My 4 year old daughter is telling me she hears voices!

[cmk1283]

My 4  year old daughter who will be 5 in march has been having some major acting out problems for about 7 months now! She is in preschool at her daycare. She gets wrote up everyday at school. She is very mean and violent with her friends and myself.  I have been talking everyday with the teachers about this matter. Today the owner of the school called to tell me that my daughter wanted a particular chair in class so she pushed her friend off the chair onto the floor to get it and then poked her friend in the chest with a pair of scissors. When I talked to her on the phone she acted like it was no big deal. I told her she was grounded to her room in time out when we got home. When i got to the school to pick her up the afternoon teacher told me that she asked her why she behaves this way and my daughter told her that there are voices in her head that tell her to be mean. I was very taken away by this statement and concerned for my child. I talked to her more when we got home and asked her some questions particulary the voices in her head one. She said that is not what she said to her teacher. She said that she told her there is something inside her head that talks to her. I asked what it was and she said it was a girl who tells her to do bad things and that sometimes she does them and other times she doesn't. But that sometimes the girl hits her in the head if she doesn't do what she says. I asked her what she looked like and she said that she was dark and bloody! I told her to tell the girl no and that she will not do anything bad. My daughter told me that she would do so but she would have to go some where away from her teacher because if her teacher hears her then she would ask her who she was talking to and she would get a red mark for being bad because of it. I am scared for my daughter and don't know what to do. Can anyone help please????

[Encephalomalcia]

I think she is telling a story.  Usually, Schizophrenia does not show up until the child is at least 12 and sometimes older like 18.  The signs are talking fast and not making a lot of sense (mainly lots of words that do not make sense together).  People with Schizophrenia a lot of the time will have a high IQ.  I worked for out-patient mental health as a transcriptionist and seen a lot of Schizophrenia patients coming in.  Sounds to me that she does not want to take responsibility for her actions and she has come up with an excuse as to why she behaved that way.  She wanted the chair and she bullied her way into getting it.  If she is hearing anything, it is most likely herself.  She needs a preschool with structure and routine.  I would sit her down and tell her that what she did was very serious, she is not to do it again.  Be serious and look her in the eyes.  Do not let your child control you and her preschool daycare.  She is trying to get attention and trying to out smart everyone around her.  

[cmk1283]

Thanks for the advice. Bu i want to add that she is very very smart and she amazes everyone when she speaks. Some of the things that she says is not what you would expect from a 4 year old. Also her dad's side of the family have a history of schizophrenia and other illness! I am just so worried about this. If there is any thing else you can help with please do! Thanks