Child who spaces out

[Cadam]

I am in regular contact with a child who "spaces out" (his term) a few times a day. It's not every time I see him, but sometimes 3-5 times a day. He says he can hear during that time and if I call his name a few times or touch his shoulder he will snap out of it. So he is sort of aware of his surroundings but stares and is unresponsive. It lasts for a few seconds at a time.

He is being tested for ADHD.

Does this should more like ADHD, or Absence seizures?

This isn't my kid but it is one that I care about. He has some significant (unexplained) learning issues and if he is having seizures then that would go a long way toward explaining them.

I think his mom would listen to me if I suggested she look into it as I am with him a lot.

[sbgrace]

Our pediatrician told me that if my son's spacing out stuff started to interfere with his lessons we would want to test for petit mal/absence seizures. So in this case it sounds like testing would be warranted. If I were the parent in question I would want you to suggest it to me. Make sure you explain to her that these types of seizures are different than other types so the idea doesn't terrify her.

[Cheryl in SoCal]

I think it sounds more like seizures than ADHD and would speak to his mother about having him tested. My brother had seizures exactly as you describe, though we didn't know they were seizures until they progressed into grand mal seizures.

[Peela]

I dont come here so often because even though ds14 is dyslexic , we just carry on doing what we do.
Dh and I are however concerned about ds14 lately. He just cant hold anything in his memory, cant hold a train of thought, gets distracted SO easily, gets irritable and upset with himself for not being able to concentrate. He rushes his work - I am thinking now that is because he can't stay focused on it.

He also is having sensory issues that I never really took much notice of before but which seem to be getting worse. He wont put his bare feet on the carpet because the texture of it upsets him. He has a rug under his feet. He wont wear woollen jumpers. It is also his taste- he is finding it hard to eat anything but white bread, meat and fruit (and we are fairly vegetarian, although not strictly, and healthy eaters so woudln't normaly have white bread in the house but I am buying it for him). He is tired of cereal but went through a big phase of eating mostly cereal.

He has a part time job wrking in friends' gardening business. OUr friends have commented to us that he cant remember things. He will be told something- such as what to do next- and he sometimes has to come back a couple of times to ask again what it is he is supposed to be doing, because he forgot (rather than didn't understand).

Last weekend he went on a Scout camp and came back quite...distant and mean to his sister and also to dh and I. We pulled him aside and asked him what was going on. He said when he was on camp, (it was a sailing competition) his mind worked so well- he felt alert, clear, his brain remembered all the knots and things he needed to know, and he felt amazing. Coming home, he was trying to maintain that "sharpness" by holding himself separate from us, because he feels that we are so relaxed here that then he relaxes into the family, his brain becomes mud again.
Interesting the way he thinks, eh?

The thing is, on the camp, he drank lots of caffeinated drinks. Lots. And there was a strong spirit of competition.

So...this morning we have put him in another room (so that there are no distractions), and given him coffee with his breakfast. His brain is working really well, for him, and he keeps calling me in to discuss things with me. He is happy and ethusiastic. He focused on his English for an hour which is unheard of. He feels heard and understood, and he has stopped being mean. Of course, this is jsut one day.

So...I don't want to label him but it did flash ADD to me- as in , that dreamy type. He is not hyperactive, never has been, but focusing is so hard for him. So does it ring any bells for anyone? And labels it makes you think of (I dont mind playing with labels in my own head and it can help with research too). Any other coping mechanisms that work for your kids with these sorts of issues?

[Barb F. PA in AZ]

My daughter used to do that when she was over-peopled. She's an introvert, is overly sensitive to stimuli...noise, tactile, bright lights and colors, you name it...and she learned to just shut down and space out when it got to be too much. That may not be the case for your son, but thought I'd throw that out there.

Barb

[AK_Mom4]

I have a "dreamy-type" ADD kid. She is 16 now and self-medicates with caffeine when she needs her brain to be turned on. She takes after her dad, who drinks coffee all.day.long for the same purpose. She says heavy exercise will give her the same effect most of the time.

[Sonshine]

I would want him tested for seizures. It's possible he has seizures and ADD or ADHD. Do you notice other ADD/ADHD symptoms? I had moments not even quite that unresponsive as a teenager and was diagnosed as having small seizures (and put on Ritalin). I also realize as an adult who is very well versed in ADD/ADHD that I could be diagnosed with that as well. I don't mean to scare you, just wanted to mention that one does not exclude the other diagnosis.

[sheryl]

Christina, This sounds like absence seizures perhaps. My dd has controlled epilepsy/absence seizures for over 2 years.

This child needs to have eeg/testing with a neurologist ASAP!!

Asta will hopefully chime in....very knowledgable!!!

Sheryl <><

[Cadam]

Thanks everyone! I emailed his mom, mentioned the symptoms and did mention absence seizures in passing. He is being tested by a Psyc for the ADHD and the mom said she would talk to the psyc about it. At this point all I can hope is that the Psyc is good, recognizes the possibilities and gets him into a nuro.

Peela - My dad has self- medicated ADD (not hyperactive) for about 40 with coke. He tried meds a while back but didn't like the side effects so back to the soda he went! I'm glad things are looking up for your son.

[sheryl]

Thanks everyone! I emailed his mom, mentioned the symptoms and did mention absence seizures in passing. He is being tested by a Psyc for the ADHD and the mom said she would talk to the psyc about it. At this point all I can hope is that the Psyc is good, recognizes the possibilities and gets him into a nuro.

Peela - My dad has self- medicated ADD (not hyperactive) for about 40 with coke. He tried meds a while back but didn't like the side effects so back to the soda he went! I'm glad things are looking up for your son.


Christina, It is *not* the psych's responsibility to "get him into a neuro". The Mom, IMO, would want to schedule an appt. with the ped and "ask" for a "pediatric" (NOT adult) neurologist.

In general, people think that we need to "ask" doctors for a referral. That they hold all the power. If she has insurance, then she has "benefits" under her plan for which she and/or her dh are paying into.

When I want something done, I go in and say "I'd like my dd tested with such and thus". The doctors ALWAYS comply.

[Cadam]

Christina, It is *not* the psych's responsibility to "get him into a neuro". The Mom, IMO, would want to schedule an appt. with the ped and "ask" for a "pediatric" (NOT adult) neurologist.

In general, people think that we need to "ask" doctors for a referral. That they hold all the power. If she has insurance, then she has "benefits" under her plan for which she and/or her dh are paying into.

When I want something done, I go in and say "I'd like my dd tested with such and thus". The doctors ALWAYS comply.

I know this and if it was my child he would have an appt with a nuro yesterday.

He isn't mine, just a kid I care about , and there isn't much more I can do. I wanted to just confirm my suspicions were valid before I brought it up to his mother. She can be a proactive person but she is trying to deal with one thing at a time. Right now she is dealing with a Psyc to figure out if there is ADHD going on. She is very much an "experts know best" kind of person so my hope is that the psyc will point her to a nuro and validate my observations but I can't force it ,kwim?

[sheryl]

I know this and if it was my child he would have an appt with a nuro yesterday.

He isn't mine, just a kid I care about , and there isn't much more I can do. I wanted to just confirm my suspicions were valid before I brought it up to his mother. She can be a proactive person but she is trying to deal with one thing at a time. Right now she is dealing with a Psyc to figure out if there is ADHD going on. She is very much an "experts know best" kind of person so my hope is that the psyc will point her to a nuro and validate my observations but I can't force it ,kwim?

Yep, got it...bless your hearts. Keep us posted, Christina. It "sounds" like it could be a.seizures, but maybe it's something else....let us know. Thanks. Sheryl

[Cadam]

Yep, got it...bless your hearts. Keep us posted, Christina. It "sounds" like it could be a.seizures, but maybe it's something else....let us know. Thanks. Sheryl

I'll be sure to update if I hear anything more. Thanks Sheryl.

[Laurie4b]

I thought with absence seizures there was no recollection of having "spaced out." I googled it and a couple of reliable websites say that. Is that not true? My ADHD son frequently says he "spaced out" for a few seconds but he remembers doing it. Ive quized him about it and it seems he's conscious, just not attending to what we're doing, what I'm saying, etc. at the moment.

[Mergath]

I thought with absence seizures there was no recollection of having "spaced out." I googled it and a couple of reliable websites say that. Is that not true? My ADHD son frequently says he "spaced out" for a few seconds but he remembers doing it. Ive quized him about it and it seems he's conscious, just not attending to what we're doing, what I'm saying, etc. at the moment.

That's what I've always read, as well. And I do have epilepsy, so I've read quite a bit about it in my time.

Some people are just spacy, without having any underlying cause.

[Peela]

I just want to apologise for rudely crashing in on your thread, Christina! It wasnt my intention at all! It was meant to be a new thread. Dont know how it happened except that I was trying to do too much at once. :blushing: