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I am having a very hard time at home with my 5-yr old son. He is very sensitive and emotional, and has terrible temper tantrums, becoming hysterical for very irrational reasons. He is also very aggressive toward his 3 yr old brother. He suffers from low self confidence and poor self esteem, due, I think to several borderline developmental delays/disorders(?). He "scored" below his age for kindergarten testing for fine and gross motor skills, visual and auditory perception, and language. He has trouble integrating himself into large groups of kids. He behavior is excellent at school, although his teacher is a bit concerned about his development. I should note that he is bordeline in all of the categories, not noticeably different from any other kindergartner to the average observor. To me, it seems as though it takes him a bit longer to process things than for some of his peers. And, it has taken him longer to learn his letters, numbers, etc and his is still grappling with time. There are, apparently, no public school tests available to him at this age, so we are trying to decide whether a pediatric developmental specialist or a neuro-psych specialist would be more appropriate. He seems unhappy with himself, and I just don't know how to help him. His tantrums make our household very volatile, which is very hard on all of us. Anyone have any suggestions as to which direction we should take? K
>> There are, apparently, >> no public school tests available to him at this age,I'm not sure what you mean by this last statement. The school district is required to test him if you request it. Do so *in writing.* If you want to contact me, I can send you a sample letter. The fact that his teacher is concerned just strengthens your argument that he needs a full evaluation by the school district. I don't know what you mean that he is borderline in all categories --- according to whom? I assume that you don't mean he has been formally tested for developmental delays. At his age being "borderline" can be a red flag that he is really having trouble. Lots of people will tell you not to worry, and while you might choose that approach, you also should consider that you have the opportunity to understand what's happening with him and begin getting him the help he might need at this young age, when he hasn't had the time to fall behind significantly.
>> so we are trying >> to decide whether a pediatric developmental specialist >> or a neuro-psych specialist would be more appropriate. >> He seems unhappy with himself, and I just don't know how >> to help him. His tantrums make our household very volatile, >> which is very hard on all of us. Anyone have any >> suggestions as to which direction we should take?It does sound like you and he need help. A neuro-psych and a ped. developmental specialist are different. A neuro-psych will do cognitive and developmental testing, and also an emotional/behavioral eval if you request it. A Behavioral or Developmental Pediatrician will take a thorough history, perhaps do some initial, exploratory testing, meet and talk with your child, talk with his teacher and is qualified to diagnose and treat conditions like Aspergers and ADHD. She/he can provide ongoing care, and coordinate your child's care. The neuro-psych is usually a one-shot sort of evaluation, but it will be a thorough test of your son's cognitive abilities.
One road you might consider is seeing a Developmental Ped. and having the cognitive testing done bythe school district. Some people prefer to pay for a private evaluation, rather than have the school district do the eval, for various reasons, but you can't beat the price of a school district eval! I could go on and on. Feel free to contact me if you want. Good luck, Lindsay
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