How do you know if your child has ADD/ADHD etc..

[Yael]

My child has always been extremely active... as soon as he could start to crawl he was off and away, and even before that wasn't happy lying there doing nothing.

At mothers club everyone else used to be able to put their kids down and they would stay and play nicely, but not my boy..

Now (he is 17 months), if we ever meet up to go to the park etc, i honestly spend the entire time chasing him around, he doesn't stop running or climbing (he is extremely strong and can lift himself up a good 35 cm off the ground by holding onto things).. He also has extremely good fine motor co-ordination

He is intelligent (i don't think i'm just saying that).. at 12 months he used to go get my keys and try and put them in the back of the deadlock to show me he wants to go outside for example...

But he just can't sit still for longer than 30 seconds... In the mornings (my husband mostly looks after him so i can rest a bit), he does amuse himself in the living room (we have a safety gate between kitchen and living room, so he can still see my husband), for longer periods of time with a toy, maybe up to 5 mins, and also if he can't see you he is ok, but from about 1.5 hrs after he got up, he just can't keep playing with 1 toy for a reasonable period of time before he needs to run around..

He can't sit on my lap for longer than 1 page of a card book (which has 1 sentance on it).. he wriggles all the time! He can't sit down or on the couch to drink a bottle of milk... you either have to hold him on your lap (not easy to do as he wriggles so much), or put him in the highchair, which he gets out of the straps and then stands up in etc...

We don't have a TV in the house, so i can't say whether he would sit still to watch it, but i doubt it.

Is he just a normal very active little boy, or is there some attention/concentration disorder here? How would i know, and who would i see about it???

He isn't naughty, just very inquistive (oh, i should add the only time during the day he would sit still for 5 mins quietly is if he has got hold of something he knows he shouldn't have, then he will play nicely!)...

His sleep pattern is : gets woken up at 8am ish (he would sleep until 9.30 if we let him, but if he does this his whole day is shot and he won't sleep during the day)... plays until 11... sleeps from 11 - 2ish... Goes down again at 8pm. Generally sleeps through the night (has been waking up recently, but we have all been sick so i think thats it).

He eats a lot also.. has 3 weetbix for brekky, 2 peices of bread with jam or cream cheese etc for lunch, meat & veggies (a whole bowl) for dinner. With snacks in between (planish bikkies, sultanas, yoghurt, cheese, fruit etc). Doesn't like fruit so much, but loves veggies. We don't give him processed stuff really, no sugar or sweets. He has 2-3 bottles of milk a day.

Anyway, if somebody could just tell me this is normal (but exhausting!), i would be happy... I hope his sibling will keep him more occupied, i don't have the time or energy to play with him all day long. I really hoped i would have a child who was happy to play on his own, but for the most part he isn't really.

Thanks...

[christy]

Yael he sounds like Matilda at 17 months. She is an extremely active child, and it was only around 20 months or so that she would sit & draw or colour in or read a book. And that took a lot of hard work on our part to keep her contained enough to do those activities. Its exhausting yes.

Matilda also is extremely strong willed and will challange our direction constantly which is exhausting as well.

I introduced TV around 18 months and would let her watch 1 show at a time so I could sit down & have a coffee or some break during the day... I had to strap her into the high chair to be able to have the break and have her sit still to watch the TV. Its only been the last few months that she will sit through an episode of something.

So I don't have huge answers for you. I know how frustrating it is to go somewhere and have to chase your child all the time. I know its exhausting as well. When I got pregnant with Jovie was when Matilda picked up an extra day at day care so I could have a rest day. I just didn't cope otherwise...

[Yael]

We are thinking of sending him to creche for 3 mornings a week (8.30 - 12.30)

Mainly for him to learn to interact with other children (he just has no idea what they are, so ignores them and interacts with adults basically), and also so they can do activities that i don't have time/energy to do with him (art etc), and so he gets a rotation of toys (not that he really seems to like anything out of the big toy box he has)... Of course, my mum thinks i'm horrible doing this (apparently its fine if i need to work, but to send him for his own reasons is terrible???)... at least i don't work, so if he hates it, i'll take him out

I'm hoping also it will teach him some discipline (i.e. sitting still etc, not the getting smacked kind), and maybe have his own routine so when the baby comes he won't get so upset.

But other mothers at the park can stand and talk to each other while their kids play at one thing for a little bit (or sit on their mum's lap on the see-saw).. i just literally run from one end of the park to the other constantly, and i would rather not go TBH...

We got him crayola textas etc, but he will bang them on the paper for all of about 10 secs, and then wants to get down (actually, he is more taken with taking the lids on and off first).. he just can't do anything for a longish period of time..

He is worse when he doesn't get a good day sleep (like today he probably only had 1.5 - 2 good hours).. he just gets more hypo and cranky-pants that way.. of course, he is a perfect angel for everyone else!

I don't know if i'm a bad mother, if i made a rod for my own back (gosh, i never thought i would say that), by not teaching him to play by himself (i thought he would come out well adjusted and happy if i didn't leave him ina room by himself as a newborn for 2 hours... but i did leave him for 15-20 mins at a time), or if this would have happened anyway?

And DH and I are like these calm, non-hypo adults (and weren't like him at all as children apparently)... i wonder if he will change??

[storm]

Sounds just like Zaccie, only he doesn't eat that much.

Amy was diagnosed with ADHD when she was 6, most of the same symptoms as your son, only being in school it was a nightmare.
I don't think at such a young age it would be easy to say, maybe once he starts school it would be easier to work out.
Most days Zaccie is a nightmare, but honestly I just dont know if he has it either, I guess we will just have to wait & see as he gets older.
You would need to see a pead for diagnosis, they are some pretty grueling tests to go through, but I honestly think it is worth it, Amy no longer takes her meds, she hasn't for about 3 years now, while she is still not an easy child to live with she is 100% better than when she was younger.
But your son does sound alot like Amy when she was a baby.She was a horror!LOL

[Pandora]

ADD/ADHD are a combination of factors.

So for example a child can be hyperactive, but not have ADD or ADHD.

I think its Monnie who might know a bit about this, I hope she has time/sees this thread.

[~Jo~]

Mmm...for me it sounds pretty normal..though I havent had a lot of experience with add/adhd children. Sammy didnt sleep as much as your son or eat as much but he was and still is on the go right through the day. I just put it down to being an energetic little boy...we have introduced tv though..from around your son's age as well...so now during breakfast and somtimes lunch when Sammy is sitting in his high chair eating he watches wiggles and it is bliss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jo

[Lilly-Pilly]

Sounds just like my DD, who is 5 and still very active and 'hyper'
She has always been smart, a big eater and had way too much energy!!!
She now can sit and concerntrate on a specific thing for a long time, but she is 5 now!! At 1 or 2 she wouldnt stay still for anything!!

[monnie]

Hey Yael

Sounds like you have a little livewire with amazing (but exhausting) energy levels!

It's really tough to diagnose ADHD before the age of 3 years...mainly because inattention and hyperactivity are very much part of toddlerhood...and it's tricky to say what is normal toddler behaviour and what are significant difficulties. Even if a diagnosis was made (and it really should only be a provisional 'tentative' diagnosis at that age), the treatment would predominantly be more about managing tricky/difficult behaviours (e.g. helpful parenting techniques)

One of the really important things to consider with kids with high energy levels is whether this is just their temperament...are they are just kids who have energy to burn and need ++activity in their lives or are they kids who truly struggle with attention, concentration, distractibility, etc.

It's probably too early to tell...

Sounds like he has great fine and gross motor development as well as being a little boy who is very curious and inquisitive...these 'strengths' combined with his great activity levels are fantastic...but I can just imagine how exhausting it can be...

I think your idea of creche is a great one! Lots of new things, new experiences, the further stimulation of new people and activities and the opportunity to start interacting with others...in no way do you sound like a bad mother...you sound like a Mum who is wanting the best for her son...and that includes providing with him the opportunities to grow and learn...

Regarding the need to see a professional, at this stage I would probably just wait and see...perhaps give him some time to settle into creche and then after a few months, ask the creche workers how he is going...if there are ongoing concerns, you might want to see a Paediatrician...but I really wouldn't think you need to rush into it...if you do see a Paed., I would suggest you go for someone who is pretty 'middle of the road' and conservative in their approach...

Wishing you all the best Yael...sounds like you have your hands full with a bright little spark...with lots of great strengths!!! You sound like you are doing a fantastic job!

[ebonee]

Hey, the only way to know for sure is to see a specialist, but he could just be being a boy.
My brother has adhd, and he just mainly had a real short fuse bad bad temper, he use to run away from school and everything he once threw a chair at a teacher but he is all grown up now and he seems to be fine, kids with adhd also tend to have alot of learning disabilities.
Ebonee

[MantaRay]

Yael, you have basically just described my 2 yo. And his brother is showing all the signs of being the same (and you think 1 keeps you busy LOL). The only difference between Jack and your son that I can tell, is that Jack loves books, so will read for a while. But even then he is never still. He can't even sit at the table to eat without needing to something with his hands and kick his feet. When I am out with Tom and Jack they are both constantly on the go - unless we are somewhere totally childproof I can't take my eyes of either of them for even a minute which means that I don't get to join in adult conversations etc.

I have to admit that ADHD has crossed my mind too, but we don't have real behavioural issues so I'm hoping that it's just high energy. Jack is also very bright - he could read all the letters of the alphabet and a few words before 18 months - in fact I think the only reason books keep him occupied is because he's learning from them. So I think sometimes the high energy and the being bright go together.

Anyway, I'm not sure if any of this has helped, but at least you know you are not alone being kept on your toes by an active toddler. And just think, it could always be worse - you could have an active 9 month old too!!

[Lil MG]

Hey, the only way to know for sure is to see a specialist, but he could just be being a boy.
My brother has adhd, and he just mainly had a real short fuse bad bad temper, he use to run away from school and everything he once threw a chair at a teacher but he is all grown up now and he seems to be fine, kids with adhd also tend to have alot of learning disabilities.
Ebonee

Wow Ebonee, I feel like you almost described my brother! He had ADD and dyslexia. I don't know how my poor mum coped!

Yael, as I mentioned above, my brother has ADD along with dyslexia and this was in the 70s when so little was known about either. Mum says that until I came along, she didn't realise just how bad my brother's attention span was. She'd plop me down somewhere and that might be it for hours while I entertained myself! Needless to say, given the lack of info and support available at the time (and the fact that my brother had two issues rather than just one), Mum really had such an uphill battle to try and find the best solution.

But I think Monnie is right in terms of it being just too early to get a proper diagnosis. In the meantime, I think it sounds like you're doing a great job with your gorgeous, if challenging, little boy, and that the fact that you're aware at this early stage will almost certainly bode well for making the right choices down the track.

Hang in there.

[christy]

Yeah I was going to say that I can't go to a park unless its enclosed if I want to stop running. Its awful.... and we were seeing a Triple P consultant for behaviour and activeness and she suggested that we get Matilda tested for ADHD but not until she's 4 or 5 because she said a lot of what she's doing is normal for her age as well.

[MantaRay]

Oh also Yael, I meant to write this before but the phone rang and I forgot. Jack has been going to day care since he was 7 months. He loves it. It really suits his personality and activity level. This is why I kept him in day care (one day a week) even when I wasn't working. It sounds like your son will be the same (although there is bound to be an adjustment time as it's all new). So don't feel like a bad mum - every child is different and I honestly believe that some kids thrive at day care.

[Heaven]

I agree, it would be hard to diagnose at such an early age. It's hard at any age as the symptoms of ADHD are of also things that kids normally do! So it's hard to say, you may just have a really high energy child!! So it probably wouldn't help seeing someone now in terms of getting a diagnosis. But what they can do is give you some tips on how to deal with the behaviour if this is what you need! And maybe just some support for you if you're feeling stressed out.
Hope all goes well.

[Yael]

Thanks for your support everyone!

I felt like such a bad mum last night, that i had to tell people i think my child has a problem.

I don't know if he has behavioural issues, he has a very nice temperment and although we have a few issues about not listening, I'm sure when he is a bit older and can speak (he only says a few words atm), it will get better. Most of the time he is well behaved, its just the incredible amount of energy he has.

I might speak to the MCHN next week about it... But it's good to know that we wouldn't diagnose him until later, cos i wouldn't want them to get it wrong if he was just in the higher end of normal.

But thank you so much for all your support... its good to know i'm not the only one out there with a livewire...!