Preschool Boys with ADHD

Testing Preschool Boys for ADHD.

Yes, you can test a preschool child for ADHD or other associated disorders.  I worked with a family that had a four year old boy in preschool and they were very concerned about his behavior. The preschool director and teachers were feeling frustrated by this young boy’s energy and movement. He required a lot of teacher attention, time, and redirections and it was close to the point where he was about to be asked to leave the school.  The teachers had tried several different things such as moving his seating close to the teacher, giving him a buddy, using a color system, and limiting sugary snacks.  None of these interventions seemed to help so they recommended the parents see me for an evaluation.

I initially met with the parents to hear their concerns and determine the most important questions they wanted to get answered through the evaluation process.  As we talked they described a lot of characteristics of ADHD in their preschool boy.  At home he was very active and had difficulty sitting through meal time.  He was impulsive in his behavior and jumping on the couch, climbing on furniture, and loved to smash toys.  Even when parents describe their child I never make a judgement until I actually work with the child myself.

When this child came in for testing he had extreme difficulty sitting in the chair to work.  He slid out of the chair and under the table.  He loved to stand up to work and talk.  He could only keep focused for about ten minutes before we had to take a break.  During testing I completed neuropsychological tests of attention and other important tests.  His parents and teacher also completed behavioral rating forms.  After testing I talked to the preschool teacher on the phone.  By the end of the process I had the big picture of this boy’s performance at home, in school, and during testing.  This was a thorough way to test this preschool boy for ADHD.  Testing showed his impulsive behavior was not within his self-control.

When his parents returned to discuss the results I explained everything and we set up an action plan.  They left feeling like there was hope that his behavior could get better and that family life could become less stressful.   Contact me today.