Worried about 10 yr old son

[clausjo]

My son is 10, will be 11 in August and I'm really worried about him. He was diagnosed with ADHD when he was 4 and has been on meds since he was about 5. He’s doing much better and has shown great improvement in the last couple of years. This year he had the best year in school, socially speaking, that he’s ever had. He’s really intelligent and has tested as highly gifted and is going into a magnet program for middle school for the IB program. Although he’s made some really good progress, he does have some “habits” that can be troublesome. The other night, the power went out and we were plunged into total darkness while we were watching tv. At first he was just a bit scared and came to sit with me on the couch. My husband and I got the lanterns and once my son realized that the lights weren’t coming right back on, he started freaking out. Like borderline hysterical, freaking out. He was crying, could barely breathe to the point that I thought he was going to start hyperventilating. We couldn’t calm him down. All he kept saying was that he was scared. He couldn’t tell us what he was scared of or anything. It was so upsetting to see him like that. Eventually, he did calm down and went to bed by himself. My husband and I talked and we decided that we needed to call the doctor. This event got us thinking about other things that have been happening with him. He was at a pool party and the boys were roughhousing and one of them pulled on his arm. He thought that he was pulling him under and freaked out – not to the same extent as the other night, but still really scared. So panicked that he started flailing his arms and legs and ended up hitting the kid in the eye so he would let go of him. He used to get really scared of the fire alarms, but that has gone away. I think the last time he had a problem with the fire alarms was in either 1st or 2nd grade. He’s been doing other things lately also, like flailing his arms all over when we’re in public and making strange noises. He has terrible hygiene, which I’ve attributed to him being lazy, but now I’m thinking there might be something more to it. I called the doctor and he suggested he speak with a psychologist because it doesn’t seem like it is related to the meds. We’re taking him next week. I spoke to a friend and she said it sounded like it could be Ashberger’s or something similar. I’m really, really worried. He’s going to middle school next year, will be in a new environment, riding a bus for the first time, and two days a week, will be home alone in the afternoons for a couple of hours until one of us comes home from work. This is what concerns me most of all. If something happens, he won’t be able to help himself.

Sorry for such a long post, but I wanted to see if anyone has had any experience with similar situations. Hopefully, the doctor can provide us with some information and be able to work with him to deal with the issues he has.

[Michelle15]

Sorry to hear about your son. I use to be a preschool teacher and I had a kid in my class that was diagnosed the same thing. The doctors put him on the medication and I started to notice a change in behavior. They were not all good. He started getting very emotional at everything for example if he broke a crayon he cried and was throwing himself on the ground. He was 5. I was concerned with this sudden change of behavior and told his parents about it they took him back to the doctor and they changed the dosage of his medication and he was a normal kid again. I don't know much about this condition but I am sure if you get a second opinion it may help.
Good luck

[Mickey'sGirl]

Jodi, this absolutely sounds like Asperger's Syndrome to me, but I am not a doctor ... just a mom with two autistic sons! Here is a discussion that we had on Asperger's (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=121032) a while ago ... lots of information from many different sources. I think you will find it interesting.

Talk to your doctor and find out what he has to say. Our oldest son is 12, and the social stresses being put on him as a "pre-teen" are incredible ... made worse by his academic strengths and that he is already 6 feet tall in Grade 6. He doesn't understand how to react in many circumstances, and with his hormones and everything going all out of whack, I think the stresses are amplified for him! Asperger's kids are emotionally and socially much younger than their chronological age, but they are quite often academically advanced. An interesting postition to find themselves in for sure! I sincerely hope that you are able to find someone to guide you, and to make a definite diagnosis for your son.

It is a relief to find out what you are dealing with, so that you can research and understand what it is that he needs in order to get on with his life. Extreme reactions (or over-reactions) are frequent in the Asperger's world ... but with appropriate guidance and "training", he will figure it all out. He just needs a little longer to catch up with his peers. Patience is your friend.

Good luck with everything!!

[SBETigg]

I'm reading Jodi Picoult's House Rules right now and Asperger's was my first thought as well. If you do read that book, don't set too much store in the depiction of Asperger's. Most people just have a few of the characteristics, and some critics have noted that Jodi's character with Asperger's seems to have every trait imaginable. But it's definitely something to check out.

Also, my nephew was diagnosed with ADHD, and it turned out that he is actually bipolar, as his mothers discovered when he turned nine or so. So there could be something going on, not necessarily Asperger's or bipolar, but maybe the ADHD diagnosis was made and they missed something else or it really is something else. Try not to worry. You'll find out what it is and be able to help him have a full, wonderful life.

[CAS]

It sounds like textbook asperger's syndrome. A daughter of a friend of mine was diagnosed at 5. I'm unsure of the therapies but whatever your son's diagnosis it will most likely fall into the autism family. A reduction in meds would also be something to look at like a previous poster suggested.

Many blessings

[BrerGnat]

Don't get hung up on any specific diagnosis. Take your son to a developmental psychiatrist or neurologist for a full evaluation. It could be the medication, could be something else. If this behavior is completely new, I'd lean towards a dosage problem with the meds.