Expert: Celtica - 6/19/2008

Question
Celtica,

My daughter Heaven is 4 yrs old, within the last year and a half she has been showing us some peculiar actions. I will try to explain the best I can.

Heaven started having seizures at the age of 6 mths, she was officially diagnosed with epilepsy at that time. By the time she reached 2 she was excelling in every aspect of her milestones to reach by a specific age. She stopped having her seizures at 2 1/2. Age 3 diagnosed with ADHD. She became very hyper, out of control, her attention span was very short. Her fear factor was off the chart! She began being terrified of flies, then anything she seen floating in the air, she spins in circles for up to 15 mins at a time, only falls occasionally, then proceeds to pick herself up and continue spinning. She stares off into space or at her hands like there is something there and she is amazed at it. She has fears of using the potty to go number 2, she will not go! Heaven hates to wash her hair, or even get it brushed, throwing tantrums while it's being done. She has two imaginary friends. She would rather watch cartoons or play games on the computer than play with her brother, or another child for that matter. When she does play with her toys, everything has to be lined up and in it's place or she throws a complete fit. She will only eat certain foods (if she does eat), she will not eat anything that is squishy in her mouth. She walks on her tiptoes.  When we (we being family physician and her parents)suspected her of being autistic we had her tested by the school. All of her tests says she is ahead of her age and she is within normal range. Then she was tested using the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System 2 she scored very low on it. Her GAC level is 62. Hers GARS (Galliam Autism Rating Scale 2)score is showing up at a 119. We have been asked why we are having her tested because she is scoring above average on most of her tests, but they don't see the real Heaven while they are doing their testing. We have been told to stop looking for things that are not there. My husband and I know there is something wrong but don't where to go from here. Can you please steer us in the right direction?

Thank you
Krista Epps

Answer
Hi Krista,

I don't know in how far seizures might affect a child's development. She may or may not be on the autistic spectrum, it's impossible to say from a few lines of text (if you're sure she is, try a different doctor to get a second oppinion, someone who has experience in diagnosing high functining children (HFA or Asperger's. Some doctors who have only seen more severe cases might just not have enough experience in recognizing a child with HFA).

However, she might just be a very gifted little young girl with ADHD and what sounds to me like sensory/anxiety issues. Gifted children often have some social issues and do not relate well to their age mates (that might explain why she prefers to play alone and not with her brother).

Has she been evaluated for sensory integration dysfunction ? Maybe she spins in circles because she craves the vestibular input and such. This disorder is common in people on the spectrum, but it sometimes also affects people who aren't.
Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Fast, Too Tight: What to Do If You Are Sensory Defensive in an Overstimulating World by Sharon Heller is a great book about sensory defensiveness. You can also google "sensory defensiveness" or "sensory integration dysfunction" or "SID" and see if this describes your daughter.

Do her anxiety issues get treated ? Maybe (if you want to, and I'm not sure if this is suitable for a young child) you could discuss medication with your doctor.  

As I said, I would go and try to get a second oppinion and have her evaluated for sensory issues.

Hope this helps !
C.