advertisement
On ZDNet: $350 barebones Vista/7 PC
Sign up | Log in
new post » see more posts »
  • question about VERY young DC with ADHD - 12 to 24 months. in your experience were these children super super smart? just way ahead of the pack? my DS who i suspect to be ADHD is insanely bright - don't gag - everyone always mentions it. BUT i don't actually think he is smart at all, I think he picks up things faster because he is so on the go - he can not leave a book unturned or a cupboard closed or stair case unclimbed. he explores everything constantly. anyone have any opinion or experience on this? can early adhd be mistaken for smartness?

    105 replies [ Reply | Watch | Options ]
    05.13.08, 12:17 PM [ Flagged ]
    • I really don't think ADHD can be diagnosed that early. This makes me so sad

      [ Reply | Options ]
      05.13.08, 12:18 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
      • ditto, i pity her dc

        [ Reply | Options ]
        05.13.08, 12:18 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
      • ita. shouldn't be diagnosed until grade school.

        [ Reply | Options ]
        05.13.08, 12:19 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
      • np: it can't be diagnosed until school age. that doesn't mean the kids don't have it before then.

        [ Reply | Options ]
        05.13.08, 12:19 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
        • This is the correct answer people!!! No, it isn't common to dx a baby, and you certainly can't medicate a baby. But that 7 year old who is dx , correctly, WAS ADHD as a baby.

          [ Reply | Options ]
          05.13.08, 12:29 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
          • THANK YOU!!! And Moms/Dads who see that something is going on can learn how to deal with it better. I was impatient w/my ds and regret it now. If I had understood, I could have done better.

            [ Reply | Options ]
            05.13.08, 12:33 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
            • I know. I will also add that puberty does mitigate some ADHD issues (disorganization for example).

              [ Reply | Options ]
              05.13.08, 12:37 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
              • my dh has it, so we have a pretty good view of what ds may look like in the future ;)

                [ Reply | Options ]
                05.13.08, 12:38 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
                • OP> is he on meds now. what sort of career? and how did he get through university. TIA

                  [ Reply | Options ]
                  05.13.08, 12:46 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
                  • my dh? he has meds, but only takes them if he wants. He is in sales, which is a great job for ADHD types (they have the energy, and are charming, and they never give up!). He never actually graduated from University--was dx'ed at age 35.

                    [ Reply | Options ]
                    05.13.08, 12:48 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
      • OMG - seriously. As someone who actually HAD adhd, I feel so badly for both this mom and her child. OP, he's just a baby. Please don't start looking for problems.

        [ Reply | Options ]
        05.13.08, 12:20 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
        • you are a liar, NOBODY who has suffered from ADHD would NOT be able to sympathize with what this poor woman is trying to get through here.

          [ Reply | Options ]
          05.13.08, 12:47 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
          • No, I'm not a liar. I'm someone who was on increasing doses of Ritalin for 6 years. I empathize with OP but think she's doing herself and her child a grave disservice, trying to self diagnose the way that she is.

            [ Reply | Options ]
            05.15.08, 08:48 AM [ Flag | link to this post ]
    • do they even diagnose children that young??? are you sure you're not jumping the gun here?

      [ Reply | Options ]
      05.13.08, 12:18 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
    • if you post only on special needs, you won't get all the ignorant comments. FYI. My ds is now 8. He was super verbal, and talked constantly. So yes, everyone thought he was brilliant. He is very smart.

      [ Reply | Options ]
      05.13.08, 12:18 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
    • why on earth would you label a child so young. and fwiw ALL toddlers explore constantly, it's kind of what they're known for

      [ Reply | Options ]
      05.13.08, 12:20 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
      • she wants the meds... don't we all want zombie babies?

        [ Reply | Options ]
        05.13.08, 12:20 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
        • so strange. and nothing she is saying is really an indiactor of abnormal toddler behavior

          [ Reply | Options ]
          05.13.08, 12:22 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
          • i know, she sounds like my screwball sil who loves putting her kids on meds. her own dh had to step in and the idiot finally got HER some help, it was sad

            [ Reply | Options ]
            05.13.08, 12:23 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
            • wow, that's nuts!!

              [ Reply | Options ]
              05.13.08, 12:23 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
              • it was really sad too see. my mil was going nuts and so was her brother. no one knew what to do. her dd was such a mess it broke everyone's heart. what disgusts me the most is that there are some DR's who c;ear;y don't care and just hand out meds like candy

                [ Reply | Options ]
                05.13.08, 12:25 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
                • the doctors kill me!! in the pockets of the big pharma companies and they just sigh and tear off another scrip.

                  [ Reply | Options ]
                  05.13.08, 12:28 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
                  • yeah, it really needs to stop. maybe that's why i am very against treating add/adhd with drugs because from what i have read it is misdiagnosed a lot

                    [ Reply | Options ]
                    05.13.08, 12:30 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
                    • dude. you have NO idea what you are talking about.

                      [ Reply | Options ]
                      05.13.08, 12:31 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
                    • and especially with boys. we, as a society, ahave tried to feminize our boys so much that the second they do anything remotely boy like we jump to label them and then try to make them more sensitive!

                      [ Reply | Options ]
                      05.13.08, 12:32 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
                      • what do adhd meds have to do with feminizing boys? it's not like we give them hormones. And are you aware that plenty of girls have exactly the same problems?

                        [ Reply | Options ]
                        05.13.08, 12:34 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
                        • I'm not talking about meds, I'm talking about overdiagnosing normal behavior as adhd

                          [ Reply | Options ]
                          05.13.08, 12:37 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
                        • I know dozens of kids with AD/HD, and no one was dealing with 'normal' behavior. They were dealing with kids who wanted to do things but couldn't, who were unable to read nonverbal cues and ostracized, who couldn't keep up with the rules of a game in sports...it's not normal, and it isn't a way to live.

                          [ Reply | Options ]
                          05.13.08, 12:40 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
                    • you have no clue what you are talking about. you really should just go away.

                      [ Reply | Options ]
                      05.13.08, 12:33 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
                  • they are not "in the pocket" of big pharma. The meds really work, and are life-changing for people.

                    [ Reply | Options ]
                    05.13.08, 12:32 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
                    • of course meds work. but you cannot tell me that they arenot overprescribed and that doctors get kickbacks for prescribing them. where do you think pharmacutical sales people make there money??

                      [ Reply | Options ]
                      05.13.08, 12:35 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
        • THIS is why OP should only post to SN board - to avoid morons like this person.

          [ Reply | Options ]
          05.15.08, 10:58 AM [ Flag | link to this post ]
    • lots of sn kids with certain types of Lerning disabilites are extremely verbal and adult in their converstaion, or have those kinds of steel trap brains. but i still don't think you wnat to be diagnosing your own child, see a specialist if it will help. 2 yo is really too young, there is so much variability is development at that age.

      [ Reply | Options ]
      05.13.08, 12:20 PM [ Flagged | link to this post ]
      • thanks for your post. im not diagnosing him but having lives with this all my life and seen it - i can see it a mile off, if you know what I mean. ive been posting about this for a while now. he is simply NOT like other babies. im around babies all day and not a single one even comes close to daring to do what he does - there is busy and then there is pathological. im just trying to work out if other people experienced this. how any sort of early intervention helped etc etc the venom posts I get back are typical and just remind me how hard this is going to be.

        [ Reply | Options ]
        05.13.08, 12:23 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
        • Wait - you have all of these concerns but you haven't had your dc evaluated? I'm sorry, but you're bringing this on, yourself. Don't self-diagnose!

          [ Reply | Options ]
          05.13.08, 12:25 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
        • mjy dd is like this. see my post below. it really could be sensory. have him eval by an OT

          [ Reply | Options ]
          05.13.08, 12:26 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
        • i think you should really ask your ped for an EI recommendation. I know you are aroudn babies lal day- i am aroudn teenagers all day, but i can tell you that the way i freak out about my own's family's teens is way beyond how i react to the other kids - sometimes it is just too hard to ebobjective. not thatyou are wrong, i just think you cna't get a diagnosis of adhd this early, and anyone who tries to give you one isn't doing thier job! you can ask some people how to create focus in kids that age- not al day, just for a few nminutes a few times a day. do you work with babies in a daycare, where you can maybe discuss with a teacher there?

          [ Reply | Options ]
          05.13.08, 12:26 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
        • np: sounds to me like you WANT something to be different about him. just like my mom was always making up illneses for me so she could be the martyr mom. I was treated for a blood disorder that I never had and she would go on to everyone about how hwrd it was to have a "different" child. maybe some therapy for yourself would be good

          [ Reply | Options ]
          05.13.08, 12:26 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
          • she does, she's a screwball and has been self diagnosing this poor child with ADHD because it "runs in her family" she's nutso

            [ Reply | Options ]
            05.13.08, 12:28 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
            • but she *knows* there is something wrong... maybe if she were so freakin sure he would already have had EI?

              [ Reply | Options ]
              05.13.08, 12:30 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
        • NP: I keep answering you--take parenting classes, join a SN playgroup. It's all behavioral up until age 6, so YOU have to do all the work.

          [ Reply | Options ]
          05.13.08, 12:28 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
          • she doesn't care... she is clearly looking for someone to tell her dc needs meds.

            [ Reply | Options ]
            05.13.08, 12:31 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
            • you seem to be the only one talking about meds.

              [ Reply | Options ]
              05.13.08, 12:35 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
              • there's a huge conversation above about medication also

                [ Reply | Options ]
                05.13.08, 12:38 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
              • OP that wasnt me. i have said over and over and over again that I am trying to avoid meds at all costs!

                [ Reply | Options ]
                05.13.08, 12:46 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
                • np: I know. I think you're an observant and caring mom. ADHD toddlers are VERY hard. Mine rose early, never napped, and I didn't get a break all day. I was lucky to have a caregiver who could deal with him!

                  [ Reply | Options ]
                  05.13.08, 12:47 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
        • np - just to mention it, my ds was always the same way and EVERYONE commented on it, from friends to relatives to teachers, everyone. But, now that he's older, he's normaled out. He isn't as remarkable anymore, just a standard kid who took a while to grow into himself. GL.

          [ Reply | Options ]
          05.13.08, 12:29 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
          • thanks! ive been waiting months to hear a story like this. so are you saying you had an unusually active kid (and unusually is understatement for me) who you were worried about who did end up able to cope/go to school etc without meds (im hoping so much for this). was his early behaviour terrifying for you? did you do anything in those early years to try to to help hi to focus, stay on one task etc?

            [ Reply | Options ]
            05.13.08, 12:32 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
            • Very active, and unusually verbal. Fully conversational at 18mos, and definitely "little professor" like with big vocab. I asked many docs about ADHD and they all said it was too early and I was a worrywort. And it turned out to be true. He does have some behavioral problems in school, but no meds, no special ed, all top grades and not too much disciplinary action. Don't laugh, but karate was a huge huge help in the focus department.

              [ Reply | Options ]
              05.13.08, 12:35 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
              • let's see if op even responds to this

                [ Reply | Options ]
                05.13.08, 12:39 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
              • thanks. it's funny because everyone I talk to over here talks about karate too. even the doc. he is too young now but i'll 100% try. this is the sort of thing im looking for - people who have had this and its turned out OK. and im willing to do whatever it takes to avoid meds. its that that im scared of the most. i just keep thinking ther must be some early intervention you can do to minimalize the effects.

                [ Reply | Options ]
                05.13.08, 12:42 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
    • he could be a sensory seeker. he might have sensory issues and not adhd. just something to think about. my dd is like this and she has a fabulous developmental ped who says he can't diagnose adhd at this point (3) but it is certainly on his list of concerns

      [ Reply | Options ]
      05.13.08, 12:23 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
      • yes this is on his doc's list too. thanks for the reply. ADHD runs deep in the family and given his behaviour so far they think the chances are high. just want to be doing all i can sooner and in the US there seems to be more info out there so i keep trying to find posers who maybe dealt with what I am dealing with. its hard having people post "normal" in reply. you'll just have to trust me that there is absolutely nothing normal about his constancy, inability to sit - even for 30 seconds - at ANY time during the day. not once does he stop. not one single time. and he just explodes if you try to stop him. he is now (sadly) eating on the go, even. pacing.

        [ Reply | Options ]
        05.13.08, 12:27 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
        • my dd is/was like this. she is 3 now and a little more calm than she was as three. every little bit helps. but i know what you are going through. it is very hard on the parent.

          [ Reply | Options ]
          05.13.08, 12:30 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
          • thanks. I really appreciate this. its just dominating every second of my life. i post on here trying to find people sho suspected adhd and got later DX to compare notes and get advice. medical info on it here is limited. mostly i just get the barage of insults.

            [ Reply | Options ]
            05.13.08, 12:37 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
            • you did it to yourself, why not just post on SN.... you said youself that you've been to UB before, you know the drill

              [ Reply | Options ]
              05.13.08, 12:43 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
      • ita -- my 4 yo ds is like that and has sensory issues, and no one thinks he has adhd since he's really great at focusing and sitting still if he wants to.

        [ Reply | Options ]
        05.13.08, 12:29 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
    • STOP! Let your child be a child, and no, your kid is no smarter than any other. Stop making him do stupid parlor tricks to impress people.

      [ Reply | Options ]
      05.13.08, 12:24 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
      • you really have no idea what you're talking about unless you have a child like this. I'd suggest you just shut the hell up.

        [ Reply | Options ]
        05.13.08, 12:35 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
      • Indeed....my child fitted OP's description and he has autism ;-)

        [ Reply | Options ]
        05.13.08, 12:35 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
        • OR - I'm sorry that there are any issues with any children, but surely not all kids who are smart and energetic have a problem. There are too many parents who are so quick to get a normal child diagnosed with something.

          [ Reply | Options ]
          05.13.08, 12:38 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
          • I'm not sure what to say, truthfully. I mean I would have been one of those "good God, everyone has a dx these days' until I had him. Take your child on his own terms.

            [ Reply | Options ]
            05.13.08, 12:40 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
    • OP, I am in the exact same boat you are. My DS is now 2.5 and has been this way pretty much since birth. Completely nonstop, totally unable to sit still even for 30 seconds at a time. We've been concerned all along because we recognize that his behavior is extreme, even by toddler standards. Like yours, ours is extremely verbal and very bright. 2 is generally too young to diagnose ADHD. I do wonder if our ds is sensory-seeking and plan to discuss it with the ped at the next visit.

      [ Reply | Options ]
      05.13.08, 12:34 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
      • sounds like you are me. and congrats for being so calm about it all. I am terrified for him. just worried about how his education and life will work out with this affliction.

        [ Reply | Options ]
        05.13.08, 12:50 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
    • you have to be careful not to stereotype your dc. becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. if you think he is ADHD, then there is a good chance that he could force him in this direction. try to be open to different possiblilites. try to be open to the fact that there is nothing wrong with him at all.

      [ Reply | Options ]
      05.13.08, 12:36 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
    • if you post in SN as well as every other board you are just looking for flames. i doubt you are new b/c you even said you have posted on UB before.

      [ Reply | Options ]
      05.13.08, 12:41 PM [ Flag | link to this post ]
advertisement
advertisement
Click Here