Pure Parents

Question:

Does anyone know what the youngest a child can be tested for ADHD? What are the tests involved? My son is 3.5 – his Dr.. said it’s too early to tell, that we have to wait until he’s in kindergarten. I was wondering if there is a problem, if something can be done before kindergarten. His teachers seem to think he’s got some mild problems, although it could just be a maturity thing. I also feel he’s had a very difficult time – his father has been sick since he was born. When my son was 10 weeks old, my husband started dialysis, then they found my husband had cancerous kidneys, so before my son was a year old, his father was hospitalized 3 times (once for each kidney removal and once for a severe infection). I think that this has affected him emotionally, but I can also see he’s made vast improvement in maturing this year. My son is also partially blind in one eye, & that could also affect how he sees the world & deals with it. If anyone can give me any insight, I would appreciate it. Thank you. Heidi

Response:

Heidi, I was formely employed as a teacher in a school for Learning Disabled adolescents.  My formal education did not include any training in working with or diagnosing LD kids, however I did learn alot while I was employed at the school.  In this case, I believe your doctor is correct.  It is very difficult to get an accurate diagnosis of ADHD before age 5. However, there are some early childhood behaviors and experiences which may mean a child could have a learning disability.  The problem is that some of the behaviors that are listed as common in the LD infant/toddlers/children  are behaviors that all children display.  The difference is in the frequency and severity of the behavior.   For example, I knew that "toe walking"…. that is walking around on tiptoes… during the early toddler years can be a sign of a later learning disability.  When my own daughter started "toe walking" I nearly freaked until I was  reminded that many children do this (it’s fun after all) and my daughter was not doing it constantly to the exclusion of other walking.  Also, I am not sure that everyone agrees upon what are early symptoms of later LDs and what are not.  So, you can see why it is so difficult to diagnose at an early age.   ~Jan  

Response:

Kym, At the school where I worked, the entire staff  would sit down at the beginning of the school year and review all the case histories of every student.  These case histories would go as far back as infancy (and even farther, really… the uterine environment would sometimes be discussed as in the cases where fetal alcohol syndrome caused later problems). There were several students who had "toe-walking" listed in their files as early evidence of a learning disability.  We (the staff) discussed the topic, but I am not sure where the original assertation that toe-walking as a warning sign of later LD’s came from.  However, the directors of this school  (both PhD’s) were very well educated and informed on the subject.  In addition, these case histories were well documented by psychiatrists and neurologists, so I believe the information was accurate.   Sorry I can’t be of more help! ~Jan

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > <snip> >example, I knew that "toe walking"…. that is walking around on >tiptoes… during the early toddler years can be a sign of a later >learning disability.  When my own daughter started "toe walking" I >nearly freaked until I was  reminded that many children do this (it’s >fun after all) and my daughter was not doing it constantly to the >exclusion of other walking.  Also, I am not sure that everyone agrees >upon what are early symptoms of later LDs and what are not.  So, you can >see why it is so difficult to diagnose at an early age. >       Can you tell me how you learned about "toe walking" or point me > to sources about it? I found this fascinating as I (and many members > of my family) have walked on my toes since I was able to walk (now I > mostly wear high heels to compensate, but still walk tippy toed when > in tennis shoes or barefoot); my son has always done so as well. >        We have been fighting a hopeless battle to get him to walk on > his feet (he’s now at the age where he gets teased about it) and I > always thought it more genetic or anatomic (his ped. has mentioned > shortened ligaments) but never related it to learning disabilities.

It’s not just a social problem; it causes stresses on developing bones that can lead to all sorts of trouble.  We finally had heel cord surgery on the boys after casting, braces, and who knows what.  One is now walking normally, but the other still tends to toe-walk whenever he isn’t thinking about it.  (Both, BTW, are ADHD) Part of toe-walking may be a compensation for weak ankle muscles since different muscles are involved in stabilizing the two positions. >        He’s diagnosed ADHD, but is making great progress in the > treatment of that, and I don’t consider *his* ADHD a "learning > disability" (although others think ADHD always is) since he learns > well right along with other kids (sometimes better). It’s (for him, I > would not presume to speak for all ADHDers) more a matter of > processing information differently.

According to Russell Barkley and several others, the key difference seems to lie in impulse control.  Everything else stems from that. — "Amid reports that the US House of Representatives’ open mail  servers were used to relay spam, a House subcommittee met  Thursday and approved legislation that effectively approves  the practice." — Deborah Scoblionkov D. C. & M. V. Sessions

Response:

> Does anyone know what the youngest a child can be tested for ADHD? > What are the tests involved?

History more than anything else. > My son is 3.5 – his Dr.. said it’s too early to tell, that we have to wait > until he’s in kindergarten. I was wondering if there is a problem, if > something can be done before kindergarten. His teachers seem to think he’s > got some mild problems, although it could just be a maturity thing.

3.5 is awfully young.  As others have pointed out, the differnce between ADHD and normal are pretty small at that age. Here’s a tip, though: medications aside, most of the interventions for ADHD parenting are good for ALL kids, so there’s no harm in learning the behavior modification techniques and so forth and applying them.  Can’t hurt, and will probably help regardless. — "Amid reports that the US House of Representatives’ open mail  servers were used to relay spam, a House subcommittee met  Thursday and approved legislation that effectively approves  the practice." — Deborah Scoblionkov D. C. & M. V. Sessions

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