School as been in session for a little over five weeks. Last Friday the speech pathologist approached me in the hallway to inform me that she has not been able to screen Lil' Man because he will not cooperate.
In the back of my head I was thinking who's in charge here? The four year old, or the chick with the master degree.
He can be super hyper and out of hand, but that's only occurs about 20% of the time. It makes me wonder if the teacher is telling the whole truth because, according to her everything each peachy.
I have been researching FAS and Co-Occurring Conditions. I am beginning to wonder if Lil' Man is bi-polar. Given the fact that all of his close adult relatives have some type of mental issue, I wouldn't put it passed him. However I am not sure a four year old can be diagnosed with such a disorder?
Of the symptoms below Lil' Man fits almost all of them.. YIKES
VERY COMMON
- Separation anxiety
- Rages and explosive temper tantrums lasting up to several hours
- Irritability
- Oppositional behavior
- Rapid cycling (frequent mood swings, occurring within an hour, a day, or several days)
- Distractibility
- Hyperactivity
- Impulsivity
- Restlessness/fidgetiness
- Silliness, giddiness, goofiness
- Racing thoughts
- Aggressive behavior
- Grandiosity
- Carbohydrate cravings
- Risk-taking behaviors
- Depressed mood
- Lethargy
Low self-esteem- Difficulty getting up in the morning
- Social anxiety
- Oversensitivity to emotional or environmental triggers
COMMON
Bedwetting(especially in boys)- Night terrors
- Rapid or pressured speech
- Obsessional behavior
- Compulsive behavior
- Excessive daydreaming
- Motor and vocal tics
- Learning disabilities
- Poor short-term memory
- Lack of organization
- Fascination with gore and morbid topics
- Hypersexuality
- Manipulative behavior
Extremely bossy behavior with friends/bullying- Lying
Suicidal thoughts- Destruction of property
ParanoiaHallucinations and delusions
Another thing that peeked my attention was the fact that he does not respond well to stimulants. This statement caught my eye:
Most of our children initially received the ADHD diagnosis, were given stimulants and/or antidepressants, and either did not respond or suffered symptoms of mania such as rages, insomnia, agitation, pressured speech, and the like. In lay language, parents call this ‘bouncing off the wall."
I guess only time well tell. Such a diagnosis wont change who he is, it will only help get him the services he needs to ensure he can reach his full potential.
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