[hoohoobump]

DS is what I like to call spirited. Others have called him:
- busy
- handful
- high-maintenance


He's just turned 3 and is definitely not a toddler anymore.

He runs when he could walk
He yells when he could talk
Asks several thousand questions a day, but doesn't always wait to listen to the answer
Has an imaginary friend and a VERY big imagination
Talks and talks and talks
Remembers everything and listens to adult conversations, piping in when appropriate with
questions and comments.

I try to follow his interests and keep him out and about as too long a home tends to lead to destructive behaviour.

I am after some more reading material or online resources about kids like him. I'd love suggestions...

[Tesseract]

Raising Your Spirited Child by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka.

[lilybet]

..

This post has been edited by EHB: 06/01/2013, 07:06 PM

[hoohoobump]

He's my only child, so I don't have others to compare to. His daycare teachers and other parents often comment and strangers think that he is four or even five. He just loves to talk and question and examine and learn new things.

I just feel I need to learn a bit more about kids like him to let me help him. He was incredibly frustrated before he could talk, but now is a lot better.

His behaviour when engaged/busy is pretty good.

[Domestic Goddess]

Sounds exactly like my 3yo! He has Sensory Processing Disorder, but this has nothing to do with his hyperactive behaviour.

I would suggest you have a talk to a peadiatricianif you have concerns. He might have ADHD or he could just be an extremely busy and knowledge/exploration thirsty little boy.

DS was/is a late talker and when in an altercation with another child, he bites out of frustration due to a lack of communication skills. Though nowadays it's much better as his speech is catching up.
He's also a very very tall boy and gets mistaken for a 5yo until they hear him talk :\

Sounds exactly like my 3yo! He has Sensory Processing Disorder, but this has nothing to do with his hyperactive behaviour.

I would suggest you have a talk to a peadiatricianif you have concerns. He might have ADHD or he could just be an extremely busy and knowledge/exploration thirsty little boy.

DS was/is a late talker and when in an altercation with another child, he bites out of frustration due to a lack of communication skills. Though nowadays it's much better as his speech is catching up.
He's also a very very tall boy and gets mistaken for a 5yo until they hear him talk :\

EDIT: I too take DS out every morning to the park, botanical gardens, indoor playground, the pool, etc. Or else his abundance of energy will turn into a big destructive force, breaking down my house 1 bit at a time

This post has been edited by Domestic Goddess: 04/01/2013, 01:40 PM

[lilybet]

..

This post has been edited by EHB: 06/01/2013, 07:06 PM

[hoohoobump]

Yes to all of that checklist. Hmmm. He's literally just turned three and isn't due to start school until 2015. I am concerned about his destructive nature when bored in a formal school environment.

Thanks for the link. I may have a chat to the GP.

I might have a look at some of BMJ's links about assessments to keep in mind.

[baddmammajamma]

Raising Your Spirited Child by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka.

Definitely worth a read.

You probably aren't going to find many paeds or developmental paeds who will want to investigate something like potential ADHD in a 3-year- old -- because it's so hard to tell how much of that is "boyish exuberance" and how much might be something else. But there's rarely any harm in getting professional advice from someone good if you have concerns.

Likewise, although it's not unheard of for a 3-year-old to have their IQ tested for giftedness, it is typically done a little further down the line (or in instances when the three year old is clearly "off the charts" in what they can do). Still, you can check out some popular gifted child resources & see if any of this stuff resonates with you:
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/

My non-expert advice (as a fellow mother of a spirited child who also has a lot of "stuff" -- giftedness, ASD, ADHD -- going on) is this:

* Read well regarded resources like the book above & see if any of the insights and strategies work for you. Network with other parents of high octane/spirited kids to trade stories and sympathy! See if there are positive changes when he is really intellectually challenged with things that interest him. Keep an eye on his diet and his sleep levels.

But also...

Keep your antenna up! Over time, if your son's behavior gets to the point where it is really impacting his ability to function (that is, ability to cope in a school setting and/or at home) or is impacting YOUR ability to parent him well, don't hesitate to seek some professional and tailored guidance.

He might just be a spirited kid -- or you might have a gifted kid on your hands, a kid with ADHD, a kid with ADHD *and* giftedness, or something else all together.

FWIW, he sounds exhausting but very interesting!

This post has been edited by baddmammajamma: 04/01/2013, 02:53 PM

[Banana Pancakes]

My boy was always very spirited. Tantrums would last hours, he wouldn't walk if he could run, shopping centres with the noise and fluro lights would set him off and he was always so incredibly busy!
He was dx with ADHD when he was almost 8. He is now 14 and has settled down a lot but he will always be spirited

I highly, highly, highly recommend Sydney Developmental Clinic if you have any concerns. (But I dont think many Drs dx ADHD at that age, and with good reason because they are still growing and developing so rapidly!)

I also recommend this book 'Raising Your Spirited Child by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka.'

[baddmammajamma]

I highly, highly, highly recommend Sydney Developmental Clinic if you have any concerns. (But I dont think many Drs dx ADHD at that age, and with good reason because they are still growing and developing so rapidly!)

Yes! The SDC is very, very, very well known for having expertise with ADHD (and ADHD + giftedness, amongst other things). They see children starting at age 5 (school age).

Our developmental paed in Sydney is also quite strong in this area, and I am always happy to pass along his name to other EBers.

This post has been edited by baddmammajamma: 04/01/2013, 04:08 PM