Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional gifted? ADHD? Sensory seeking?

I have a 7 year old son who sounds like your child! I agree that 4 is young for a diagnosis, however if it is ADHD, children with early intervention benefit the most.

I would try to look at her behavior in different settings. If you see the same behaviors across settings, it could be ADHD. Of course, at 4 I don't think anyone would actually diagnose it or treat it with medication. You don't want a mis-diagnosis.

Oh, and on a side note, and this is just my personal opinion, I think that if you take a child to an OT to be evaluated for SPD, they'll find it! Just like taking your car to the shop. They always find "something." Kids are sensory-seeking in nature; it's how they learn about their environment. There are varying degrees of "normal" with regards to sensory perception/behaviors. This is another area I'd caution against diagnosing too early. As our pediatrician said when our son was 4 and diagnosed with SPD, "of course he has SPD; that's what makes him a 4 year old!" That said, SPD techniques/exercises can be easily found on the internet and implemented by parents. They do work, but in my opinion, they only work for a couple of hours following the exercises. If you an make them a part of your regular routine, you'll see results with any child, disordered or not. There are so many books on this, you can find the info yourself without paying for an evaluation. Not to knock OTs...I work with them daily, and they do wonderful work with people. This is just one area that I think is over-diagnosed and can cause people to miss other pertinent diagnoses or miss out on proper treatment. In my experience, SPD rarely stands alone and is usually a symptom of another issue.

Have you researched ADHD strategies and behavior modification techniques? I would highly recommend starting those as early as possible regardless of a diagnosis or not.

I don't know if this info helps at all, but please know you're not alone. I can SO relate to everything you said. In fact, I've been relating to it for 7 years! Hugs!!