for parents who are trying to understand whether certain behaviours are within the typical range or worth exploring further.