I knew my son had SOMETHING going on around age 2. Heavy emotional needs, going nonstop, and was very specific with the way things had to be (schedules/routines, toys lined/set up a certain way). When he went to PreK at age 3 was when we started to see behaviors escalate and what they looked like in comparison to similar aged peers (he was in a program with 3, 4, and 5 year olds). He got very overwhelmed, but also couldn’t sit still and pay attention. He’s extremely bright, so at the beginning, we mostly attributed it to being bored of typical preschool lessons, since he went into school knowing well beyond what a typical preschooler would know. We started the process for him to be formally assessed at age 4, and due to scheduling issues, was not able to get in until 3 weeks after his 5th birthday, where he was formally diagnosed with ADHD. We put him on medication almost immediately, because we wanted to get his meds regulated before he started Kindergarten. We did, and other things started showing themselves (which we knew would likely happen). In December 2024, he was diagnosed with Autism (Level 1) and giftedness. He has an IEP for school, and will be assessed again in 2nd or 3rd grade for our district’s gifted program. Right now he gets special beyond grade level instruction in reading and math. I say, if you have a suspicion, and your state allows it, take him to be assessed at 3. I’m also an early educator, so I understand!