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flying_babyb 09:00 AM 11-04-2017
So DCB older 3 year old:
He can sit for group (ours is very active and engaging). When it comes to playtime, he cant stay in a center more than a few minutes without running around. Alot of time hes running, crawling ect while yelling and yelping. If we try to get him to stop and listen to us, he runs away laughing. I dont chase, I stand and count and remind him if I get to 3 its a trip to the office. Lately he waits till we put him on time out (he gets one for running away) and will pee or poop himself. He also likes to hit people. Yesterday was really bad, He had kicked a freind who was still sleeping and when told "Our feet are not for kicking, feet are for walking" He grinned and kicked the kid again, When I was walking him to the office (per our bosses rules) he kicked a parent who was standing near the door, In the anke as he walked past. Moms frustrated, shes out of ideas, cause he dont act like this at home. She asked about early signs of ADHD and was planning to talk to the doctor about it. She also admitted he has no playmates outside of daycare. Anyone got any ideas on how to help this child? I feel so bad cause when hes good, hes the most loving kid ever.
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MarinaVanessa 09:54 AM 11-04-2017
There are definetely some markers there for ADHD. The hyperactivity and distractability. There also seems to be impulsivity. The problem with a child that young is that it's difficult to diagnose because many if these issues aren't abnormal behavior for that age.

As much as I love that DCM is willing to talk to her pediatrician about it I have my reservations. Many doctors are too quick to diagnose the issues themselves and they get very little training in child development and child psychology. They get the general stuff but don't get deep into it. You wouldn't go to a general doctor for a brain tumor, you'd go to a neurologist. So hopefully she'll ask for a referral instead only taking the pediatricians recommendations. She'll want to talk to a child psychologist and from there they can make an assessment which can determine whether the child needs support or not. Behavioral therapy, occupational therapy, a psychologist etc.

They may not even want to diagnose him that young. They didn't with my daughter. I knew at age 2 she had ADHD but she didn't get an official diagnosis until she was about 6. I was able to get a behavioral therapist through her preschool at age 4 and then the journey took 4 years of behavioral therapy before her diagnosis.

Until then I changed her diet and cut down on the carbs, really limit preservatives (even a lot of canned food) and red and yellow dyes, even fruit is an issue with my daughter .. red especially. This reduced the impulsivity drastically. Sweets and sugary foods don't seem to affect her but can also be a huge trigger for some kids with ADHD.

A good indicator of ADHD is giving the child caffeine. A cup of coffee or caffeinated soda drink (nothing with orange, yellow, blue, or green dyes) and if the child doesn't get hyper or if it mellows him out a bit you can pretty much bet he has it.

It's manageable and I think it's great that you both seem really supportive. Keep doing what you're doing. Hell need the consistency, routine and discipline. Lessons might be a struggle because he can't focus and free play can be extremely difficult because he'll have too many choices, it may overstimulate him. Giving him two choices of his favorite activities is probably better. Sitting him near you or another teacher will be helpful. He'll need constant reminders to stay focused. Activities that are too difficult for him will frustrate him and may cause outbursts.

It's not his fault, he's wired that way. A lot people have a misconception about kids with ADHD. They think they just can't stay focused and while that's true, it's not because they can't pay attention... It's because they pay attention to everything around them all of the time all at the same time.

The child across the room tapping his foot, the child next to him shuffling in his seat, the humming of the lights above, the rustling leaves and cars driving by outside in the street, other children laughing or talking the the next room, the sound of the wood clicking as another child puts together a wood puzzle a few seats down. Most of us learn to block things out but it's difficult for these kids to do it. They hear EVERYTHING and it's distracting for them. They can have it with or without the hyperactivity.

They can also become hyperfocused on things they enjoy. Like to the point of almost like an obsession. And when it's time to transition and move on they can become anxious and have outbursts. Several warnings beforehand help a lot. It can prepare them and they can process that they will need to stop in a bit. Visual timers to help them see how much time they have help too. The ones that show how much time they have left in a color that gets smaller and smaller as the time approaches.

A LOT of opportunities to move their whole bodies throughout the day help too. Don't use outdoor recess/playtime as a punishment. As in, don't make him sit out if he didn't follow the rules. It will backfire and the afternoon will be worse. He'll need to get his energy out.

These will all help if he has ADHD. I used to get frustrated until I realized my daughter literally functioned differently.

Sorry it's so long, this subject is close to my heart
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flying_babyb 10:09 AM 11-04-2017
thank you!! Would chocolate work as a calmer? Im tempted to sneak him a little before we start our day (Im always 20 mins early lol). He has good days and bad.
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flying_babyb 10:35 AM 11-04-2017
and if ANYONE has ideas of ways we could change things up or make things better let me know. Right now I feel this poor kid spends a lot of time sitting during the day( he does welll if he can sit at a center, which means alot of time he ends up at the main table with blocks, or at the science table, or sitting at the table with a book.). We have tried more outside time, not helping.
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MarinaVanessa 02:34 PM 11-05-2017
Originally Posted by flying_babyb:
thank you!! Would chocolate work as a calmer? Im tempted to sneak him a little before we start our day (Im always 20 mins early lol). He has good days and bad.
This depends on the individual child. Each child is different and they each react differently to different foods. An elimination diet like the Feingold diet will help narrow down which foods, if any, affect him either positively or negatively.
I don't really know if chocolate will help calm him down or not. You can try it (if mom is ok with you giving him chocolate of course).
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daycarediva 03:44 AM 11-06-2017
I 100% agree with marina!

My suggestion to the dcm would be for a behavioral therapist. NOT a pediatrician, who most likely will see him, diagnose him, and prescribe him in under 30 minutes.
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Tags:hyper, hyperactive
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