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Number one, this is very hard. A lot of the signs of ADHD in children
under six years of age; also happen to be normal for this age group.
So, the real challenge is to spot those children who will not develop
interpersonal and behavioral skills that help them outgrow those
annoying traits. Let me caution you now; it is very hard for doctors to
make the diagnosis of ADHD in this age group and a lot of doctors will
just plain miss the cues. The purpose of this article is to allow
parents and siblings to at least become familiar with some common
preschool ADHD traits and help their doctor intervene at a younger age.
Studies have shown that better results occur the younger either behavior
training or medication is begun. And no, ADHD children in this age
group are best handled by behavior training and medications should be
considered last if at all. So, you’ve been warned! Since most of you
know those annoying habits children display in this age group, we’ll
dwell only on those that most children outgrow. Therefore, failure to
outgrow the other traits may indeed mean a problem.
ADHD children under age six:
- Tend to potty train later than usual and suffer from
constipation or urine holding
- Do not make the transition from bottle to cup well
- Persist in eating with their fingers, avoiding forks
- Do not seem to learn from other children of the same age
- Are often loners at play and have no patience for games
- Cry for no apparent reason or seem withdrawn
- Seem to be a year younger with regards to language skills or
co-ordination
- Tend to dislike snug clothing around their neck, wrists or
ankles
- Will sometimes complain that shirt labels bother them and may
cut them out
- Will cut their hair if it bothers them
- Tend to twist their hair a lot and cause bald spots
- Are difficult to teach hygiene such as handing washing and tooth
brushing
- Will run outdoors without proper clothing or shoes into rain or
snow
- Remain very self-centered in play with one or more other
children
- Have rituals such as putting a toy or clothing in an unusual
place
- Are selfish with regard to others toys and possessions
- Often will hide their possessions to keep others from using them
- Are manipulative in public more so than at home
- Cannot sit and listen while you read a story
- Surf television channels rapidly as they lose interest and
require more stimulation
- Seem to be driven like a spring is wound tightly inside of them
- Do not go to sleep easily or until late at night and/or awaken
early in the morning
- Develop and retain habits such as tapping feet, drumming fingers
or popping cheeks
- Interrupt your conversations frequently, without a reason
- Do not seem regretful or sorry when they know they have done
something wrong
- Will purposely break something to show they are in control
- Do not learn from major mistakes, such as touching a hot stove
- Are defiant about not doing what you ask, such as going to bed
by 9 PM
Most children develop skills that let them grow out of this stage.
However, at least 8 % of all children will show more than 70% of these
traits well past age six years. There are many other observations that
can be made about ADHD kids under age six. So, hopefully you have now
been stimulated to be more observant and can help someone before their
behavior patterns become difficult to direct. Children do not have
ADHD, they are ADHD and the overall trait may have been incorporated
into their genetics to allow for certain survival skills to persist
beyond childhood.
Dr. Frank |
