How young can they diagnose ADD/ADHD?

Question

My son will be 3 in less than a month And I think that it is more than just the age with him He has trouble sitting still constantly has to be moving I have to feed him every meal If I dont he wont eat Its like he forgets he has food in his mouth He'll hold it in there for 45 minutes unless I remind him to chew When I talk to him I can only hold his attention for a brief second When I ask him to pick up his toys he'll pick up 2 or 3 then leave the room I dont think it is normal behavior I have a little girl (4) and I never had a problem with her Im supposed to be sending him to preschool this year and Im scared to I dont think he'll listen to the teachers at all he likes to do what he wants to do and doesnt care what anyone else thinks (and no hes not spoiled) Also I am scared to send him to school because of the other children I dont want anyone making fun of him He gets mad really easy also He hits his sister if she tries to tell him what to do i know that is normal or I think it is

Answer 1

That sounds like the behavior of a three your old boy...  Going to pre school will help him see what others are doing therefore he should start behaving properly...

Sending him to school should help, don't be afraid to send him...

Dr's have a hard time diagnosing it, it usually happens halfway through kindergarten at the earliest...

Answer 2

I don't think they diagnose kids until they are 7, but you are probably right.  I knew with my nephew at 17 months he had adhd.  Go with your gut.

Answer 3

He is far too young to be diagnosed, but that doesn't mean he  doesn't have ADD/ADHD.

Believe it or not, I think the best thing for him will be nursery school, that way an outsider who will spend a lot of time with him will get to see his behavior and if there is or isn't something to worry about.

I wouldn't worry about him being picked on by the other children at this point, kids that young don't really take part in that type of behavior.

A lot of his behaviors seem typical for a little boy, they are totally different than girls. If you really are worried about him, I would talk to the doctor, but I think he is too young to get an official diagnosis and way too young for any medicines at this point.

My advice? Enroll him in school, be open about your concerns with his behavior, see what the teacher/s say then go to his doctor if you are still worried. They will do an evaulation on his speech/physical development and cognitive development and they will enroll him in early intervention if need be.

Answer 4

Somebody I know got it when they were 2. I think they can get it if thy are older then 1 but I don't really know. I hope this helped.

-Tara

Answer 5

i think like 5+