Ask the Therapist
Disturbed 4 Year Old
I have a 4 year old grandson that is very disturbed. His mother and half brother and half sister have been diagnosed with bipolar. He can be so good at times and then it is like some one flipped a switch on and his mood changes to a completely different person, and these episodes may last for 20 minutes or longer or less time. It all depends on his mood and the least little thing sets him off. He hurts his self by biting or pinching his self. He is up lot at night he will rock back and forth on his knees and elbows and hit his head on the head board, or wall and while he is going to sleep, he will rock from side to side and chant. His appetite is very poor, he won't hardly eat without us making him. His current Dr. has him on adderall and clonidine, but they aren't helping that much, they calm him down a little but not much and she isn't too interested in changing them or helping me. I have him going to therapy now and he is supposed to see a psychiatrist next month, is there any thing that I need to be looking for, that will help with the diagnosis of his problem?
Diagnosis of a child that young is sketchy in any circumstance, except the most blatant...crack baby, FAS, abuse, etc. The rocking, chanting, head-banging and outbursts speak to something on the Autism spectrum. You might want to have him evaluated with that in mind.
