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Child Behavior (Expert Forum)
8 year old boy
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
8 year old boy
by shelpowell, Mar 08, 2008 04:09PM
Our 8 year old son is obsessed with hair twirling, making a certain noise in his throat, flicking his hand, and constantly practicing his golf swing :) He is an above average, social young fella who has good relationships with peers and adults. He has always had some sort of habit, but recently has developed several at once. He is also waking up with night terrors about 3-4 times per week after seeing a "scary" movie about a month ago.
"R." lives at home with his dad and mom and 3 yr old little brother. We spend a lot of time together as a family. As parents, we have the tendency to be a little tough on him, but nothing extreme. "R" wishes that his little brother had never been born, but wants to develop a good relationship with him.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
"R." lives at home with his dad and mom and 3 yr old little brother. We spend a lot of time together as a family. As parents, we have the tendency to be a little tough on him, but nothing extreme. "R" wishes that his little brother had never been born, but wants to develop a good relationship with him.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Doctor's Answer
by Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D., Mar 09, 2008 07:57AM
, Mar 09, 2008 07:57AM
You might consult with his pediatrician for the purpose of determining if a referral to a pediatric neurologist should be made. While his hair twirling etc. might be a means of self-soothing (and, if that is the case, it's not really a problem), some of the behavior might indicate verbal and/or motor tics. Now, if they are tics, it does not necessarily indicate any serious problem, so you needn't be alarmed. The behaviors might be symptomatic of Tourette's Disorder and, if this is the case, there would need to be a determination of whether treatment is indicated.
