08tlgermain
10-19-2016, 04:41 PM
Hey everyone! We have 4 children six years old and younger. Our oldest has always been the most difficult. Since he was a newborn, he was very colicky, and seemed to continue that trend. I'll try listing some of his symptoms/characteristics:
-very easily frustrated
- lots of tandrums/meltdowns everyday (more than his other two siblings combined - not including the baby)
- very easily overwhelmed
- has a hard time understanding social cues
- during school forgets very basic things often even after I just tell him the answer (like how to draw a "C"). This is greatly effecting his school along with the fustration.
- constantly takes things from his siblings as if a reflex (I understand kids do this but it is nothing like the others)
- might be getting some tics like sniffing his nose (he has been doing that for going on a year) and grabbing himself without cause all the time
- he has a very difficult time with different senses like something being too loud, or something not feeling right, or textures. (For the 1st 4-5 years of his life, he would be screaming, kicking during bath/shower time for example.)
- many times gets in a zone as if he is in another world
- he is very literal and has zero imagination
- refuses to do anything sport related
-wouldn't go down a small slide till his 18 month old sister went down them when he was about 3 or 4. Gets scared to do anything that looks a little bit dangerous. He is still not riding his bike without training wheels or swimming without a jacket.
-around many other things
Anyways, I've been bringing this up with his pediatrician and she has always thought he had anxiety since he was a baby. Well, she did a few doctors appointments observing Elijah and diagnosed him officially with an Anxiety disorder, but she said it has to do with something mechanically wrong with his brain - like the neurotransmitter is too short or in the wrong place (does that sound right?). She said that there is a kids zoloft that he could take that could most likely fix the problem by about 3 years since he is so young and developing. My husband and I are very skeptical about drugs like that, even though our doctor assured us it is completely different than the ones most people hear about. I probably wouldn't consider it, but it is really affecting his school. I homeschool him. His core work should only take about 2-3 hours at the most, but it takes him from 9 am to 5 in the evening and we still don't finish all his core material let alone his extracurricular activities. I feel like we are taking so much time trying to just keep him up, but he is quickly falling behind. He is just so frustrated by all his work and often forgets many of his very basic material. My 4 year old is starting to catch up to him in reading and math. I also feel that he is not getting time to just be a kid.
I'm very new to this and I'm not sure what to do for him. I will also add that my husband and I might have the same undiagnosed mechanical anxiety disorder. My mom said that my son is just like me, and I remember the things I went through at school regarding this. Anyways, can anybody give me information and suggestions about what to do please? Also, my husband is wondering if public/private school would help. I feel that it might be okay for him during school except that he might continue to become behind, but I dont think he would ever be able to get any homework done. I am putting so much of my energy and time into him, I am getting so worn out and so is he. Sorry for the long post!
-very easily frustrated
- lots of tandrums/meltdowns everyday (more than his other two siblings combined - not including the baby)
- very easily overwhelmed
- has a hard time understanding social cues
- during school forgets very basic things often even after I just tell him the answer (like how to draw a "C"). This is greatly effecting his school along with the fustration.
- constantly takes things from his siblings as if a reflex (I understand kids do this but it is nothing like the others)
- might be getting some tics like sniffing his nose (he has been doing that for going on a year) and grabbing himself without cause all the time
- he has a very difficult time with different senses like something being too loud, or something not feeling right, or textures. (For the 1st 4-5 years of his life, he would be screaming, kicking during bath/shower time for example.)
- many times gets in a zone as if he is in another world
- he is very literal and has zero imagination
- refuses to do anything sport related
-wouldn't go down a small slide till his 18 month old sister went down them when he was about 3 or 4. Gets scared to do anything that looks a little bit dangerous. He is still not riding his bike without training wheels or swimming without a jacket.
-around many other things
Anyways, I've been bringing this up with his pediatrician and she has always thought he had anxiety since he was a baby. Well, she did a few doctors appointments observing Elijah and diagnosed him officially with an Anxiety disorder, but she said it has to do with something mechanically wrong with his brain - like the neurotransmitter is too short or in the wrong place (does that sound right?). She said that there is a kids zoloft that he could take that could most likely fix the problem by about 3 years since he is so young and developing. My husband and I are very skeptical about drugs like that, even though our doctor assured us it is completely different than the ones most people hear about. I probably wouldn't consider it, but it is really affecting his school. I homeschool him. His core work should only take about 2-3 hours at the most, but it takes him from 9 am to 5 in the evening and we still don't finish all his core material let alone his extracurricular activities. I feel like we are taking so much time trying to just keep him up, but he is quickly falling behind. He is just so frustrated by all his work and often forgets many of his very basic material. My 4 year old is starting to catch up to him in reading and math. I also feel that he is not getting time to just be a kid.
I'm very new to this and I'm not sure what to do for him. I will also add that my husband and I might have the same undiagnosed mechanical anxiety disorder. My mom said that my son is just like me, and I remember the things I went through at school regarding this. Anyways, can anybody give me information and suggestions about what to do please? Also, my husband is wondering if public/private school would help. I feel that it might be okay for him during school except that he might continue to become behind, but I dont think he would ever be able to get any homework done. I am putting so much of my energy and time into him, I am getting so worn out and so is he. Sorry for the long post!