Experience with Toddler?

[FeekysGan]

I have ADHD, my daughter has ADHD & I really think my grandson has it too but he’s only three. Has anyone had experience in getting a toddler diagnosed? Can you share some early symptoms that your toddler may have exhibited? (I am raising my grandson)

[MommaofandwithADHD]

my daughter was diagnosed at 3. She was aggressive, easily over stimulated and all over the place. She was also asked to leave 3 different daycares by that age.

[Momtrying]

my son hasn’t been diagnosed yet, he’s 5, but from the time he was 2 I suspected he has ADHD in some form. I have an older son that has been diagnosed with it and my younger sons anger outbursts were just too familiar. He’s VERY particular about everything and can’t handle when something isn’t perfect. Plus he’s never seemed to be able to just walk. He usually skips or prances around. He doing fine in school which is different from my older son but his behavior at home are an indication of something I think. Don’t know if this helped at all, but I do think you can’t tell from a pretty young age if something is going on with a child.

[Imakecutebabies]

My son was diagnosed at 6 but all through preschool received reports of general lack of emotional regulation which escalated into aggression. The anger and aggression got much worse as he moved into kindergarten. He also had poor flexibility--couldn't accept another's ideas or perspective; always had to be in charge of play. He mostly played alone in preschool because he had to follow his own ideas and had trouble incorporating others. He was also both in need of and craving constant adult attention. Hope that helps.

[Peerandparent]

It's often hard to diagnose that early for a number of reasons, not least of which is that there are too many things that can be going on to confound things, too many different things that can present in similar ways, and too much variation even in neurotypical child development at that stage. Also remember that there is no medical treatment approved for 3yo.

Instead look at what environmental and structural changes you can put in place, since virtually all of them would benefit the little one whether or not they have ADHD. Also keep logs of what you're seeing and when, as well as reports you're getting from other settings (e.g. daycare). Also try to be objective in what you observe, and be aware of confirmation bias. I know of people who were so convinced their kid had ADHD that they almost missed a different condition (in that case petit mal epilepsy) that could have been quite serious.

In my son's case, the emotion regulation was an issue, but it was really the impulsive risky behavior that was of chief concern for us and his teachers. There's nothing stopping you from working on the non-medical stuff without a diagnosis, and to figure out what helps them.

Also draw in whatever support you can. I know for me, my ADHD and my son's can feed on each other at times, and it's physically and emotionally exhausting.

[Hidden]

I think it will depend if your grandson is hyper active-impulsive plus inattentive or just inattentive (these kids often don’t get diagnosed until late or even never because they don’t cause so many behavioural problems in nursery and school). My son is both hyper active impulsive and inattentive and still he fell trough the net - school didn’t suspect anything and it was me telling the school I think he has it. As with such a young toddler- I think there is a reason why official diagnosis can be only given once the child is 5- it’s because before 5 it’s normal developmentally that children are hyper active, oppositional and naughty, impulsive etc. Hence I think you won’t manage to get diagnosis just yet? I might be wrong.