hey!! So I just joined this site so I am very new to this... I do however have a question. At what age can they start to diagnose ADHD? My daughter turned 4 in April, but we have thought for a very long time she may have this ( her father has it, and he and his family have picked up on a lot of things ) I brought it up to her family dr and they agree but said she can’t be tested until she’s in school. The past month or so I would ay things have been getting worse, I have tried everything such as time outs, taking toys away, putting her in her room and NOTHING is helping. She has all of the signs listed on this website, and I don’t think it’s fair for her to have to be dealing with this without help 
I hate seeing her go threw her fits and outbursts
Diagnosis Age: hey!! So I just joined... - CHADD's ADHD Pare...
Diagnosis Age
I’m not sure if there’s an official age but most doctors like to wait until kids are in school. I believe this is to see how the child acts in a school setting. Typically to diagnose adhd the child has to have to difficulty in more than just the home setting. I will tell you this though, when my son was 3, I knew he had something different going on. That being said, his doctor still waited until he was in first grade to diagnose.
Possibly others have had a different experience?
Thank you for the reply! She was in K-3 this past year, and they didn’t really say too much about how she acted in class, unfortunately she won’t be attending preschool this year, but she acts out at home, at the drs office, in public... even if they don’t diagnose her with ADHD I just wish she could get into a play therapy or something but everywhere I have tried say they won’t help until she’s 5 unless she’s trying to harm herself. But I don’t think it’s fair she has to get to that point before someone will help us
I agree it doesn’t seem right. The earlier you could get therapy started the better, right? Makes sense to me.
Maybe you can look for a child psychologist?
I am doing some searching tonight and hopefully going to be able to call around tomorrow to a few places. The past 2 weeks have been really bad. I am so nervous our neighbors are going to call the cops or something with the way she’s been acting. She screams at the top of her lungs if we try to put her in her room or time out, she yells saying we are doing things we aren’t when all we are trying to do is get her to sit and go over her letters and numbers with us.. I just feel horrible
Aw! Dangit! My sister had the same issue with her son. She was worried about the neighbors as well, so she would sit out on her porch while he was in time out screaming.
I know you feel horrible but try to remember you’re doing everything you can. You love your kiddo and you’re doing the best you can with a tough situation.
Hi!
My daughter was 4 when we realized we needed help. A lot of the same issues as you, and we asked her pediatrician for a child psychologist recommendation. After talking with that Dr. and doing some assessments, she diagnosed her with Oppositional Defiance Disorder. We read everything we could get our hands on, including 1-2-3 Magic, which was a big help. We had to learn a whole different way of parenting, reward systems, etc. when she was 5 she was put on Clonodine, which helped during pre-k (she was getting suspended from pre-k for hurting teachers and kids). That medication worked for a few years. She was diagnosed with adhd combined at 6 (that is the age they will test for a diagnosis). She is on adderall and intuniv and after years of work, things are better. Try to go to a psychologist and she what they can do.
There is help! You can make it!!
I agree you should seek out help now with a child psychologist to help determine what’s going on. My son was 5 when he was diagnosed with ADHD. His preschool teacher suspected he had ADHD at 4 and we suspected the same since he had no impulse control. We also started him on meds at 5 (low dose) and it helped, He was never defiant but the meds helped control his impulses and helped him focus. Don’t wait and seek out help. Good luck,
ADHD can be diagnosed at age 4 years by a professional who regularly sees and treats ADHD. Research has shown that the diagnosis remains stable (doesn't change) as the children get older.
My son was 4.5 when he was formally diagnosed, but we knew he was having problems way before then. I think they like to wait until they are in a school because they have certain criteria they use to diagnose that work best is a structured setting like school or daycare. Also, if you wait until she starts school the evaluation is done through the school system, but might not be done by a licensed psychologist. You can call around to find a pediatric psychologist to do a private evaluation sooner, but you have to pay for it yourself. Either way, early intervention is important, so the sooner you can get her diagnosed the better.
My son was 4 (almost 5) when he was diagnosed and started on meds. I wasn’t expecting the doctor to be so willing but it really was a safety issue—his impulsively gets him into precarious situations (putting objects in his mouth, darting across the street, etc.). Also he totally showed his colors in the doctors office—playing with the doctor’s shoes, opening and closing the door, etc.
I finally found a place today that is going to see her! My daughter does the same, she just will run across the street, and when we go for bike rides in our back alley a car will be coming and she will be looking right at it and won’t move to the side we have to run and grab her to move over... I’m hoping we can get answers within the next few weeks
We had the same experience. The doctor obviously thought it was ADHD but was reluctant to “diagnose” our PreK 5yr old because the official guidelines say 1st grade-ish. However when we highlighted all the safety issues like running into the street or jumping into the deep end of a pool when he cant really swim etc, the doctor relented. I think they are afraid of being accused of over diagnosing or “pushing medication” even when its clearly indicated. With a little pleading to the right professional you may have luck before having to suffer through another two years of what is really an unbearable situation for all involved!
My son was 4 when he was diagnosed and didn’t start medication until he was 5 1/2. We did however see a behavioral therapist who recommended the book, 1-2-3 Magic, which worked wonders on the tantrums. It did take a lot of dedication on our part to stick to it and see results. We still see the behavioral therapist once a week and it really helps us out. A lot of what helped me was to learn that I didn’t have a neuro typical child and that we had to do things differently as parents. It’s hard to see him at his worse and those are the moment I have to take a deep breath and fully be there for him. I don’t know what it feels like for him but I will do everything I can to help him. One last thing... when we started medication we never told him it was for his behavior or impulsivity. We called it a brain vitamin and never referenced his behavior (good or bad) to the medication. That way when he would take a “medication vacation” he couldn’t excuse his behavior or use it as a crutch.
Welcome to the group my son was 6 when he got diagnosed he is 12 now
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