ADHD in 3yr old. Possibility?

[CaptainMummy]

I posted a while back about my dd2 (almost 3.5) being very very hard work. I have always had the 'has she got adhd?' thought in the back of my mind but as time goes on I am seriously thinking she must! Not to mention my sister (who teaches primary school children 12 months older) said to me after taking her out for two hours 'She must have adhd!'

Anyway, I am going to speak to her keyworker at nursery and see if they have any issues or concerns, although they have never had to speak to me before but have mentioned that she is a very 'busy' girl numerous times.

I read all this stuff online and alot of it sounds like my daughter to a T, yet there are a couple of signs that she maybe doesn't show at all.

She is a very clever 3yr old.
She cannot sit still. Ever. She has never been able to watch tv because she would much rather be half climbing/hanging on something. I don't think she realises she is doing it but she is always in motion and even when eating dinner she still cant sit on her chair. Always stands up, walks around, bobs up and down... anything but sitting nicely as she should.
She cant sit at one activity for more than a minute or two. Well she can if it is drawing/colouring sometimes, but anything else and she is like 'I'm finished with this' after not even playing and then moves on to something else (where the same thing happens again)
She talks ALL THE TIME. She interrupts when I am speaking to others and doesn't give in. She doesn't seem to get that she must wait. When I ask her to just calm down and sit quietly for a minute, she replies with 'I can't be quiet all the time, mum!' even though she is never ever quiet.
She is impulsive and often throws things or hits her sisters but I don't think she actually means to. When questioned, she doesn't know why she's did it and knows she is in the wrong.
She is extremely forward with strangers, to the point both they and myself feel really akward. Mainly towards men, but she has no problem trying to hug/kiss/chat with anyone.
Shs gets in peoples faces alot. She isn't trying to be annoying, but lets face it, she is! She won't/cant accept that some children, mainly, dont want to play or hear her story or whatever it is she is trying to do, and continues to get in their face.
She is very disobedient. She just looks at me when I tell/ask her to do something. I asked her to get her shoes this morning yet she just went out to the hall and started jumping on the bottom step. I need to tell her about a zillion times before she listens.
She ends up hurting dd3 alot due to crashing into her, knocking her over or throwing something at her. None of it is on purpose (she is not a violent girl at all. Doesn't seek to hurt anyone) but it is constant, and she just keeps on going!
She is bossy. Again, she isn't being horrid, but just the way she comes across is like 'do it this way. no other option'

Obviously alot of this can be classed as typical 3yr old behaviour but it has been going on for so long and there are no signs of it slowing down.
Some of the things that make me think 'nope, she definitely doesn't have it, why am I even considering it?' are that she understands sharing and turn taking when playing. She is happy to wait her turn and encourages others to share too.
She seems to make friends very easily. She has two best friends at nursery, and a whole host of others who approach her to play.
She can hop (a few places I have seen that not being able to hop is a sign)

Am I worrying over nothing? I just look at her and her sister (who is a year younger) and they are so so different. My youngest is way calmer (still full of energy and loves to play) but she can sit and eat, she can listen to stories, she sits and plays with things (jigsaws, lego, figures etc) for more than 30 seconds, she doesn't seem to run on duracell batteries 24/7.

Is it worth speaking to the gp?

 

[SucreK]

Hello! Okay, I'm going to sound a little kooky here, but bear with me: have you considered tweaking her diet? I promise this isn't something I would've said even a few months ago, but after starting the Whole30, I can see how dramatically food affects my moods. My curious side wonders how your daughter would do without sugar in her diet (including sugar from carbs). Not to imply you're shoveling sugar down her throat--it's just that sugar can be found everywhere.

Again, not to proselytize or anything, or imply bad choices are being made. I'm actually very curious to try eliminating sugar (in carb form, too) from my girls' diet to see how they fare.

ETA: https://whole30.com/2015/02/whole30-success-story-millers-miracle/. Again, not that you've described crazy tantrums like this family, but it's worth a read, I think.

 

[pa2k84]

I have always looked at your middle girl and my youngest boy as being very similar, reaching different milestones at similar times, similar personalities etc. Reading what you have put is IDENTICAL to him! He has not been diagnosed with anything but I know preschool are thinking about it (I know this I work there, makes his behavior fun!) That died in no way mean she does but just thought you would like to know you are not alone, I am liturally living your life with my son! Bet they would get on well

 

[SarahBear]

It could be ADHD, particularly if it's impacting life functioning. It doesn't hurt to ask for a screening at the very least and an evaluation if warranted.

 

[Nibblenic]

It could be, in the UK they dont tend to diagnose ADHD until 6, especially in clever girls who are socially active.
Part of the reason for not diagnosing till 6 is that they dont medicate until 6 as its a brain development point.
There is no harm in mentioning it and starting the process as in the UK it can be very long.

 

[CaptainMummy]

Thanks ladies. I quickly mentioned it to her keyworker yesterday and she immediately responded with 'absolutely not. She is a social butterfly, has great friendships and is a typical 3 year old' She was also my dd1s keyworker and said that there are clear differences (my dd1 used to sit at the nursery table like a statue. Wouldn't move or speak unless asked to speak, so they are complete opposites!) but she did agree that she is 'into everything, has ants in her pants and doesn't stop moving' Her words, I didn't even need to say anything, as soon as I told her I was considering taking her to a doctor she knew exactly why. It is their parents evening in March and she told me she would speak to me then, but that I 'honestly don't need to worry.'
I don't know, I think I will take her anyway just for reassurance if nothing else. Whenever she meets someone new (a doctor for example) she charms the pants right off them and talks and talks and talks and people just think it's 'cute', so chances are the doctor wont see anything wrong either.

 

[kajastarlight]

In short, my answer is "maybe"
My son has ADHD and was diagnosed at age 6. By then it was screamingly obvious. He showed all the same signs you are stating and a few other strange ticks. (rapidly blinking when he is trying to concentrate. Constantly clearing his throat) I would say give her another year or so before persuing a diagnosis and see if she "grows out of it" Just my honest opinion

 

[redneckhippy]

I second suckrek said about diet. My son eats mostly like the whole30 link she posted altho he does it legumes and quinoa and recently some limited dairy. I notice a huge difference in his behavior when I allow him to have sweets.

 

[CaptainMummy]

Honestly, just had a look at that, and it impossible with her awful diet. There is very little she will eat and she would absolutely choose to starve than eat meat (she doesn't touch any meat at all) vegetables and eggs... basically all she will eat is cereals, bagels, macaroni, crisps, fruit, yoghurt, and obviously she wouldn't say no to a sweet if it was offered! She doesn't even eat toast, pizza, sausages, chicken nuggets, all the usual stuff that kids love... I know for a fact that even if I were to be strict about it, she would not eat it (and neither would my other two.)

 

[SarahBear]

With the food, there are some good things in there if you buy good quality. I don't know what those diets are saying to eliminate because I haven't looked, but typically people talk about eliminating preservatives and artificial coloring, as well as sugar. Well, with all the foods you've listed, you can get those without weird chemicals, with lower sugar, and without artificial coloring. If you're talking about a gluten free or casein free diet, that's a different thing entirely. I'd just focus on buying quality, reading ingredients, and balancing the best you can. Kids tend to get less picky in the 4-6 range. She'll likely expand her diet in time.

As for ADHD, there is SOO much development that goes on between 3 and 6, that I don't think you can really know, except in extreme cases, whether a child will actually have ADHD or not. For now I wouldn't worry about it, but if she doesn't grow out of it, I would be cautious about the social part. Often times girls can socially cope better than boys when it comes to things like ADHD, autism, and other related disorders. This can end up masking the difficulty that girls with these types of disorders are experiencing.

 

[SucreK]

I second suckrek said about diet. My son eats mostly like the whole30 link she posted altho he does it legumes and quinoa and recently some limited dairy. I notice a huge difference in his behavior when I allow him to have sweets.

I'm glad to hear my kids aren't the only ones! They are AWFUL when they eat high sugar foods, like cookies and cupcakes. Like uncharacteristically awful. They definitely have carbs in their diet, but I try to limit sugar for the sake of sugar.

 

[kajastarlight]

oh, and on a side note, I tried diet chenges with DS2 and it didn't make any difference. I was actually shocked that it was literally no difference at all. I asked his pediatrician and she said true ADHD cannot be treated with diet. Now that is her Medical Opinion..... but I would never go as far to say she is right and anyone ells who thinks otherwise is wrong. I just, personally, trust her Medical Opinion.