| Dear Dr. Mike,
I am writing to you
because i need some guidance as to where to go for help with my nephew.
A quick background; My nephew is a 5 year old male. He was born two months
premature. He has always had a very poor appetite. He has behavioral
problems, i.e. inappropriate social behavior, asking repetitive
questions, repetitive body movements (resemble tics) he doesn't listen, doesn't
sit still. He is very difficult to be around.
The mother of this
child has been ridiculed as a bad mother, not strict enough, too strict, you
name it, she has tried it-nothing works with this child. He also hits
the mother, despite time outs, spankings, lectures etc. My sister has
taken him to his pediatrician for help because he is so hyper and he wasn't
sleeping properly, she was told he was fine and to just bear with it. He
was never referred to a specialist or a psychologist. Could I ask you
what your opinion is and please tell me what I can do to help my nephew?
Any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You,
Renee |
| Hi Renee,
Sounds like the
little guy is really frustrating everybody.
It also sounds a
little more than just a behavior problem. You mentioned tics, and tics
are not usually associated with pure behavior problems.
Your nephew
needs to be evaluated by a board certified pediatric neurologist. A
pediatric neurologist specializes in the nervous system and brain of
children. This type of specialist can tell you if your little guy has a
nervous disorder (for example, ADHD - attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder), and if he needs any medicine to help.
A pediatric
psychologist may be needed AFTER your little guy has been seen by the
pediatric neurologist.
I hope that helps.
Dr. Mike
This article was reviewed 04/23/2010 07:24 AM
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