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Expert Q&A

	By Dr. Bunni Tobias Kid Detective Psychologist

My 5 1/2-year-old has been diagnosed with ADHD since age 3 and is on medications during the day and at night to help him sleep. The teacher told me that he is antisocial at school – a loner and doesn't even parallel-play with others. I started thinking about his sibling interactions. When Sara, age 3, trys to play with him, he gets very violent, often hitting, choking or biting her and screams hysterically. He has several phobias: the vacuum cleaner, toilets flushing and light or loud noises. He has three loves right now: Power Rangers, Nintendo and the color green. His whole world revolves around this. He has a very extensive vocabulary, so I know he can communicate. His destructive behavior is the worst – tearing stuff up, tries to eat plastic and glass, recently holds his head under water so long he almosts drowns himself. What is this?

I feel very sad that whoever is providing services for your child is doing it with drugs and not diagnosing and treating the symptoms. From your description, your child has what is termed acoustic hearing, which means sounds are amplified. Imagine yourself in the sound room in an audio store. Three sound systems are playing loudly. You would soon leave with the feeling of vibrating eardrums, the desire to run away, plus a tactile sensation from the sound attack! This may seem a bit of an exaggeration but it is the closest I can get to what some children experience.

Tactile deficits leave children craving textures such as plastic. Being underwater is quiet and provides a floating sensation for children with what are termed gravitational deficits. Other children throw these children into even greater sensory overload. Often changes in activities and regimen throw them into a tailspin because their environment is so tumultuous and hard to understand. The videos most probably create stability, something he can count on to be the same all the time. Security!

These symptoms fall in the field of sensory integration. You might start by reading Carol Kranowitz's book The Out-of-Sync Child. It is a friendly introduction to the field. Then I would find an occupational therapist who is certified in sensory integration, not just a regular OT. This professional can perform the test created by Dr. Jean Ayres who created this field of study (her books are also available but quite sophisticated). Be sure the professional you choose is certified by Sensory Integration International and qualified to give this test, as well as provide a treatment program.

You will want to look up sensory integration on the Web also. There is a wealth of information. You will want to ask your professional about medication so you can better understand how it reduces a child's ability to experience and become desensitized to stimulation. Once treatment is received, I believe you will begin to resolve this sad story.

You sound like a loving parent who is doing the best you can under the circumstances. I hope many, many people read this and follow these recommendations. I see children like yours on a much more regular basis than you can ever imagine. We don't know why this is, but it is. And by the way, check for food and environmental sensitivities since they can cause a variety of exaggerated behaviors and general discomfort. The name in this field is Doris Rapp, M.D. Her most popular book is entitled Is This Your Child. Good luck to you, and please ask more questions as you progress. Knowledge is your greatest ally."

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