odd in 5 1/2 yr old

first, my preschool son did not speak to anyone untl january of preschool yr. as a kindergarten he is having problems staying on task without someone staying on top on him, impulsive behavior, annoying his peers, cussing when angry, definite odd behavior.
i found out later this same behavoir started to emerge when he started speaking in prek.
i took him to a child phsycologist. she has him normal in some areas and mildly mentally retarded in others. this angered his father but made me laugh. i am a early childhood educator and my son is far from this. he is a whiz on the computer (eduactional programs) can surf the net, and can drag and click the mouse with the best of them.
is language skills and comprehension show delay, so next i take him to a speech therapist.  her results do not concerw with the psychologist. he is developing normally.  my psychologist is also concerned about is energy levels, either they are way up as in hyper or way down as depressed.  i have researched bipolar disorder and find little regarding young children. i oppose the use of drugs and want to know how to go about having a test done as to maybe some chemical deficientcies in his brain and blood. first i would like to know your assessment of his problem. second what or where should i go to find out about deficientcies in his brain or blood chemistry.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Dear Dawn,

Diagnoses of mental and emotional disorders are accomplished by a thorough assessment process which usually includes review of history and development, current functioning (family, school, etc.), medical status, family history, office evaluation of the child, psychological testing,and perhaps collection of standardized data via inventories, checklists, etc.

Laboratory work is not employed to test for conditions that may have a biological component (e.g., mood disorders, anxiety disorders, neurobehavioral conditions).

If you doubt the conclusions of the psychologist, seek a second opinion. It may well be that your son displays some unevenness in his development, and this is true of many children. It is very difficult, to say the least, to diagnose Bipolar Disorder in young children, so it is definitely not a diagnosis to rush toward. The likelihood of the diagnosis is enhanced if there is a family history of Bipolar Disorder.