Child with a problem?

Question

has any one any idea what could be wrong with my son before i take him to the docs and look totally stupid. hes been like this more or less all his life but seems to be getting worse now. irratibility, mood swings, hates his siblings. cant stand being shown or given affection. hates praise, thinks hes stupid and seems to be angry with everyone and everything. wont make eye econtact either. one minute h**l be nice and then just turn. even his friends are starting to ask why he acts like he does. he plays with them one minute and then h**l start an argument just so they will go home. sometimes if they knock h**l tell me to say that hes sick and not coming out. despite of his ways he has loads of friends. hes 10 now and i want it sorted before he gets any older. he also came in the other day after id shouted at him and had gouged big biro marks all up his arm cos he said id made him angry. my other two kids are normal. any ideas. im paranoid the doc is going to say hes just normal .

Answer 1

Children with autism spectrum disorders are extremely susceptible to irritability, mood swings, and social misunderstandings. Your son may have Asperger's syndrome--a psychologist can get him evaluated properly. Either way, it sounds like your son is extremely depressed. Even if you don't want to look into the possibility of Asperger's (which sounds likely from the stuff you described), you should talk to your son's doctor, teacher, and school counselor about the possibility of depression. If you don't try to tackle the problem now, you'll regret it later.

Answer 2

he needs SUPERNANNY

edit,,, im serious,, shes so good at this stuff, u need to help them now before they get older,,, it gets worse!!!! xxxxxx  good luck, i know u cant get the real supernanny, but read her book

Answer 3

No this doesn't sound normal.  You're doing the absolut right thing in going to his doc about this.  Write these incidents down so that you don't forget details when you get to the doc office.. maybe even have him read it so that you don't have to speak it in front of your son.

I think he may have some disorder, I'm no doctor, but it sounds like he has a misbalance.. I'm sure everything will be okay.. just try to rush that doc visit.. and you're right, you want to nip this in the bud before puberty starts!

Answer 4

He sounds a lot like my brother at that age, who was never diagnosed as a child, but as an adult has been described as high functioning Aspergers/autism. Especially the friends part. He's brilliant, but has a lot of social anxiety, and pushes away his friends, only wants to spend time with family. It sounds like your son has a lot of anxiety issues and a good child psych who has autism experience would be able to work with him and suggest some ways for you to adjust your style to deal with him more effectively. They won't think you're stupid, and if they do, get a second opinion. It sounds to me like he is suffering from low self-esteem and lack of trust, and he is acting out because he feels like such a mess inside. Keep reminding him how much he is loved, and talk to his siblings about his behavior so they understand he is having troubles right now and they should try to be understanding and not push his buttons. His friends may give up on him after a while, but he is young and will have opportunities to make new friends after he builds some confidence.

Answer 5

just put him down already

Answer 6

It certainly sounds like there could be a problem. My 10 year old is certainly not a perfect child, and as all parents know, children do get irritable, etc but not to the extent your son seems to be doing.

To be honest if you hadn't said he had been like it most of his life, I would have wondered whether he was being bullied and maybe depressed because of it, as many of the points you have mentioned do point to depression, which although unusual in children it is not unheard of.

  Have you spoken to his school about this as well, because if he is like this at school as well you can ask them to contact the school phsycologist, sometimes it is quicker than going through the doctor.

You are doing the right thing about taking him to the doctors, you will not look stupid, just be totally honest, because this must also be very stressful/upsetting for yourself as well.

Just  remember he will get worse with age, as all children do to a certain point, what with raging hormones and a natural need for independence, so you are certainly right to get the issue sorted now, before he starts senior school and really changes!!

Good luck and try not too worry too much, I am sure it will get sorted.

Answer 7

it might just be a stage he is going through, but if it doesnt change i would go to the doctor. It sounds like Autism or BiPolar, but a lot of kids go throught stages and they grow out of, but if he is already 10 then i dont know. I would give it maybe another month and see what happens, but if things dont get better definetly see a doctor.

hope that helped

Answer 8

possibly bi-polar or the onset of schizophrenia

Answer 9

have his thyroid checked the moodiness sounds like a hormone imbalance and that will cause the anger and not being able to controll his feelings.

Answer 10

Autism maybe?  I think you do need to speak to someone and don't let them dismiss your worries nor drug your son up to stupify him either!!  Ask for a second opinion if the doc does either, they should refer you to a specialist in this field to have him assessed, good luck to you both.

Edit: I've starred your question as I have a contact on here who has been diagnosed with autism, hopefully he'll see it and give his opinion, he has described all the symptoms you have also described.

Answer 11

Please contact your school system and ask if they have a psychologist on staff.  All school in the U.S. are required to provide evaluation services free of charge to any student who demonstrates difficulties. Contact your school's principal for more information about services available in your district.  

Your son sounds as though he could be exhibiting symptoms of attention deficit disorder and/or a social learning disabilities http://cecp.air.org/resources/20th/eligc... The characteristics you describe do not sound like  Autism(http://www.autism-pdd.net/autism-symptom...  In either case an educational psychologist will not think you're stupid however depending on your medical doctor's expertise he may down play your son's characteristics as typical to a boy his age.

Don't wait any longer your son needs your help start by contacting his teacher and school officials.

Answer 12

no the doc wont. the child is extremely disturbed. it could be a chemical imbalance . but do get him treated. he needs help. and my best wishes to you and the child. may he recover soon.

Answer 13

I have 4 boys and if any of them acted like you are describing, I would talk to the doctor about it.  If you have a doctor that doesn't take your concerns seriously, then find another doctor.  If I went in and saw our doc and told him the things that you said....I know for a fact that he would also be concerned.  I would say get this looked into as soon as possible because he's getting closer to puberty and when the hormones kick in, that brings along it's own set of problems to deal with.  Please, take him to the doctor right away.

Answer 14

Time for SUPERNANNY!

Answer 15

Please don't label him 'abnormal'. That's a first step to disaster for him. He obviously has issues of some kind and taking him to the doctor is the first step.

I have a very challenging 11 year old who was expelled from nursery and various clubs at 2 and 3!  Anger, frustration and general stress always has an effect, some of us are able to cope and some aren't. Perhaps your son just finds life difficult.

Answer 16

Aspergers syndrome ( a mild form of autism). look it up on the net.