Question:

My son is going to be four years old in April and his teacher specialist told me he has every sign of being ADHD. Is this possible? I have them setting up the neurology appointment and also going on my own with one in Boston. My question is, does the school have to pay for it since they told me about it?   If so, what can I do to get them to pay?

A concerned mother

Answer:

Thank you for your interesting question. I am assuming that your son is enrolled in a public school although he is preschool-aged.

Regarding your question about paying for an assessment, assessment policies differ quite a bit from school district to school district and from state to state. Whether or not your district will cover the cost of an assessment depends on the district policy. My best suggestion to you is to contact your district’s special education director and address your son’s situation locally.

Children demonstrate characteristics of ADHD and can be assessed in preschool. In fact, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), the book that is used to diagnose ADHD, specifies that characteristics must be present before age seven. However, ADHD behaviors are more difficult to distinguish from normal, rambunctious behavior in preschool than later in elementary school. If you son is diagnosed with ADHD, do not despair. According to Russell Barkley, only about 48% of preschool children clinically diagnosed with ADHD are likely to continue to have this diagnosis by late childhood or early adolescence.

Parents of children with ADHD report the preschool years as being more stressful than any other developmental period. Techniques used to manage typical children are often ineffective with children who have ADHD. Other problems such as sleep disorders, toilet training difficulties and motor and/or speech delays are sometimes associated with ADHD in preschoolers. In addition, these children are more prone to accidents and “child-proofing” your home will be essential. Unhappily, parents often find that their child is rejected by preschool and daycare facililties. Like their typical peers, preschoolers with ADHD engage in temper tantrums. These are likely to be more intense and longer-lasting than with other children.

If your son is diagnosed with ADHD, the preschool years are an ideal time for you as a parent to begin to find resources. Locate your local CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder) support group, check out parenting groups, counseling, behavior management training, and books and videos. Maintain a positive relationship with and close contact with your child’s care providers and preschool personnel.

Additional resources include:

Jones, Clare. Sourcebook for Chidlren with Attention Deficit Disorder – A Management Guide for Early Childhood Professionals and Parents. Second Edtion. Tucson, AZ: Communications Skill Builders

Phelan, Thomas. 1-2-3 Magic: Effective Discipline for Children 2-12., Revised Second Edition. Child Management

Reimers, Cathy and Bruce Brunger. ADHD in the Young Child-Driven to Redirection. Plantation, FL: Specialty Press, Inc.