My husband was diagnosed with ADD almost two years ago. Our daughter was a little over one at the time. She's three now, and I'm wondering what the chances are that she will have it.

My mom told me the other night that she thinks my daughter is hyper. I have always just attributed it to her being three. She does have an attention span. She can watch a movie, she can sit still to have a book read to her and she can paint or color for 30 minutes at a time. However, she has a lot of trouble settling down at night to go to sleep, especially since we took her paci away about three weeks ago.

At the store, she will not sit in the buggy. She has frequent temper tantrums. Again, I just chalked it up to her age, but now, after reading the boards and seeing how many parents have ADD, it makes me wonder.

ADD is heriditary! My daugher was diagnosed w/ it. We had her tested in the 1st grade when she started have a lot of problems with it. My brother, father, uncle and grandfather have ADD. I was tested when I was in Jr. High and they say I don't have it. Well I think I have a slight case, it that is possible) but I learned how to work around it. I am a Big Multi-Tasker and my brain never shuts off unless I am watching tv.
Just because your daughter is a Very Busy toddler doesn't mean they have ADD!
You mentioned she will sit and watch tv, that doesn't mean she doesn't have it. From what I understand, if a child is very interesed and the tv is very busy - like cartoons are today - she is able to concentrate and wants to concentrate. Some children w/ severe add can play video games for hours & days, they games are very busy. But being able to control it doesn't mean they can turn it on and off when they want! The brain can consontrate in different ways for different things. For example a classroom teaching history compared to a super busy video game - they are different things.
Hang In There!!

ADD kids have a long attention span for things they like to do; watch TV, play with dolls, color a picture, video games(aaack!). They have difficulty with things that require sustained mental effort; math, spelling, etc. Kids are not usually given tasks that require sustained mental effort until 1st or 2nd grade. That is why it is not usually detected until then.

The statistical chances are between 30 and 50% -- my mind can remember exactly which at the moment. However, remember ADHD is on a continuum. Your daughter could not have it but be closer to that line than some other child with no ADHD genes. It is also a developmental disorder which means that ADHD kids get there slower than other kids in terms of self control excetera. Some kids of 3 can be diagnosed -- the very hyper ones (I was diagnosed about that age), but generally speaking you're going to have a more reliable idea in a few years. As Tom Brown said at a workshop I attended, some kids just naturally mature a little slower than others in their self control. Just keep and eye on it (and her -- if she is ADHD she's likely to be more of a risk taker than a non ADHD child -- I was forever pulling mine out of the street).

Scattered

Thanks for replying everyone. I do tend to think most of her behavior is that of a normal 3 year old. My mom is comparing her to my brother who was hyper and to my nephew who isn't. My nephew is actually the most laid back, mellow two year old I've ever seen. Anyway, I am going to watch her, but I'm going to try not to worry about it until later. Thanks again.

You know when my older kids were toddlers my mom would carry on about how we never acted like that and how they reminded her of some cousins of mine that were considered wild. Then when I had my last three kids from my second marriage I had to hear how the new ones were not like us and how they weren't like my older ones either.

Truth told, my older kids were normal. My younger kids are exceptionally bright and so came up with more interesting challenges. If her memory is right then it was me and my brother who probably didn't act normal. I was always so afraid of getting in trouble with my dad, I don't ever remember feeling free to be a kid kid.

Unless a kid is off the charts I don't see how a person could determine that a three year old is adhd. Even tempertantrums at that age can be annoying but it depends on their place in the family. My youngest did it awhile longer than the others because there was no baby to force him to grow up. Or force me to make him grow up.
If she can sit and have a story read to her then I think that is a good sign.