Is there a way to self-diagnose your kid? (m)

[Kisa in CA]

OK, probably a crazy question, but is there a question/answer website I can go to and see if I can come up with answers for my son? Here's a few of his actions:

Unable to sit still for long periods of time.
Unable to work sequential math problems with accuracy.
Constantly chewing his shirt/hands.
Night fears and when a sleep pattern is broken it is very difficult to get him back on track.
Lack of empathy.
Over-reacts when frustrated.

Now, this child is also strong-willed. Any ideas? Help? I am already seriously considering a gluten-free diet. I really don't want to do a long-drawn out diagnosis since we are dealing with this ok. I'd just like a little more help with ideas how to get him through some of these issues. Medication is not something we are open to (I'm just being honest, it's not for us right now. I'm not judging anyone who IS on mediation or who uses it, LOL!) :)

Thanks!
Kisa

[Cadam]

You can read books and check the DSM criteria and make an educated guess. Most of do that and that is at least how we start on the road to a dx. For a lot of disorders diet changes and OT help a great deal and then you can start to pull apart the other issues little by little and addressing them.

[Laurie]

This website (www.firstsigns.org) has some basic information about different developmental and behavioral disorders (not just autism).

I think it's terrible that we, the parents, sometimes end up in this position! Our first pediatrician was apparently about as clueless as I was about the autism spectrum. Thankfully, our speech therapist was on the ball! If you have concerns about your dc's development, behavior, etc. and aren't getting any help from your pediatrician I'd really try to find a new doctor instead of trying to self-diagnose. There can be a lot of overlap with some of these issues. I had never even heard about "developmental pediatricians" back then, but if I could go back in time that's exactly the type of doctor I would've taken my dc to.

[NCW]

Kisa,

Everything you write tells me that your son is having trouble with self-regulation of his nervous system. Chewing on things is a very powerful way to assist with calming/integrating/focusing.

You would get a lot of information from an evaluation by an O.T.

I think self-diagnosis by parents (even though we all do it, and we are the true experts on our children) can lead one down meandering paths that take a lot longer to help our children. I also think, because we cherish our children and have their best interests in mind and know their strengths so well, sometimes it's very tough to wrap our minds around diagnostic labels.

Perhaps they aren't even always necessary, if just treating the symptoms helps makes all the difference you need.

So, fwiw, I'd urge you to try the elimination diet you're considering, and to schedule an OT eval. If you can't get therapy, you will at least gain insight and they can give you suggestions for home activities. You can also ask for occasional consultations when you need it.

In our family cutting out preservatives and food dyes had the biggest immediate affect on behavior.

Wishing you the best,
NCW

[CactusPair]

Have you looked into sensory processing disorder, also called dysfunctional sensory integration (formerly called sensory integration dysfunction)? Your description brings sensory problems to mind right away for me.

There's lots of checklists and info on the web. The best book to start with is The Out-of-Sync Child. I also like The Sensory-Sensitive Child.

You may want to see an O.T. who specializes in sensory issues for an evaluation. It's important that the O.T. has specific training in sensory therapy.

We had O.T. and also do the GFCF diet. My ds isn't on the spectrum, but has sensory issues and food allergies/intolerances. We also did Therapeutic Listening and V.T.

[LadyAberlin]

You might want to look into www.littlegiantsteps.com

[Laurie4b]

Why do you want to self-diagnose instead of get a diagnosis?

Some of what you describe sounds related to sensory processing disorder; however, that disorder is typically seen with additional diagnoses as well. These other diagnoses are typically diagnoses on the autism spectrum (autism or Aspergers' or PDD NOS) ,ADHD, and some types of learning disabilties. Medication is not appropriate for many of the diagnoses; however, professional help can make a huge difference in the outcome for a child.
An occupational therapy eval is a good place to start. They do eval and treatment. The treatment does not involve medication, but giving the child very specific experiences and challenges that can actually change the neurological system. The child will think they are just having a ton of fun.

When you say that you are dealing with this ok at home it sounds like the issue is about whether the child's behavior is impacting the family and whether or not you can keep it within manageable limits. That's important, but the other piece of it is that good treatment can actually change neurology and the younger the kid is the better the chances of getting major and lasting change. A good OT will have you doing tons of stuff at home, and will have a collaborative relationship with you as the parent, but you get to benefit from their training, experience, and equipment.

[Sue G in PA]

BUT some of those qualities show in "normal" kids as well. We've been hesitant to get a diagnosis. Why? I don't know! Perhaps our reasoning is like yours: we're dealing with it or perhaps it's b/c I don't want to have to go from dr. to dr. until the "correct" eval is made, KWIM. BUT, all of a sudden, things changed around here that have prompted us to seek prof. evaluation. Ds has refused to do school work, talks of death/killing himself/wanting to die regularly (well, I mean regularly in that when he is disciplined or told "no"...he starts the "I'm going to just leave and die" stuff). So...it's Aspergers AND _______ (fill in the blank)! Our handling it is getting more difficult AND it's effecting our other dc. So...my inexperienced advice would be to seek a prof. evaluation. At least THEN you'll know exactly WHAT you're dealing with...if anything.