I ask because I have 5 kids and I think at least 2 of them have ADD/ADHD
I don't want to put it off until there are more problems and I have to try and correct what has been mislearned. My 6 yr old I'm sure has ADD and my 4yr old ADHD. I have been told recently that they suspect I have inattentive ADD and the more I read about it, the more I believe my kids have it too. I don't want them to have to go through what I have my whole life.

Is there a certain age that they won't diagnose before? Who do I talk to for kids?

I know parents that have had their 4 yr olds diagnosed, although it can be more difficult. We personally could not get a diagnosis at 4 because our child wasn't in school yet. Our pediatrician wanted to see if it occurred in two settings or not, so we had to wait. I still feel like we waited to long though. We didn't get a diagnosis until this year, 3rd grade (9yrs old), and I just feel like we have so much more to deal with now.
I definitely think you could get your 6 yr old diagnosed though. Your best bet is a child psychiatrist, but you could also go to a pediatrician, psychologist, regular psychiatrist, etc.
Good luck!

I know that when I was teaching kindergarten, we had a student come in who was already diagnosed at age 5. I would wonder how early they start diagnosing as well. I think that at the younger ages it's more difficult to distinguish what the cause for the differences in attention and hyperactivity may be (such as developmental delay)

It definitely wouldn't hurt to ask your Dr. The worst that can happen is that they will tell you to keep a log of what you perceive as the symptoms and areas of life affected and give it time.

Good luck!

Thank you. I have an appt for a pediatritian this Friday so I will ask what he thinks. I think I will have an easier time getting my 4yr old diagnosed than my 6yr old because my 4yr oldwas a 29 weeker and was diagnosed with "developmental delays" he was put in a special preschool and with lots of work has progressed to speech delays only. He will be starting Kindergarten next year and we already have an EIP in place at the school for this year and next year. I've been told by his teachers that in the middle of story time he will jump up and start doing excercises. He runs around the classroom and doesn't follow directions very well. He is also very hyperactive at home and doesn't seem to understand directions. I have to tell him the same thing 3 or 4 times. He also is known to run into the street, throw rocks, fall off things and generally not think before he acts.

My daughter on the other hand, gets good grades, sits quietly and no one would notice her if they didn't ask her a question. At home, I can't get her to pay attention to her homework (yes she has homework in kindergarten). I have to repeat directions 4 or 5 times and it takes over an hour to do 1 page of homework. I can be talking to her and you can see her eyes start to wander. She reminds me so much of myself it is scary. I think because she isn't hyper and is getting good grades, they won't want to diagnose her.

I'm having such a hard time just dealing with myself and you throw in 2 kids with ADHD and I feel like I'm loosing my mind.

I was diagnosed at 3 or 4. I've heard of even younger, but most medications are not approved on label for under six (except Dexedrine I think). Hallowell (Driven to Distraction) says he doesn't diagnosis kids younger than 5. There are quite a lot of kids who have ADHD symptoms at 3 or 4 and outgrow them in a few years (close to 50% if memory serves).

Hang in there, Rebecca. It is very tough having ADD and having one or two kids with it too. Take gentle care of yourself.

Scattered

Just be sure to find someone who really knows AD/HD well and understands what it looks like in women and girls. I agree, it will be harder to get your 6 yr old diagnosed, but I think if you find someone that really knows what to look for in girls, you won't have any problems if she has it. Sounds very possible. I remember the 1 hour of kindergarten homework that was only supposed to take "5-10 minutes" too, sigh! I feel for you.

Hang in there! If you just need to chat for sanities sake, feel free to drop me a private message.

My son was diagnosed at 3. I knew something wasn't right because he didn't sleep through the night until he was 2 1/2. He was on the go all the time.
I have been to my pediatrician, and had neuro testing done just last year (he will be 9 in May). I believe the earlier you know, the better off you are to handle the upcoming situations, like school.