Expert: Dr Billy Levin - 9/15/2009

Question
QUESTION: I am the mother of a 3-year-old girl. We have gone through a lot of transitions in her life for multiple reasons.
First off, my daughter is extremely smart... she has the vocabulary of many 5 and 6-year-olds I know. She has an amazing memory and can remember things I would forget. (Where people live who she met only once, who got her a certain shirt/pair of shoes, things I or others have said that have little or no importance to them, etc.) She has good motor skills, loves to climb and jump. Which leads me to the problem...
She has always displayed some "quirky" behaviors. Most people just called her a "free spirit" or "lively," but I have been feeling like theres a lot more to it then that.
Recently, some of the behaviors have been getting in the way of our daily living; and more specifically, her daycare arrangements.
Some of the behaviors are:

-Sleep (doesn't seem to need to... sleeps about 6-8 hours on a good night, sometimes sleeps only 3 hours and she doesn't seem to be exhausted the next day)
-Licking She licks everything: windows, blankets, recently even people (not fun to have to tell other daycare parents my daughter was licking their child...)
-She seems like she has to touch EVERYTHING. If we are in a store she runs her hands along everything we pass, almost as if exploring the textures of everything.
-Impulsive with her actions
-Seems to be a dare-devil and seeks out thrilling and risky situations (jumping down stairs, climbing ANYTHING, etc.)
-Lack of attention. She blurts out answers before a question is finished, only seems to hear some of what is said to her before moving on to something else.
-Constant movement. She is always on the go (and she only runs, skips, jumps, dances... never walks) and can't sit still. Even when she's eating, a part of her body MUST be moving.
-She pushes/bumps/hits others, without seeming to realize she's hurting them.
-She is too rough with animals (pats too hard, holds them wrong) and again, doesn't seem to grasp that she is being rough.
-She seems to want constant touch, whether it's her to someone/something; or someone/something to her

Those are just SOME of the issues. My main suspicions are either a Sensory Issue (sensory-seeking) or ADHD... but is it possible to be both? Or can one be mistaken for the other? I have scheduled an appointment with her Dr. to vocalize my concerns, but was hoping you could give me a little more insight on this. Any ideas/suggestions?

ANSWER: Your description is one of a highly intellegent ADHD child. My suggestion is you see a doctor who is an expert in diagnosing and treating young ADHD patients.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I booked an appointment with her Dr. and spoke to her about some of the problems we have run in to. The Dr. was willing to do a referral for a behavioral assesment. Out of the list of providers for my area, only three will accept my insurance, and of those three, only 1 will see her due to her age (3), but the only services they are offering is counseling services.
What I don't understand is how Early Intervention only runs until 3 and most neuro-psych centers won't see children until at least 4, if not older. The only alternative is getting her into a preschool, which is difficult without a SPED IEP.
Any advice???

Answer
It would appear you might have a high IQ child with a problem needing a neurological assessment. I would advise you see a doctor who specializes in ADHD in young children. More and more research suggests the concept of waiting till the child is older makes no sense! She might have a problem now. Look for an expert now for her sake.