i think my son has bi polar but I dont really know if that is what i am seeing or if i am just over reacting please help. You see there are some times during the day when he is really a perfect child he will just sit in front of the tv and be a lil angel. or go play outside and come in as soon as he is called. But other times he is like a completly different kid. You cant get him to sit down and listen for anything. He hits people for no reason. He flips into his 7 month old sisters play pen with her in it. I mean those days he is truly a terror. I know he has sensory deficit disorder (for those that dont know what this is just ask) but I have never heard of a child acting like this because of sensory. im just at a loss as what to do. i have another child on the way in April and I am terrified to see what will happen if i dont get him help soon. Can any of you women at least tell me if that is what it might be or not. i am at such a loss please help me.
How old is your son? My son has sensory processing disorder, and some days are just harder on him than other days. Some days he just can't stand all the sensory input and he used to have meltdowns. Now, that he is older and has several years of various therapies under his belt, he is much better and will instead remove himself from the sensory problem. But yeah, some days he was a terror, and other days not so bad.
Other than that, I would consider having an eval done by a child psychologist. Also consider whether or not he has allergies, and maybe he is flipping out when the allergens are high. Keep a log of when he is flipping out, what happens before the incident, and what happens after the incident. Oh, and I would stay away from red and yellow dyes, and as many preservatives as you can and see if he is reacting to any foods.
Hes 4. And from what I understand Sensory processing and sensory deficit disorder are the same thing just different degrees.
Quoting rccmom:How old is your son? My son has sensory processing disorder, and some days are just harder on him than other days. Some days he just can't stand all the sensory input and he used to have meltdowns. Now, that he is older and has several years of various therapies under his belt, he is much better and will instead remove himself from the sensory problem. But yeah, some days he was a terror, and other days not so bad.
Other than that, I would consider having an eval done by a child psychologist. Also consider whether or not he has allergies, and maybe he is flipping out when the allergens are high. Keep a log of when he is flipping out, what happens before the incident, and what happens after the incident. Oh, and I would stay away from red and yellow dyes, and as many preservatives as you can and see if he is reacting to any foods.
Do you notice him acting differently after eating certain foods? Say, he's good all morning long so you give him a scoop of ice cream. Shortly after he starts being aggressive.
Keep a food diary of what he eats and his behavior after. He may have food sensitivities. Even if it turns out that he doesn't, it should be ruled out before any medication for mood disorders.
You can also request a food panel rast test for IgE & IgG. It's done by blood draw and can identify the most common problematic foods.
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Thank you I never knew about that test.
Quoting motherofhope98:Do you notice him acting differently after eating certain foods? Say, he's good all morning long so you give him a scoop of ice cream. Shortly after he starts being aggressive.
Keep a food diary of what he eats and his behavior after. He may have food sensitivities. Even if it turns out that he doesn't, it should be ruled out before any medication for mood disorders.
You can also request a food panel rast test for IgE & IgG. It's done by blood draw and can identify the most common problematic foods.
Keep a diary! Write everything down. Food, activity, and moods through out the day. Look for patterns. It could be so many things and the best approach is to weed them out.
I wonder why you think bipolar? Do you have family history?
I suggest to start with diet and blood sugars. Write down everything he eats and how he feels before, during and after meals. (so all day.) You may find if lunch is at 12, and around 3 he starts acting up...he may either have eaten something at 12 to cause this, or needs a snack around 2 to keep him stable. So the next day, change his lunch. If he still acts up around 3, the next day, add a snack...etc etc. Change one thing at a time.
Post your progress and we can help you look for patterns and come up with other ideas.
Good luck,
Charmed
I gotta tell you, I named the 4s as the Fearsome 4s. All 3 of my children were harder at 4yrs than at 2yrs, though only my youngest is dxed with anything. I did find along food lines that it is very important for my son to have enough protein to balance out the carbs and sugars with his meals. It took some years for him to find control. He is now 12, but the control didn't really start clicking til he was around 10yrs old. He didn't get dxed with Sensory Processing Disorder til 8yrs old, but if I had known about SPD when he was 2yrs, I could have had the dx earlier. He was dxed adhd combined in Kindergarten, and the psychologist and I talked about bipolar because of a family history. We held off on that idea, did therapy, worked with him, and never did do a bipolar dx. At age 10yrs, he seemed more like Aspergers, and that is kind of where he is now, high functioning Aspergers. Your child will grow and change, and hopefully find more control as you work with him.
Get the book, The Explosive Child by Greene from your library. It had a lot of good info in it for me in dealing with my child.
Thank you both so much those are great Ideas and I plan on starting a diary very soon. The reason I thought Bi Polar is because there is a history of mental illness in my family including bi polar and with the sudden changes in mood it seemed to fit the bill. I will def have to start that food diary and see how that goes and what I can find out thank you.
I too think my 11 year old step son has bi polar. He is just so full of anger. He's happy one minute an the next leave him alone. I took him today to see a child py. They told me there were not enough markers there to be bi polar. Now I have to have him tested for learning disabilities. I just wish someone would listen to me. :0(
You and me both babe you and me both.
Quoting poohbear3333:I too think my 11 year old step son has bi polar. He is just so full of anger. He's happy one minute an the next leave him alone. I took him today to see a child py. They told me there were not enough markers there to be bi polar. Now I have to have him tested for learning disabilities. I just wish someone would listen to me. :0(
Hiya, Babysmama03.
I just joined cafe mom myself last night for the games, but realized I'd bumped into a really great thing here! I too have a child with behavioral issues much like your son's. the good news is he's now 14, and his problems have changed as he has. I think the best advice you can get at this point is to not let him rule your house. And you and Daddy are hardly able to handle him all by yourself. If it is possible, I would reach out in my neighborhood and ask the local women if you can form a co-op of three [or more] women, where you will be able to watch 2 of thier kids for three hours every third day, and then they rotate. You MUST have time away from your trouble child. It is imperative. I cannot express it enough. you will not yell at him as much, you will not have your buttons pushed as much! You will have deep breaths away from him, and be calm when he is returned to you. This is no shame!!! there is much truth in the old addage, "it takes a village to raise a child."
Another thing that i learned when my son was under ten, whenever he started acting up, I would get out the play dough at the kitchen table, and the garlic press, and the meat tenderizer [a wooden one if you can find one] and a rolling pin and let that boy bang the CRAP out of the playdo. It fixes his sensory input issues.
I hope this was helpful. I look forward to chatting again soon. Good luck, and don't ever give up! You listen to that inner mommy, and she'll lead you along the right path. When are you due for your newest darling?
Hope to hear from you soon!
1JMichelle
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- babysmama03
on Sep. 24, 2009 at 2:13 PM