5 yr. old with worsening behavior

[scott2001]

My 5 year old son in kindergarten is a well-behaved, polite, intelligent child. His teachers have recently brought to our attention that he tends to play on his own while other in the class are playing in small groups.  Within the last 2 weeks his teachers have noticed significant changes in his behavior.  He is having difficulty sitting still during lessons.  He has become extremely hyperactive both in and outside of school.  His teachers also report that he is squinting his eyes and making funny noises. What may be causing this sudden change in behavior?
As background information, our son has always been and continues to be overly emotional.  He needs time to cuddle every morning before getting dressed for school and if things don’t go exactly as he has planned he breaks down and cries.   He has a great ability to concentrate on playing when he’s on his own or when trying to figure something out, and when watching tv of course. He gets along very well with his 2 younger sisters.  He enjoys playing with his sisters and having after-school play dates with friends. His friends are not always receptive to having play dates with him. When teased by his peers he does not stand up for himself, he is very passive.  Please advise.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

It is possible you are witnessing the early signs of Tourette Syndrome, which is a type of tic (i.e., involuntary movement) disorder involving motor and vocal tics. It really is too early to know, but the symptoms your son is displaying invite evaluation by a pediatric neurologist. Is there any family history of Tourette Syndrome, tic disorder or any other neurological condition? Is there any family history of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (though your son's symptoms do not suggest this)? Sudden onset behavior such as he is displaying warrants medical evaluation.