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Child Behavior (Expert Forum)
si
Answered by
Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D. - Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy, Family Therapy, Crisis Intervention
Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates
This forum is for questions and support regarding child behavior issues such: Child Discipline (behavior management), Normal Child Development, Parent-Child Communications, Social Development
si
by onemerrymommy, Apr 18, 2005 12:00AM
I am a mom to a 3.5 year old boy. He is a lively boy who speaks well, is very sociable ,on target for everything but I was reading a post belonging to someone whose child was diagnosed with SI and was wondering if a few of the minor fears that my DS has could be something like this or just normal behaviour .What he does is as follows: Doesnt like some loud noises although is better than before. He sometimes anticipates a loud noise. He loves music and it never bothers him when its loud but the other day his brother tried to put on the stereo and he covered his ears as I suppose he thought that he was going to put it on really loud. He doesn’t like loud car horns,doesn’t produce an extreme reaction but just comments on it and maybe says he doesn’t like it.
He loves the playground , i.e slides and swings, although in the last month or so he has been reluctant to go on the bigger slides. At Xmas time he climbed up extremely high on an indoor slide thing and went down a huge tunnel and was not remotely afraid. Could it be that he is now becoming fearful as he gets older, ie see dangers that he was oblivious to before? He loves swings and roundabouts and seems to experience a normal amount of dizziness. He doesn’t like toy cars in malls that move when you put the money in yet loves escalators.Can ride a bike with training wheels. Balance seems ok but not as advanced as his brother was at his age. His brother was particilarly nimble. He didn’t walk until 16 months and can go up and down the stairs fine although I notice that he sometimes still comes down using 2 feet rather than alternate feet. Our stairs is a bit steep. Bounces back from being hurt more easily than his brother but brother is a bit more highly strung. Following a minor accident with a bit of rough and tumble,he says that’s sore and wants it kissed better but seems normal in this respect.He stopped putting things in his mouth at the appropriate age but recently has started to chew the wheels of his cars and a few other things. Within the last fortnight we are trying to get him to give up his dummy which he used largely at night but looked for it during the day if something went wrong. He has done really well during the day and no longer looks for it at all but as I said I think he may be substituting the wheels for it. He does it unconsiously when doing something like watching TV , doesn’t chew it or anything, in fact I think he only really puts it up to his mouth rather than doing anything with it He loves water , doesn’t have any texture problems, seems normal as regards mess, ie he will ask for his hands to be cleaned but not remotely obsessive about it. Eating is fine. Has no problem with getting his hair cut or going to the dentist. No isues with putting on clothes , no big routines, is fine in big malls apart from the car thing. Went to the circus last week for the first time and I thought he might not like the noise but he loved it. Has only started commenting on smells, but seems to like the ones that smell nice like fries or toast. No dislike of smells.He seems to have few symptoms of this condition when I look at the symptoms checklist but it got me wondering as to what was the difference between normal young childish fears and anxieties and this condition.I had always thought that his reactions were very normal and they certainly don’t interfere with his life in the way that I have heard, ie the need for body brushing and other calming techniques. He never cries about any of this just displays slight anxiety sometimes. Do his symptoms just sound like normal childhood fear?
He loves the playground , i.e slides and swings, although in the last month or so he has been reluctant to go on the bigger slides. At Xmas time he climbed up extremely high on an indoor slide thing and went down a huge tunnel and was not remotely afraid. Could it be that he is now becoming fearful as he gets older, ie see dangers that he was oblivious to before? He loves swings and roundabouts and seems to experience a normal amount of dizziness. He doesn’t like toy cars in malls that move when you put the money in yet loves escalators.Can ride a bike with training wheels. Balance seems ok but not as advanced as his brother was at his age. His brother was particilarly nimble. He didn’t walk until 16 months and can go up and down the stairs fine although I notice that he sometimes still comes down using 2 feet rather than alternate feet. Our stairs is a bit steep. Bounces back from being hurt more easily than his brother but brother is a bit more highly strung. Following a minor accident with a bit of rough and tumble,he says that’s sore and wants it kissed better but seems normal in this respect.He stopped putting things in his mouth at the appropriate age but recently has started to chew the wheels of his cars and a few other things. Within the last fortnight we are trying to get him to give up his dummy which he used largely at night but looked for it during the day if something went wrong. He has done really well during the day and no longer looks for it at all but as I said I think he may be substituting the wheels for it. He does it unconsiously when doing something like watching TV , doesn’t chew it or anything, in fact I think he only really puts it up to his mouth rather than doing anything with it He loves water , doesn’t have any texture problems, seems normal as regards mess, ie he will ask for his hands to be cleaned but not remotely obsessive about it. Eating is fine. Has no problem with getting his hair cut or going to the dentist. No isues with putting on clothes , no big routines, is fine in big malls apart from the car thing. Went to the circus last week for the first time and I thought he might not like the noise but he loved it. Has only started commenting on smells, but seems to like the ones that smell nice like fries or toast. No dislike of smells.He seems to have few symptoms of this condition when I look at the symptoms checklist but it got me wondering as to what was the difference between normal young childish fears and anxieties and this condition.I had always thought that his reactions were very normal and they certainly don’t interfere with his life in the way that I have heard, ie the need for body brushing and other calming techniques. He never cries about any of this just displays slight anxiety sometimes. Do his symptoms just sound like normal childhood fear?
Doctor's Answer
by Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D., Apr 19, 2005 12:00AM
, Apr 19, 2005 12:00AM
You will perhaps construe my response as some version of a broken record, but nonetheless I would be irresponsible to guide you in the direction of being alarmed or even concerned. Your child sounds very normal, and I worry that your scrutiny of his behavior is so particular that it gets in the way of enjoying him and his childhood years. Do you see what I mean? You would do well to avoid symptom checklists - they are only going to serve to invite you to be alarmed or worried.
