Does my child have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder?

Q: My 3 year old son is a very loving, playful and active child. He loves being with children and is very fond of outdoors. Since the last one and a half months he is going to school (nursery) and is very happy. The school authorities say that he wanders out of class and has a very short attention span. The school is a special school as attention is paid only to orals and activities at pre-school level. The school has asked us to meet a child psychologist to diagnose his behaviour to help him control such behaviour. I need to know whether my son has attention defecit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and if so, is it OK, if he is put on drugs to control behaviour? I do know of therapy but wanted to be sure about the drugs part?

A:Your son sounds like a delightful child. At 3 years, all children have a short attention span. And if he likes to be outdoors, his wandering out of the class seems normal. Perhaps the other children are different in their temperament or have been frightened into being submissive and obedient.I do not wish to say anything about the school. Perhaps they could be persuaded to keep the door closed, if they wish all the children to stay in all the time. Ideally, preschool methods should have many activities where the children move around freely. Children do not like to sit in the same place and they learn to do so with difficulty when they enter Primary School. But since the teacher has suggested it, you could consult the elders in the family, your friends and neighbours. There is no indication for any drugs. Please do not pick up anything from the Counter of a Pharmacy and give it. We tend to be a generation of people who have all the new jargon from the NET and elsewhere. Madame Montessori started her kind of school when she found that the little children were like butterflies pinned to their places. But I can understand that you wish to have your son adjust to the school. (I would prefer it if the school adjusted to your child, but that is to expect too much)! You can still see a Psychologist, if you need to, but do not go with the pre-set idea that your son has ADHD.