Expert: Valerie Herskowitz - 4/29/2009

Question
hello, I'm a mother of 2 children, a child who is 3 ( who has septo-optic dysplasia. a hormone deficiency and is blind).

I'm worried about my son hes 18 months old. I've said for the last couple of moths things don't seem right. feeding times are very difficult. he will not eat food at meal times. i will sit and encourage him to eat and he just shakes his head, chucks the food out my hand or his hand or if i hold him he will spit whatever food goes into his mouth on the floor. he will eat biscuits, chocolates and crisps that all. hes never really eaten properly.

he can sleep up to 3 hours in the day where i have to wake him up and then from PM till about 7am/8am.

for the last month he has been having tantrums where he will bang his head off the brick wall getting harder each time and when i stop him he does it again and he will also curl into a ball on the floor and keep banging his head off the floor. if there is something he don't want by him he will just throw it.

he has never been loving. if i try to hold him he arches his back and stiffens up. and will cry. he also will scratch me or pinch my face so i put him down.

i find he cries until you give into him for what he wants.

he doesn't walk yet but crawls. he wont play with his toys with his parents or his big sister. and will take the toys off her.

i call him and he doesn't respond takes me normally 3 or 4 times before he responds each time i call his name louder.

he is very obsessed with taking the batteries out of the remote control an will play with them for ages, if you take them off him he screams.he is also obsessed with getting the tins of food out the cupboard. and lining them up. or rolling them along the floor

he will not speak he just makes a squeaking noise. i find he doesn't look at me that much an will occasionally smile if i speak to him in an exciting voice.

he likes throwing stuff and taking stuff off his sister. i don't know whether this is normal in a child as i said i have a disabled daughter so i have never been through this.


i am worried about him as he seems delayed to other children i know. wondering if you have any suggestions.

many thanks  

Answer
There are many things that you have written that are red flags for concern. The fact that he is hitting his head, not eating properly, has obsessions, not responding to his name, not attending to you, not speaking, and throwing things are all signs of a developmental delay. So...you must not delay. Please see a psychologist or doctor. Also, I would recommend speech and occupational therapy. If you want to consult with me, I can give you some things to work on at home.

Valerie Herskowitz, MA CCC-SLP
www.valerieherskowitz.com