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18 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • August 2016 Melissa Zentgraf knew early on her young son's behaviors were not like those of his preschool friends. "He was more persistent in what he would do," Ms. Zentgraf says . "He would yell a little louder. His moves would be very exaggerated. He would do the activities four times the speed of everyone else, regardless of quality. He would always try to run faster. Everything was just twice as much." Ms. Zengraf's son was later diagnosed at 12 years old with the inattentive type of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, but she suspects ADHD was there all along during those early years. Young children between the ages of 2 and 5 tend to be impulsive, don't pay close attention to details, have difficulty keeping focused and do not appear to listen very well. These are all common symptoms of ADHD as well as the characteristics of a young child. How, then, can you as a parent tell if your child has ADHD? Parents are often told not to compare their children to others, but this is not the case in trying to figure out if a child has a special need. Look at your child's inter- actions on the playground, at preschool or around other kids. Does your child have difficulty controlling his or her temper more often than the other children? Does your child fidget and squirm when other kids are sitting still and listening at story time? Does your child have more problems keeping his hands to himself when compared to other kids his age? A diagnosis of ADHD is based on The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, Fifth Edition (DSM 5). The manual lists three presentations of Preschool-Aged Children and ADHD WRITTEN BY PETRINA CHONG HOLLINGSWORTH Having your child diagnosed with ADHD is not bad news. It just means that your child processes things differently, and you and your family need to figure out how best to help your child to succeed.