I've suspected my son Sam who just turned 5 last week has adhd for awhile. Last summer I took him to his pediatrician and she said "he has all the markers for it, but I don't want to diagnose him this early" and sent us on our way.
I've observed him several times since he started pre-school in Sept. and he just can't concentrate and his teacher can't constantly call him to get his attention back when they're doing lessons so he isn't advancing as well as he should be. The result is he's falling behind: he can't recognize most letters, or numbers etc. It breaks my heart that he's behind and he's only in pre-school.
I was always brought up that adhd meds were bad, but I'd do almost anything to help Sam, so I guess the point of this long ramble is to ask if anyone gave their child adhd meds this young and what the outcome was?

I haven't, but I know parents who have. Medication is based partly on weight, but mostly on severity of symptoms. Every person reacts differently to medication, so what works for one may not work for another. It may also take some time to find what works for your son.

Just a few suggestions to try before going to meds. While he watches tv... turn on the close caption. Also if you have an old typewriter or even a keyboard or computer set up just for kids... let him work on it... make a game with it... or get those programs for small children and see if it will help him. Not sure if you sent him to a preschool or not, but they're teaching kids computer there now. If he doesn't show improvement in say a month... then go to the doctor for a diagnosis.

I'm no expert, and I'm kinda parroting things I've heard friends of my family say who work in early childhood education, and also things I've heard my therapist say about diagnosing ADHD in young children... so I'd take what I say as more food for thought with a grain of salt. ;)

From what I've been told, it's sometimes hard to tell in young kids starting school whether the root issue is ADHD or whether it's just an issue of maturity.... There are some kids out there that just weren't quite ready developmentally to start school so they did poorly their first year and had to repeat pre-school (or kindergarten... seeing as in most districts start there as the first "official" year of school) and the second time through they did just fine... they just needed an extra year for their maturity to catch up.

I don't know whether repeating pre-school has come up with you yet, but if it does.... I'd consider doing it in his case, and if he's still doing poorly the second time around, it's more likely it isn't just a maturity issue.

I would reccomend trying the Feingold program before doing meds. My son couldn't sing the alphabet song in kindergarten and two weeks later he was singing the song and sounding out words.

The program has either gotten rid of our problems or dramaticly improved them. I can email you my story if you are interested in hearing it.

Right now my son is considered developementally delayed. He missed out on so much learning during his preschool years because of all the food I was giving him with junk in it.

I agree if you can keep him in preschool one more year he will be way better off. It seems as though no one at school ever reccomends it and then they start to make all their friends and it becomes a bigger problem and self esteem issue. I so badly wish that we kept him back so he could catch up on his developemental delay.

Right now my son is reading independently with easy books, but he needs to catch up so he is getting alot of extra help. He does fine in math thankfully.

I'm already planning on sending my third child a year later. He is at the cut off and I don't want to chance it.

Good luck finding what your child needs and getting relief. If you keep at it you will find the right fit.

I was 6 when I started Ritalin. I'd say hold off though. Maybe till 8 or so. Just gut feeling based on personal experience.

Re preschool: I was kicked out of preschool a year early because I was too hyperactive. So I started kindergarten when I was 4 and was a year behind everyone right up to year 12. To be honest I don't think there's much difference between starting early or starting normally. Personally I'd say start him early. One more year will just make him even more bored, and keep him bored in school a year longer.

Hi, this is my first post. I think I had some classic ADHD symptoms when I was in early elementary school,(1963-1969); distracting other kids, inability to pay attention. I remember being very board most of the time, I picked up reading very quickly in first grade. I would read slow like the other kids until one day the teacher saw through me and said to cut the crap and read like she suspected I could.

My point is, maybe part, (just part), of it for some kids is that they are gifted in some areas and are just not challeged, adding to any psychological or physical problems they have. Or is this just something I head repeated and am parroting that back - any thoughts?

Also my step-son was diagnosed with ADHD about 11 years ago and was on Ritalin for about 8 months. He did not adapt well to that treatment, (which I originally suggested), and his mother took him off and started a more natural diet with less processed foods, we spent more time as a family and worked to understand the problem better. My stepson was hyperactive and inattentive and sometimes agressive for years but he did not get worse when Ritalin was removed, (he hated being on Ritalin), and he seemed to get better gradually. We never put him on any other perscription medication. We made mistakes. Our family and stepson understanding the disorder better, after much study and family discussion, was one thing that seemed to help a lot.

If a kid in school were gifted, or even just above average in one or more areas you could see ADHD like behaviors from them. It's hard to pay attention to the reading lesson in first grade when you're reading at a fifth grade level.

I don't think all ADHD kids are really just gifted kids that are acting out just because they are bored. If that were the case they wouldn't have the same problems in other areas like home, friends houses, relatives, etc.

One the flip side, leaving a gifted and especially a gifted ADHD kid in a regular class is just asking for more hyperactive like behavior.

I agree, not all ADHD children by a longshot, and that may not have been my biggest problem either :) ADHD is not a monolithic illness, other conditions mimic it, may have multiple causes; genetic, allergies can contribute. I am glad to have found this forum. I hope it will enable me to understand the effects of my own ADHD symptoms in childhood and their continuing effects.

My 9 yr was put on ritalin when he was 6 (he takes a multitude of meds now), my step son was 3-severe case of adhd! Medication can help and hinder just like different parenting techniques, environmental/social etc issues can also help and hinder so I'd go and see if you can discuss what you feel and think with the pedi again. I appreciate that you want the best. My son also had a major op when he was 5 so he didn't start school until 5 months later and he is also dyslexic-all these factors play a role.You could check out other factors like the reading n writing-does he hear ok, can he see fine-just a thought you see.What works for one child may hinder another.
A psychiatrist said (in our uk area)that drs don't usually put kids under the age of 6 on meds because 15% of all children display certain adhd behaviours-I guess that's why they are careful. Try and find out about parenting technique courses (I did heaps and they have helped) and read up on a few books first-thats wot I did while I waited to put him on meds. I also checked all the food we ate but most of it was fine-blue smarties are a no no.lol
I'm glad you feel that you have found a great website as I believe the more we read and post on here it helps others and it gives us hope and insight.
I wish you all the best.

I've suspected my son Sam who just turned 5 last week has adhd for awhile. Last summer I took him to his pediatrician and she said "he has all the markers for it, but I don't want to diagnose him this early" and sent us on our way.
I've observed him several times since he started pre-school in Sept. and he just can't concentrate and his teacher can't constantly call him to get his attention back when they're doing lessons so he isn't advancing as well as he should be. The result is he's falling behind: he can't recognize most letters, or numbers etc. It breaks my heart that he's behind and he's only in pre-school.
I was always brought up that adhd meds were bad, but I'd do almost anything to help Sam, so I guess the point of this long ramble is to ask if anyone gave their child adhd meds this young and what the outcome was?That sounds a lot like my daughter at 5. I ended up keeping her home and homeschooling her through second grade. Then we put her in school and she did well. Sometimes the maturity factor will help a lot -- ADD is a developmental disability. About 30 percent of kids will outgrow it, the rest will still have some symptoms. My 10 year old daughter still has ADD and we may end up putting her on medication at some point, but I expect it would have more to do with social and emotional reactivity due to ADD than academic. Of course, every kid is different. Good luck!

I wouldn't if he was my son.

Why do you feel that way Arkyle?

Because he's way too young and he still has a long way to go before I'm convinced that he needs meds. It would scare me that my son used drugs while still growing, specially from early childhood. That's just my point of view.

I was on meds when I was four and I am fine.