Fear issues with 4 year old son

[la4363]

My 4 year old son is suffering with strong fear issues.  He has always had a strong reaction to fear, however, he has previously been eventually able to overcome the issues and they did not really interfere with our daily life (ex: wouldn't willingly take a bath for a month (afraid that he and toys would go down the drain). Loud, surprising noises like public toilets automatically flushing, hand dryers make him extremely anxious.  His latest issue is with the wind.  He is EXTERMELY panicked by things blowing away in the wind, or wind blowing in the car.  It has increased in the last few weeks to the point of refusing to go out at recess at pre-school and going out to play at home.  I have a call into my Pediatrician, but wanted to see if anyone had any similar experiences.

[willymax206]

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[cnik]

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[JondT]

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[Keti322]

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[mom30]

I read the problem that you are having with your 4 year old son and I am having the same problem with my 3 year old daughter.  She will not play outside at all if the wind is blowing even just a tiny bit.  It started last year in the Spring and I keep thinking that it will get better but I'm really getting concerned now.  She doesn't go to school or anything yet so I don't have to worry about her not wanting to go outside when she is suppose to but she will be 4 soon so she will be able to go to headstart but I am afraid that the teacher will be calling me to come and get her because she really cries hard if she see the wind blowing at all.  I didn't know if you had spoke with a doctor since you left your message but if you have could you please leave a commment and tell me what they told you to do about it.   Thank you

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

As with many behaviors or symptoms, such fears can be related to a number of conditions. For example, some children with Anxiety Disorders show such symptoms; some children with types of Pervasive Developmental Disorder show such symptoms; some children with Sensory Integration Problems show such symptoms. Because of the sensory matters (auditory, tactile) it might be useful to start with an evaluation by an Occupational Therapist (the discipline that diagnoses and treats SID). If all is well on that front, you can move to an evaluation by a pediatric mental health professional. And, it is possible that this is primarily a developmental issue rather than anything else, and that he will show the reactions less frequently over time and they will ultimately disappear.