Could Crying be a Sympton

[georgiajean]

Could constant crying and whining in a 5 year old be a symptom of some disorder or even a sign of a learning disability?  This is crying that is much, much more extreme than the typical whining young children do.  This child cries and sobs frequently, and whines always.  The family is a stable, gentle family, and they try to keep him content and happy, to no avail.  His skill level seems to be more that of a 3 year old in most areas, which has led us to question whether or not we are dealing with a disorder/disability of some kind. His language skills are poor, and his ability to comprehend directions or explanations is poor, also. When interacting with others his age he just doesn't seem to keep up, so is sobbing over imagined slights by other children. This child is not in school yet, so has not been observed by teachers, but people who deal with him in Sunday School/day care settings are very concerned.  The parents are oblivious to the fact that he is not advancing as he should be, so it is a touchy situation. I know you can't make a diagnosis based on this sketchy information, but perhaps you know if the crying could be a sign of something deeper, and could make a suggestion.

[run4you]

As far as the language and not understanding directions, it truly could be chronic ear infections. Lots of kids have them and can't hear. The constant fluid or pus build up makes it sound like everyone's underwater. If you can't hear properly, obviously language development will be impaired as well.

As far as other disorders, it could be anything from neurological (autism spectrum) to psychological/psychiatric (even little kids can get depressed).

It makes me so sad to hear that the little one is having issues...

With the language delay, at the very least they should be calling the school district - they can evaluate the child for delays at least on an educational level, and the state provides services such as speech therapy. The pedi is the place to start as far as medically (they can also go this route to get private speech therapy, which it sounds like he needs). They can refer him to the correct specialist for another diagnosis.

Definitely talk to the parents. If it's their only child, they may not be aware it's not the norm. I have an autistic son, and the most common thing I hear from parents of kids with disabilities is 'so and so noticed, and they never said anything. It would have hurt my feelings, but I wasted so much time that I could have been getting my child help.'

[yarrow]

Is there any possibility that the Sunday school personnel or even the pastor could approach the family and talk with them about this?

[MZLAUREL]

Hi there,
If the parents are oblivious to his developmental delay, might they also be oblivious to the child.  
I am wondering if this child can be comforted? If when he crys, do you comfort him? If you do, is he comforted?
If a child crys and can't be comforted, there is something wrong. It might be physical, like ears, or it might be hearing difficulty tranlating to stress, There could be so many things.
If he CAN be comforted, and he returns to "normal" after a bout of crying, he may be exhibiting distress from uncertainty, lack of confidence, fear...
Maybe he has an intolerance to noise and activity. He might be a HIGHLY SENSITIVE PERSON, and need to be treated as such. If he spends too much time at home, and has not spent time with other children etc, he may be overwhelmed by the situation.

[vohsie]

Check his ears.
Could be an ear infection

[adel_ezz]

i would consult a doctor not the people here. there are hundreds of disabilities. As to this child i know a family who has a young man now who was dx asperger a branch of autism who kept nagging and crying continuously in childhood.
check with a doctor