ADHD In Preschoolers; What is the latest information

Can preschool children have ADHD?

In April, one of our registered nurses, Emily Leone, attended a 4 day conference for Pediatric Nurse Practitioners in Washington DC. One of the conference topics was on the diagnosis and management of ADHD in preschool children.

Technically, most preschool aged children are too young to be offically diagnosed with ADHD, but that is not to say that they cannot exhibit symptoms and experience impaired learning and poor social adjustment that can accompany this chronic neurobehavioral disorder.

There are two important things to keep in mind if you are concerned that a preschool child may have ADHD. First, is the child's behavior significantly different from other preschool aged children you have known? All children can exhibit symptoms of ADHD at specific times; such as hyperactivity after too many sweets, inattentiveness if they had a poor nights sleep, or impulsivity when a child is extremely excited. The difference in a child with ADHD is that they exhibit these symptoms most of the time, they last for many months, and they impair the child's functioning at child care, at home, or in other settings.

The second, is that children often have difficulty in environments that place unrealistic expectations on the child's developmental abilities. Expecting a preschool child to sit quietly for an extended story reading or craft activity is simply unrealistic for all children. Flexibility for children's different abilities in your child care program can only help all children get the most out of the program, but will also help you avoid the frustration of unmet behavioral expectations.

Child Care Council staff continue their education to bring Child Care Providers the latest research and information in early care. Please join Emily on July 12th for a course on ADHD in the Child Care Setting in the Rochester Office from 6:30 to 9:00 pm. Call 585-654-4720 or 800-743-5437 to register.