We are trying to determine the cause of my nephew's ADHD type behaviors. He has difficulty focusing, can't seem to sit still, and has been having more dificulty in following directions than a 3 year old should have. I highly doubt that he actually has ADHD because this behavior only started a few months ago. Yes, it could be a late onset of the terrible two's, but we don't want to ignore the problem if there is an actual cause.
He used to have an issue with temper tantrums when he was on milk. We took him off milk and gave him soy products and the tempertantrums went away. About 6 months ago we switched back to milk products with no change in behavior. About 2 months ago, these ADHD behaviors started.
Now the obvious solution is to go back to soy, but with 4 months of no behavioral issues, I'm not sure that will help. I gets almost no sugar(can't remove the sugar from the premade foods), and no caffeine.
Are there any other dietary causes of these behaviors? We will be looking at environmental factors at the end of the summer after he has spent several months out of daycare. We suspect that they are encouraging some of these behaviors because they think it's cute. At 3 yod you probably aren't dealing with ADHD, as you stated. Some little personalities are very flighty and out of it. I do believe strongly that MOST ADHD in all children diagnosed is over diagnosed and that there are other sensitivities and allergies involved (I was a teacher so I observed this alot.) The fact that you've observe the changes after the switch to soy is a HUGE deal for your little guy. And mom and dad are going to have to be on top of all this.
I have a very flighty 3 yod that acts alot like he has ADHD. I'll tell you what I have observed about him and see if these things help you. First of all, when he watches TV he goes completely bonkers. I believe there is something in the way the flashes of the screen affects his little mind and he just can't handle the overstimulation. I have 4 other children and none of them are affected by the TV. We have just simply opted not to watch it when he's awake. It leads to more reading anyway which is better for all children. Right now, of course, he's sick with a pretty high fever so he's watched movies all weekend. I am dreading tomorrow. I can already tell he's getting very hyper and having trouble concentrating on things.
FOOD is, I believe, the number on culprit in ADHD cases. Watch the diet of most children diagnosed with ADHD and you will see tons of food dyes, lots of high frustoce corn syrup, milk products, and just a ton of junk food. There will be very little fruits, veggies, and whole grain breads. Also, the meat and dairy products they eat are full of hormones and antibiotics. These are all the things my children do no longer eat. When we do go out to eat (which is usually every Sunday for lunch.) If any of my children have ketchup with high fructose corn syrup in it they go off the deep end. I have had many balk at these ideas but I spend 24/7 with my children. I homeschool so I see immediate changes in each child and can usually pinpoint the problem (it's taken me a long time to learn about this.) Our body were not designed to handle the overkill of chemicals and preservative that our foods are laced with in order to make them last longer. Some people don't react to them are badly as others. My 9 yod can handle ore in her diet than the others and always has been. But we stil eat a very natural diet. I had to learn how to do this. I grew up with all the processed foods. I learned how to cook from a box. Now I cook everything from scratch and it's really so much better. My flighty little 3 yod reacts worse at any of these foods and usually becomes truly out of control. I don't deprive my children of candy and such. If they are given candy at church or something, they made trade it for naturally made jelly beans or lollipops. We do make cookies here at home for special treats. . .but we use natural sugars. I just made cinnamon toast for my sick kids and used organic butter, agave nectar (to replace the sugar), and cinnamon.
These are my observations. I have also observed with my 3 yod that he needs TONS of structure in his day. In a day you nephew was probably getting that but if you're bringing him home then you need to be aware of that. I don't think it means entertaining him 24/7. But just have a schedule for him to follow in the day. When he has my undivided attention for a period of time and then structured play most of the day, there aren't as many problems. I also make sure that he has a time of day where he has to do "chores". Now most of the time he's following me around the house helping. I use these times to train him in jobs he can do (ie: folding wash clothes.) when he does have 'chores' to occupy to feel important and part of the family he gets bored and then we also have issues with him. If I introduce the environmental factors above (TV and bad food) this schedule becomes very difficult to follow and he becomes very difficult to work with.
I don't know if any of this will help you. It at least might get you started in some investigation. You might consider trying to find a pediatrician that allows more natural type ideas (hard to find. It took me almost 7 years to find one) or working with a chiropractor that works with children. They could give you even more guidance. My 7 yod son starts to have behavior problems when he's out of alignment and needs an adjustment with a chiropractor. They are trained to work with children and are very gentle. I even take my infants to see mine after they are born.
God Bless.
mom of 5 w/ #6 due Nov 08 try reading the book "the out of sync child". It is all about sensory disfuntion and how it can affect behavior...and be misdiagnosed and misunderstood. yes food allergies can definately cause hyperactivy
also some disorders that are sometimes misdiagnosed as ADHD are childhood bipolar and also asperger's syndrome honestly they are just 3 yr old typical behaviour
he needs discipline for this
if he is getting proper discipline and the issues persist until kindergarten then i would get him checked for ADHD
have you thought about getting him into preschool this fall instead of daycare
get him screened through your public school and they will tell you if the issues are normal or not and if not then what they are signs of and how they can help and where you can get help
he IS old enough for preschool at 3 and i highly suggest that instead of daycare
the obvious solution is not soy it's discipline
and stop with the no sugar thing he will get candy at some point whether you like it or not and then he will be incredibly hyper and may get sick where as if you allow him a little sugar everyday (deal with the hyperness for now by taking him to a park after you've given him sugar) this will not happen as often
personally my daughter gets a little sugar everyday and is allowed to drink non caffinated soda she's almost 4 and has an amazing sugar tolerance and does not get hyper at all from candy
kids get hyper from sugar because their parents dont let them have it so their body is not used to it
there are no dietary causes for behaviors there is lack of discipline or lack of activity
take him to the park or to playgroups something where he can socialize other than daycare and get him into school this fall
oh yeah ADHD cant/shouldnt be diagnosed until age 5 because before then ADHD behaviours are normal for children
also Listen to the lady above me to her ideas are wonderful Children in general are ADHD...they are always looking, learning, seeing, new things, and asking questions...My kid was diagnosed as ADHD because could read in kindergarten. He was bored because he had read the books the teacher was reading to the class. To think that kids are ADHD simply because they can't focus on a single task for a time period defined by adults is ridiculous. Adults who are always learning and quesioning are also ADHD! If you are not a "dumbot"...one that falls in line with the latest advertising and gimmicks then you are ADHD. Adults expect children to adhere to a schedule....the ADULT'S schedule. Give your kid a break. Letting my kid spend an hour a week in Walmart looking at toys while I am bored out of my mind, reminds me that a kid spends his day on the adult's schedule...bored out of his/her mind. In your case, it sounds like an attention getting scheme. My child used food to get attention from his mother...and still does...He is a completely different child at school and with me and his sister. Give the kid some personal time just like he/she was an adult. NOBODY at any age likes to be ignored. There are too many excuses for ADHD and not enough "the parents don't spend any time with the kid letting the KID DO what the KID WANTS to do" like looking for the perfect Christma trees for an hour in the cold. He may simply be getting bored with those activities, or they may be becoming too easy for him, specifically the games.
I know that was about the age my little brother lost interest in coloring altogether. He previously loved it, but as he gained a further mastery over his balance and muscle control, it just became too inactive to suit him. Simply put, given the choice, he preferred to get up and play.
We both had issues with becoming distracted easily when we were getting bored with something. I think every child does, especially during the toddler years since they have no reason to disguise the fact they're bored like they would in school. Unfortunately between becoming bored with the slow pace set in the early grades, being extremely energetic, and a kinetic learner to boot (a hands on learning style schools are just now starting to get a clue how to work with), my brother's kindergarten teacher got him labeled as ADHD because she wanted him out of her class, so she wouldn't have to deal with him. (With No Child Left Behind, such a thing wouldn't get the child pulled out of class today, but some are still far too quick to want a medicinal cure, which usually does nothing anyway unless it's to make the symptoms far worse.)
My parents fell for it at the time because the doctor the school referred them too backed up the teacher. However, medicating him out of his head did absolutely nothing but make his behavior more erratic than ever and plant the idea that he was just plain stupid in his head. He improved dramatically once they got him off the blanikty blank Ritalin.
Try incorporating more physical activities and finding games with a slightly higher difficulty level, and don't expect him to keep the same amount of attention on the same activities all the time. Toddlers have their obsessions and preferences just like us adults, but compared to us, toddlers preferences shift at warp speed. Makes sense doesn't it? Everything's new to them still. |
