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Preschool Boys with ADHD

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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. 

Girls With ADHD Are Different From Boys With ADHD

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Girls With ADHD/ADD

The majority of children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD) are boys.  Boys are generally identified more frequently than girls are because they are more active, always on the go, and demonstrate acting-out behavior more noticeable than girls.  Girls are often overlooked because they are quieter, are taught to conform, and are less likely to demonstrate acting out behavior.  Signals that your daughter may have ADHD or underlying problems include school phobia, low self-esteem, poor organizational skills, messiness, sleep problems, high intelligence and creativity with low academic performance, and messy appearance.

One Girl With ADHD

I recently worked with a family that was concerned about their daughter because she was very forgetful, her grades were slipping, and she was not feeling good about herself.  We worked together to do a comprehensive school neuropsychological evaluation and determined that there was inattentive type ADHD (ADD) as well as some processing difficulties that were making learning much harder.  This girl was very intelligent so she had been able to get by on her intelligence but the academic demands of middle school finally caught up with her and she became overwhelmed.  Before coming to me, her parents thought she just was not trying and was getting lazy but it turned out she really had legitimate needs.

You Suspect Your Daughter has ADD/ADHD

If your daughter is struggling and you are unsure if there are underlying problems, consider these important questions: (1) Are these behaviors things you have noticed for a while?  Are they interfering with life functioning at home or at school?,(2) Are the behaviors a continuous problem, not just a response to a temporary situation like final exams or a teacher conflict? (3) Do the behaviors occur in several settings or only in one specific place like the home or in school?  If you answered ‘yes’ to most of these questions, my evaluation may help you and your daughter.  I give parents strategies to use at home and in school that can help your daughter.

When you are ready to help your daughter call me or fill out my contact form.