My 7 y.o son was diagnosed with ADHD & BiPolar (BP) at age 3. When he was six his other diagnoses were added in including Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)-not otherwise specified. So it is possible for multiple diagnoses to be in the mix. E met the adult criteria for BiPolar (BP) at age three. He was one sick little boy. Nothing really set him off most of the time. He would just get this look in his eye where they got all big, glossy, and squinty along with this smile. The only way to explain it is that it looked evil. Then it was like something ticked in his brain and he went off into a rage for no appearant reason. Lots of aggression during those times. He began telling me about a man who lives in his belly and made him do bad things when he was about four. At age five he became very hypersexual which is common with children who have Bipolar. He has a long history of aggression from as soon as he could walk. He has been a hard child to figure out and treat. I have come to know the difference with his BiPolar (BP) and Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) stuff because his Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) behavioral issues seem to be brought on by misunderstandings, overstimulation, anxiety, and things like that when his BiPolar (BP) ones are for no appearant reason. There are different ways children cycle. Cycling is going from happy, to mad, aggressive, hyper, very depressed and back again. E is what they call a rapid cycler. For a long time he would go from happy to depressed and back again within a few minutes. Now that he is on Lithium which is doing a good job at stabilizing him he cycles different and much slower. Sometimes days in one cycle or longer. Lately he has been what we call baseline alot, which I am thankful for. I highly recommend checking out the CABF website at . There is a wealth of info there. I would have to wonder, if they are considering your son to have possible BiPolar (BP) if the Concerta is making him worse. It is common for the typical ADHD stimulants and SSRI medications to make our children worse instead of better.
Here is his history:
Infancy: When E was born he did not have a suckling reflex. The nurses had to teach him how to suck his bottle. He was irritable even as a baby crying a mad cry instead of a sad. He was easily over stimulated. He was bothered by lights, noise, cold, crowds, etc. He did not really like to be held much as a baby and preferred quick cuddles when he wanted them. He never crawled but developed a scootch sitting up at the age of about seven months. He reached the rest of his milestones at normal times. He did hate any change in routine or new places even as a baby. He was mad baby screaming of anger more than crying sad.
Toddler:At the age of one he began biting and hitting. When he was two he continued his aggressive behavior. At daycare when he was two there was an occasion where he cut a little girl in the face with a pair of child proof scissors. She needed several stitches. He often threw things at people. He used to wake up in the night screaming. He began being aggressive with the cats (putting them in a sink of hot water, pulling their tails etc.). He continued to be very upset about any change in routine or new places. He talked real good from the age of two, but had his own words for some things. Even now if he is talking about something, it is like his conversations are one way. That is all he can focus on. He would sometimes bite himself and bang his head on the floor.
Preschool:When E was three he got kicked out of head start after only two months for being a safety risk to the other children because of excessive biting, hitting, etc. He continued to have a hard time socially and with too much sensory stimulation. He hated foods that were too hot, too cold, places that were noisy, certain lighting, refuses certain clothing, and smells everything. He was biting, hitting, kicking, throwing objects, scratching and spitting on them as well as teachers. He began touching children and teachers sexually at the age of three. He would touch children even in front of teachers. He began telling grown ups You ****, you stupid, you ugly, you damn it. He would even say this to strangers especially when he was having a hard time controlling his body.
At about the age of three he also began raging. He would have episodes where he would get a certain smile, his eyes would turn glossy, and he would do the above aggressive behaviors as well as flail his body repeatedly. These episodes would last nonstop between two and four hours.
When he was finished he would look so sad and say What happened? Are you mad at me? Why is ____ crying? He had no idea what had happened. He became more aggressive with the cats. There were two incidences where he threw our cat out the second floor window. He would hit her, kick her, bite her, pull her tail.
Also at around the same time he began to have graphic night terrors. He would scream at night. We would go into his room to find him sitting up, but not responsive like he was still sleeping. After a few minutes he would be able to tell us about his night terrors which were very graphic. He would tell us things such as There were snakes eating me to pieces. The sharks bit my body apart and I was all bloody. I was going over a bridge and I fell in the water and drowned. He mentioned a few times how he could feel these things happening. He would be all sweaty, his heart would be racing, and he looked terrified. He had several incidences at another preschool where he touched his friends sexually even in front of teachers. He is quick.
Age four he started hurting himself but not severely. He would pick scabs that he had on his legs, poke at his leg with child proof scissors until he bled, and bite himself. A couple years ago he also began having what my husband and I thought were hallucinations, but his counselors always pushed to the side. He would always tell me My belly is telling me to do bad things. He would sit there having conversations with belly. One day over the past summer he cut his foot on the stairs. He was screaming Stop laughing at me! I said Honey nobody is laughing at you. He said Yes mommy my belly is laughing at me. Tell it to stop. On other incidences he has told me that somebody else is in control of his body, that there is somebody in there who makes him do bad things, and other comments of that sort.
He got suspended 5x in Kindergarten for "Sexual Harassment" (4x) and one Assault of another child by kicking her in the chest and threatening to kill her. This year he is doing better with the help of his 1:1 aid. Last year we had to hospitalize him for the first time in a child psychiatric unit. Although it was the hardest thing we ever had to do for him it was also the best.
If you have any questions I will be happy to help you the best I can.
unfortunetly it aways ends with- hysteria... eventually.(and everyday begins with- it)
