A.d.d.??

From the answers you have received, you have gotten some really good advice. I have to agree that you should probably hold off on any testing as toddlers do go through many of the "symptoms" but not actually have ADD or ADHD, it's all just part of the age.

My DD was had the symptoms for years but I always chalked it up to "she's just being a kid". She seemed to do well in Kindergarden and First grade...

However, when she was in 2nd grade, my husband was deployed after 9-11 and things just got worse. I talked to her teacher and she suggested (after I asked, she never suggested ADD or ADHD first) I might have her tested as the symptoms were there BEFORE my husband was deployed... She didn't feel that it was depression about her daddy being gone...so I did.

My daughter went from literally failing the first three marking periods to getting Straight A's & B's in school for the remainder of the year and the entire next year. Luckily, the school did not hold her back in second grade as they truely felt the medication worked in her case and that she would catch up.

My Grandparents sent me a book "The Attention Deficit Child" which really helped me to come to the conclusion that I needed to have my daughter tested. And in reading that book and one other, which I can't recall the name, I found that she fit the ADHD...and I fet the ADD. I just can't get the Base Doctors to do the tests for me...they want to chalk it up to "depression"...

Good Luck and I hope things work out for you and your child.

L.

Before my son was diagnosed, my husband had been reading a book on ADD, because he thought he had it himself. He does and so do I. Neither of us "treat" ours, but after reading the book, we decided to have my son (then in 2nd grade) and he was given meds. and the difference was amazing! He went from a level H in reading to a level L in only TWO WEEKS!! Now that may not seem like a big deal to most, but considering it took him all of 1st grade and what part of 2nd grade he had gone through, to get to level H. Most of his class were in levels higher than L. And he continued to excel and 'catch up' so to say with the other kids in class. Our pediatrician said when it effects their reading, they need some help.

In my readings and research of ADD, all I read says that kids aren't typically diagnosed under the age of 4-5, because of brain development and kids at that age are typically very active naturally anyway. They are in their curious stage and want to know and investigate everything. My son was very rambunctious in his toddler years. Sometimes I thought he was hyperactive, but he was just 3. When he was diagnosed, he was diagnosed as ADD and by that time, I could tell he wasn't hyper either.

Prayers for the best!
Hugs
K.

I dont have a child who is ADD, however I do have it, but it was mild enough to not have to treat. I would just wait until he gets into school before worrying about it, because he might not be as sever as he seems at 2 because of the terrible twos part. The hardest part of ADD is that the mind is going so fast its hard to consentrate, so sometimes having some kind of a background distraction really helps. For me, having a fan going in my room at night helps me not think so much and just listen to the fan. Any white noise should do, or relaxing sounds. When I was working on homework, I would play a radio, which for whatever reason, helped me get my homework done and get a good grade too. Now this might not work for all ADD kids, but it did me. Good Luck!

Lots of kids respond to food allergies. There's tons of toxic things in the current food supply. I know it's not easy, but try to only give him WHOLE healthy foods and keep away from processed foodes- especially with food dyes and High Fructose Corn Syrup (our worst nightmare when it comes to poor health and obesity and everything has it in it!) Also look for MSG or monosodium glutamine- nasty stuff. Try taking him off dairy or wheat for a bit and see that helps. Find a local naturalpath and work with them.
Our food supply is completely tainted and our kids are paying for it by being put on harmful medications at young ages. Try natural methods before drugs. Check out www.mercola.com for other great info on natural methods of staying healthy.
Good luck and blessings.

Don't think ADD just yet. He's just being a normal 2 year old. You won't know if he has ADD until he's in school, and even then it is over diagnosed. One thing that might cause your son's behavior to worsen is if he isn't getting enough sleep or isn't sleeping well when he does. Observe him sleeping if you can, for a couple hours. Does he snore? Does he seem to stop breathing for even a few seconds while he's sleeping? Sleep apnea can make it difficult for anyone to get a restful sleep, and when kids are sleep deprived they tend to get wild. So pay attention to his sleep schedule and make sure he's still getting the rest he needs. Other than that, he might just be extremely energetic. Make sure he has positive outlets for his energy. Keep things you don't want him to get into out of sight or out of reach. Make sure he has things he can get into, like give him his own box or drawer to put toys in, so he can take them out and put them back in all he wants so he's not emptying your boxes or drawers. Also make sure there's a park or indoor playland (for cold or rainy days) so he can run and yell and get all that out. Don't label him just yet, he's very normal right now. And if, later on, he does need to be tested for ADD, make sure you get more than one opinion and you find out all your options first, because it is a very real disorder, but also a very overdiagnosed one. Some kids just have more energy. Enjoy your little boy, though, the time goes so fast! Mine will be 4 in a couple weeks! And he's still very energetic. :)

I have a 7 yr old son that has been diagnosed with ADHD. I agree with you that this diagnosis is completely overused and tried everything I could think of before using medication. But the difference I see with the medication is awesome. Here's a few things to keep in mind. Children are typically not diagnosed at age 2. They may tell you he exhibits signs of ADHD but it's pretty rare that they will medicate him at that age. To have an accurate diagnosis, there are two tools they use. The first is a Connor's Rating Scale. It is a series of questions that you answer as well as any other adults in his life, such as teachers or daycare workers. It is questions about how often your son exhibits certain behaviors. They look at the answers provided by everybody that filled them out to determine if he truly exhibits signs of ADHD. The other tool they use is a computerized test. They don't do this with kids until they are 6 yrs old. It simply consists of a series of letters being displayed on the screen. The child is told to press the space bar every time he sees a letter unless it is an X. This measures how quickly a child responds and whether or not they take the time to process what they are doing before they do it. My kid got bored and quit in the middle :-)

My advice would be to implement some positive reinforcement strategies for when he has good behavior and don't spend alot of time focusing on the bad bahaviors unless there is a concern about safety. Then of course you need to redirect him. Also you might want to read some books about diet and ADHD. There is a lot of research that suggests it can be controlled by eliminating processed sugars and starchy foods but I really haven't taken the time to do this. Your son is still young and it very likely may be typical little boy behavior. If you are really concerned I would suggest finding a child psychologist or psychiatrist to get some professional advice. Every kid with ADD/ADHD is very unique. I wish you the best.

S.-

I have two boys, now 13 and 11. One has ADD, the other ADHD. The one with ADHD started showing problems and symtoms before the age of 2. I even took him to a dr to figure out why he was so eratic, not able to sleep or nap, and generally everywhere, in everything, all at once, and on such a level. The put him on medication, and that made things worse. His brain just wasn't developed enough at that time. He is now on medication, and that has helped him alot, but it didn't start until he was in Kindergarten. To help get him thru that stage, I had to limit the visual stimulants in his environment, and really had to stay calm, no matter what. I would suggest looking into a pediatric psychologist, the Family Support Center. Have them show you different holding techniques, when he get out of control. Also, keep his room simple. I kept my son's toys in a different room, which made it easier to manage, and gives him an area that is calming. Even now, we have a calming chair, as they are too old for time out.