In so many ways Sean is your typical 7 year old All-American boy. He's rough and tumble; a magnet for dirt; creative, imaginative; loves science, BUGS, and Legos. Yet, there is always something--some little thing that sets him apart, makes life a little bit tougher for him. He wants so desperately to have playmates and to be liked by other kids, yet he cannot seem to make those connections. My heart breaks at the loneliness he feels; the way he goes overboard trying to impress ANY kid that gives him an iota of attention. How I wish the other kids could "get" Sean; his love for nature; his generous spirit and loving heart; his insight into the world.
From infancy Sean was always a much more difficult child than his laid back brother. He threw his first full tantrum at 5 months of age--and I knew I was in trouble (haha). His medical history is complex and atypical (long history of excessive immunological responses); behavioral issues; sensory issues; developmental delays,etc. There is a long running issue between the psychiatrist that treats him and the school as to whether hes is Autistic or not (school has issues with diagnosis because his verbal ability is quite strong.)
However, it is academically that worries me the most. Despite 3 years of preschool (with wonderfully attentive, patient staff) and 2 years of Kindergarten, Sean is still struggling to recognize the letters of the alphabet--in fact it took until March of his first year of kindergarten to even be able to sing the alphabet song. His lack of ability to keep up with his peers has dramatically affected his self-esteem and already tough behaviors to the point that he was tested to rule out psychosis. The problem is he IS very smart; extremely strong visual skills; very multisensory learner--but it isn't showing up on assessments and work. Starting in February of this year, his behavior took a major nosedive---he started eloping again; being physically aggressive; major meltdowns over anything related to reading; etc. Normally when its so sudden there is an underlying medical issue and since he has a high pain tolerance; lack of fever and typical symptoms; it is often a guessing game as to what is wrong. His only steady complaint is a stomach pain that feels like "boiling lava." Blood tests revealed nothing so the psychiatrist decided to up his dosages. That didn't make any changes either.
Fast forward to June: his behaviors became more defiant/oppositional; he was lethargic all the time; lack of appetite; and then his kidney's started acting up. Took him to the pediatrician to discover not only are the kidneys out of whack, but his blood pressure is very high. Turns out that seemed to be another excessive response to some unknown virus and his body attacked the kidneys in response. Now his kidneys are back to normal but he is complaining of "heart pain," pain in his stomach (STILL); and pain that radiates down his right arm. His energy levels are down; his joints ache all the time; he sweats profusely; and he's just not my Sean.
So I sit back and think: this year is so confusing---so many unanswered questions; normal tests; atypical behaviors; and a little boy that just wants to be normal. If anyone has a suggestion, I'd love to hear it. Anything at all.....
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