Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional Hoping for some advice...

I figured this would be a good place to start. I'm a little uncomfortable about this, so bear with me.

Little Bear (2.5) has always been a VERY intense baby. He has almost the vocabulary of his almost 5 yr probably HG brother (if not the pronunciation skills) as well as close to the same physical skills (gross motor). He is VERY shy and does not do well at all in crowds. He has been having off the chart tantrums since he was 6 months or less, screaming at the top of his lungs until he is hoarse or sobbing so hard he can barely breathe for 1/2 to over an hour. Very little things will set him off. Things have to be just right or he simply can't deal with them. He also has asthma and allergies and has had one round of eczema.

I've worked with kids in daycare and teaching environments and I have never seen a little guy like this before. Big Brother is nothing at all like this.

Since he started chiropractic (for various reasons) there has been an astounding change in his tantrums. They have gone from 5-10 a day down to 1-2 and he is handling them better. This is literally an almost overnight change. The chiropractor said that it isn't unheard of for chiropractic to help autistic children and children with other similar issues.

I'm just wondering, those of you out there with 2e kids does Little Bear sound like he has enough red flags that I should look into getting him examined? The pediatrician has said that he is at the extreme end of normal, but still normal, however that was before all of this with the chiropractor so I'm sort of looking for experienced outside opinions... Thanks in advance!

There are lots of reasons why chiropractic care could be helping his temper, reflux, for one could be causing him pain and is sometimes helped by chiropractic care. I have heard it helps with allergies, too.

Are you looking at his diet at all at this point? Is your other child sensitive to any foods, fabrics, etc?

Just the idea that he is improving is wonderful news...I would gather more info and observe him more for a bit before taking him somewhere, and then, if you decide to, look for a place/dr. familiar with very gifted kids.
2.5 is a tough age for all kids, tantrums are probably not going to be zero anytime soon. Are the ones he's having getting less intense as well as fewer?
Best of luck, hope folks here can offer more concrete advice...

My comment on this is generally that you're the mom. If your gut tells you something is wrong, you should look into it. There is no harm done.

My ds7 is diagnosed Aspegers. He has a really hard time with transitions and gives up very easily when he tries something new and does not see immediate results. I look back at his behavior even as a baby, and I am amazed how these symptoms were there even back then. I could not let him cry himself to sleep, he simply wouldn't, he preferred to go to sleep the way he always had. The volume and length of his crying spells back then definitely mirror his transition issues now.

Good luck with everything.:)

Bear has no history of reflux, but his brother did as an infant.

I personally know that chiropractic helps with allergies (much to my surprise at the time I learned it).

He eats like a 2 year old... almost nothing unless he's eating EVERYTHING. We do eat a high veggie and fruit diet, mostly whole grains and not too much meat. Grandmother on my side has celiac sprue (wheat intolerance), but he shows no symptoms. Bear's brother had a milk and soy allergy as a baby, but grew out of them. Now he has an allergy to pineapple that surfaced when he was around 3. Bear hasn't shown any food allergies yet. He does have some sensitivity issues with clothes, nothing major, but it is there.

Since we started chiro with him the tantrums dropped off dramatically immediately and the duration and intensity is much more manageable as well, again just as immediately.

I totally forgot about transitions! Yah.... Let's just say they aren't one of his better times. Both of the boys have trouble with transitions, the older one is in the normal range, but Bear... well he is just intense about everything.

You might want to have him tested for celiac since there is a family history. I read up on it a bit, and there are often no gastric symptoms at all, only neurological; attention, mood, etc.