Possible ADHD

I am pretty sure my son has ADHD. My sister is an educational psychologist who works with special needs children and said it about 6 months ago. My husband has ADHD and my son exhibits similar behaviours. The childminder has said she suspects it as well. My question is; do we need a diagnosis? Is it important to have it on paper? Does it even matter? I will say my son is only 2 so I am aware it is super early to be suggesting this, I also do not want him growing up with people excusing his behaviour by saying ‘oh, he has ADHD, that’s why he does XYZ’ so is it even worth mentioning at this point?

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The GP won’t consider a referral for a diagnosis until 6 but it may be helpful to go to your GP with the concerns you have and see if they can offer any other support if he has any specific needs and to make a note history

It will only be an issue having it on paper if it causes behavioral issues at school or preschool etc. It can be difficult to get a diagnosis even at the appropriate age. They like to wait and see. A lot of children exhibit ADHD symptoms at a young age is what I was told. And I believe that is true. Impulse control and regulation is pretty much non-existent for toddlers. One thing that can be done at this age is impulse control games to help them develop skills and using ADHD methods in the home to guide them. If they do have ADHD this will help them deal with them as they grow. I have very severe ADHD and so does my daughter. Everyone is different, but for us it presents very differently now than it did for her as a toddler.

My son just turned 5 in October and got a referral to get him evaluated tomorrow for ADHD/Autism. He started preschool this year and was having issues in school. We are getting him evaluated so we can understand and how to help him better.

@Chelsie @s a r a 🥀 may i ask what signs/ behavioural issues that you saw on your kids around 2 made you wonder they may have ADHD?

@Nora I don’t remember what were the signs when he was 2 years old. But now, as he’s in preschool. We notice he has a short attention span, very HIGH energy, he recently started biting his peers/classmates and hitting.. 😭 My husband has ADHD but wasn’t professionally/properly diagnosed by a doctor.

@Nora my son is 2 years 7 months so still considered young but he has always from a baby had extremely low sleep needs/no naps, constantly on the go/moving/fidgeting, never sits still, has endless energy and doesn’t know how to switch off/self soothe, gets overstimulated and hits, fearless/enjoys danger/runs, hates being contained, doesn’t follow instructions well/listen, has several meltdowns a day and struggles with emotional dysregulation a lot, constantly makes noise, climbs a lot, very defiant/sensitive to discipline