ADHD stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and is a chronic condition that manifests early in some children. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry states that ADHD is most common in boys than girls, and usually isn't recognized until a child begins school. However, some children will experience symptoms of ADHD by age three, and learning to identify the condition allows parents to make arrangements for early diagnosis. ADHD can be a difficult medical condition for parents to deal with, but the symptoms can be improved with the guidance from a physician.
Inability to Pay Attention
Inattentiveness is one of the most obvious symptoms of ADHD. MayoClinic.com lists inattentiveness as one symptom that will show up the earliest in children suffering from ADHD. Because children may normally be inattentive, it can be hard to decipher normal childhood inattentiveness and inattentiveness due to ADHD. While a 3-year-old child will not normally have the capacity to sit and hold a conversation for a long period of time, a 3-year-old child with ADHD will have a hard time answering a single question. These children have the tendency to lose items they just had, or cannot sit through an episode of a cartoon without running off to do something else. These children may also have trouble concentrating on eating at meal time, without feeling as though they should jump up from the dinner table to do something else.
Impulsiveness
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry says that children suffering from ADHD will behave impulsively. ADHD children may have emotional meltdowns over the slightest occurrences and can be dangerous to those around them if they aren't in a controlled environment. Children with ADHD may have a hard time waiting their turn to speak, according to the HelpGuide online resource. They may also have trouble waiting for their turn in lines or while playing games. It can be difficult for children with ADHD to play well with other children, because they are unable to gauge the consequences of their actions.
Hyperactive Behavior
It is normal for 3-year-old children to be hyper on a regular basis. According to the HelpGuide online resource, children who suffer from ADHD are constantly hyper from the time they wake up until the time they fall asleep. These toddlers may have a hard time falling asleep when it is time to go to bed, as well. Another sign of excessive hyperactive behavior is slowed learning of motor skills. ADHD children may find it hard to concentrate on learning a simple task. Therefore, these children can seem to be a bit clumsier than normal children or may have slower than normal development of speech.
