The ADHD Skills Lab Executive Dysfunction and Early ADHD in Preschoolers
Sep 29, 2025
In this discussion, guest William Curb, creator of Hacking Your ADHD, dives into early ADHD symptoms in preschoolers. He shares insights from a study on the links between time perception, working memory, and academic success. Will explains why spotting ADHD at a young age is essential and explores the challenges of assessment. They discuss innovative testing methods, including measuring delay aversion and time perception, and how these factors significantly predict future learning difficulties. Practical strategies for improving time management in children are also highlighted.
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Early Symptoms Matter
- ADHD symptoms in four- to five-year-olds are hard to diagnose but still meaningful for research and early support.
- Early observable differences motivate measuring symptoms with parent/teacher questionnaires even without formal diagnosis.
Test Delay Aversion Practically
- Use simple behavioral tasks to probe delay aversion like choosing immediate versus larger delayed rewards.
- Test delay frustration with brief unexpected delays to reveal tolerance for waiting.
Time Perception As A Distinct Measure
- Time perception tests measured how long a stimulus lasted and asked children to reproduce durations or spot differences.
- Perceiving and reproducing short durations reveals an aspect of 'time blindness' linked to ADHD traits.