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My Own Son Posted By: ADifferentDrummer
Posted On: 05/08/2008
My son, Corvus, does not have a diagnosis on the spectrum. Still, he has always been an interesting child and I want an opportunity to talk about him. A blog seemed the right place.

Corvus did not sleep through the night until 5 1/2 years (and still has 'bad' nights). He choked and gagged on things that were not blended (and still does, though not as bad). He loved to be upside down all the time - yes, he was a breach baby - and watched TV through his legs with his head on the sofa. His sensory system was just off.

He got and quickly lost words from the time he was one. A little before his second birthday, he started retaining words - but they all missed the first sound and were repeated twice. (-oggy -oggy for doggy and -acker -acker for cracker, etc.) While cute, it concerned me. (Maybe I knew too much?)

At 3 he became fascinated with presidents. Eventually, this fixation with presidents gave way to super heros gave way to strategic computer games gave way to natural disasters - and that is where we are now.

Today Corvus is a smart and articulate boy of 7 1/2. The concerns continue, though. He sometimes talks and makes no sense. He hates fine motor tasks and will sometimes lock himself in the bathroom to cry about a writing task. I have to check every morning to see if his pants are on backwards because "they feel better that way". He is either "friends with everyone" or "has no friends", depending on the day. He eats a small variety of foods - and rarely, ever eats at school.

All this pales, however, to his anxiety. He has had some rough spots and losses in his life, which might account for some of it. He is afraid of loud noises, death, his Dad's illness, the wind, choking, being left alone, the dark, etc, etc. He has nightmares, panic attacks and worries all the time.

After his Dad had a heart attack - which brought everything to a head - Corvus stopped eating and sleeping. He was emotional and worried all the time. It was time to return to a therapist. My concerns ranged from OCD to Asperger.

WE have been to several sessions and the result? Anxiety Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified. I asked the psychologist what that means. He said it means that he is a complicated child who is difficult to diagnose. This will allow him to see him for a time and work on a better diagnosis.

Am I crazy? I feel a little let down. Not that I WANT Corvus to have a diagnosis that is more severe - but this feel so uninformative. I feel like we know nothing more. I also realize that as his grades are fine, this diagnosis does nothing for his ability to receive assistance at school.

SIGH. OK, I have talked about my son and feel a little better for doing so. Thanks for listening. Deb
       
Jake9068 wrote this reply on 05/08/2008
Have you every looked into PANDAS? OCD and anxiety can be related to PANDAS. My oldest son used to always watch TV on his head. He eventually outgrew it.

KevinLivsDad wrote this reply on 05/08/2008
I have the perfect diagnosis.. He has Corvus Syndrome. A child who suffers from Corvus is anxious, he is a little different, he worries, does not like some foods. And, probably has a ton of great attributes, like getting good grades, becomes facinated with presidents, does not mind being different. I am not trying to invalidate you. Maybe he has caught a bit of the ASD bug going around. Maybe he is just a bit different. You may never get an official diagnosis other than what I just gave you. Just be the best damn parent you can

Motherof4 wrote this reply on 05/08/2008
You are not crazy. A lot of times, having a diagnosis makes it easier to handle a problem. You can look at a situation and name it: he hangs upside down because he needs vestibular stimulation, or: he doesn't sleep because he has reflux. Once you have a diagnosis, you have a jumping-off point for attacking the problem, maybe even finding solutions. Poor kid. It's not easy for him to have these problems. Poor you-- it's not easy for you to watch him having to deal with them... Just an afterthought, have you had him tested for food allergies? I agree that the choking and sleeplessness could be because of reflux. Reflux can be triggered by food sensitivities... Hang in there, Deb.

carmel66 wrote this reply on 05/08/2008
Maybe some biomed stuff would be helpful for this wonderful child. I never thought of my son as anxiety ridden - until the anxiety went away (we tried some new supplements). When some new behaviors popped up from the supps, we stopped everything, saw the new behaviors go away. BUT saw the anxiety return with a vengance. Our DAN said that he sees a lot of his anxiety patients do well on folinic acid - 40% of caucasians cannot break down folic acid so it has to be taken as folinic acid. Mainstream psych papers are starting to be written on this as well. I noticed that my son's sensory issues are lessening as well (he gets a fairly strong sensory diet too). Every child is so different - hang in there. and feel free to talk about Corvus ANYTIME!

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