Malika.....my little one, aged 4 and a half.....is VERY busy.......his class teacher gave me one and a halve pages of things he CAN'T do in school....He can't engage in an activity, doesnt participate, cant listen, pulls his shirt over his head and arms and sits in a bundle during group time exct!!!!!
If you look at him superficialy you would say he is definately ADHD...he touches EVERYTHING....jumps into and onto everything......doesnt listen....exct.....BUT if you look very closely......he is a sensory seeking and avoiding child with auditory processing problems......
What we did so far: We took him to an Occupational Therapist (OT) who specializes in sensory integration dysfunction.....My son has huge sensory integration problems.....he also fluctuates between sensory seeking and avoiding......leading to all sorts of behaviour and modulation problems.....We also had him tested by a ST who picked up he has HUGE auditory processing problems.....
So.....we have no diagnosis....I think he is a bit young.......BUT we have 2 definite disfunctions that has been identified.....Thus we could start with propper intervention, because these would have been the interventions most propably with any diagnosis.......We also started brushing him 3 times a day as part of Occupational Therapist (OT) sensory diet....this already decreased his sensory seeking behaviour, causing less disruptive behaviour.....Working hard on improving his speech.....so his frustration tolerance is improving.......
I am an Occupational Therapist (OT) myself and for me there is a very fine line between ADHD, hyperactivity and SI problems.....
If you havent read up on sensory processing or integration dysfunction, sensory diet, sensory modulation exct.....I would strongly recommend this....Also reading the Out of Sync book and getting propper Occupational Therapist (OT) assessment.......
