I thought about clicking the "Buy/Sell/Trade" button, but.... (joking)

My third, my five year old younger son is behaviorally different from his three siblings (One younger sister, one older sister and older brother). He is intensely competitive (including such items as who gets belted into the vehicle first), very intelligent (reading well above his Kindergarten grade level) and, on the whole, a good kid. His issue is that he gets too intense in many pursuits, from video games (He is limited, like his siblings, to one hour combined DS/computer) to basketball (He loves the game, except there is "too much running." - He is average build, not overweight at all) to schoolwork (He gets upset when he gets an answer wrong or when he is not chosen for an assignment). His reaction can be mild (He gets stoop shouldered when he misses a basket, like he's not good enough) to extreme (A tantrum, and then he looks at you like you're an idiot when you try to talk to him. One teacher describes it as he "short circuits" for a few minutes, so she times him out for a few minutes, then talks to him when he "resets."). At one basketball game, he refused to high five a teammate after he himself had missed a shot, then dropped to the middle of the court when it was time to shake hands with the other team.

His behavior has other characteristics. He will flex his hands during video games and at other times, and he often jumps up and down during a DS session, no matter whether he wins or loses. He is almost bipolar in his attitudes toward certain people, particularly authority. He called his Kindergarten teacher "...the worst teacher." then drew a card that said "I love you...." He prefers to kick me in the shins one moment, then want to go out and play ball like nothings happened.

My wife likes to search the web, and she's talked to a bunch of people (Yes, we have an appointment with his pediatrician), so I thought that I'd see if anyone else has had these types of issues and are they normal/not normal? My wife has come up with possibilities ranging from dyslexia to high functioning autistic. I'm reticent to throw a label on anything (except for Liberals ), but he seems to be escalating....

He’s 5 years old, give him a brake.

See the doctor and what they recommend.

My youngest, Amanda is considered learning impaired, in special needs class and goes to Special Olympics. She has the mind of a 6 year old and will be graduating high school this spring.

I would not expect your child has anything near what she does, but you do need to have him tested.

You will not regret finding out anything you can.

By the way.

Amanda is 20 this year and I love her even more because of her problems.

Good vibes to you and all yours.

Steve

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Technology is great when it works,
and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't.
Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.

Check with your medical professional, and if you don't like their recommendation, get a second opinion. I am no professional, but I'd say you have
"A happy typical 5 year old child."

Now, just wait until he turns 16..... Keep the prozac handy.

It sounds like Asperger Syndrome.
My brothers young son has it. He has all the symptoms you described, to a tee.

Asperger syndrome is an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and people with AS therefore show significant difficulties in social interaction and restricted, stereotyped patterns of behavior and interests. AS differs from other ASDs by its relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive development. Although not mentioned in standard diagnostic criteria, physical clumsiness and atypical use of language are frequently reported.

A pervasive developmental disorder, Asperger syndrome is distinguished by a pattern of symptoms rather than a single symptom. It is characterized by qualitative impairment in social interaction, by stereotyped and restricted patterns of behavior, activities and interests, and by no clinically significant delay in cognitive development or general delay in language. Intense preoccupation with a narrow subject, one-sided verbosity, restricted prosody, and physical clumsiness are typical of the condition, but are not required for diagnosis.

Lotsa of information on line.
It is VERY manable the older they get, sticking to a certain diet, and mental excersizes.
Check into it.

Thanks, guys.

Boonie, AS might be something to look into, but there's a sense that an individual with AS is single minded. Josh is not. He plays basketball, wants to play baseball (he needs to learn how to catch - not atypical), hide and seek, etc. Many times, he allows them to consume him as a competition, however. Also, he is far from clumsy, his language skills are above average and, when he's not melting down, his social skills are typical of a Kindergartner.

htexans1, I'd like to think the "happy typical 5 year old," but neither of his older siblings exhibited behavior at any time that was nearly as extreme. I do realize that each child develops differently, but the mood swings are more typical of what I might see from my older daughter in her teen years.... That isn't to say that he isn't a happy five year old, most of the time, he's a good kid. A bit obsessed, but good. I just don't want this to get out of hand. Then I really might regret it when he's 16.

EDIT : Clarification of J-Dawg's abilities.

[This message has been edited by Patrick's Dad (edited 03-13-2009).]

quote Originally posted by Patrick's Dad: Thanks, guys. Boonie, AS might be something to look into, but there's a sense that an individual with AS is single minded. Josh is not. He plays basketball, wants to play baseball (he needs to learn how to catch - not atypical), hide and seek, etc. Many times, he allows them to consume him as a competition, however. Also, he is far from clumsy, his language skills are above average and, when he's not melting down, his social skills are typical of a Kindergartner. htexans1, I'd like to think the "happy typical 5 year old," but neither of his older siblings exhibited behavior at any time that was nearly as extreme. I do realize that each child develops differently, but the mood swings are more typical of what I might see from my older daughter in her teen years.... That isn't to say that he isn't a happy five year old, most of the time, he's a good kid. A bit obsessed, but good. I just don't want this to get out of hand. Then I really might regret it when he's 16. EDIT : Clarification of J-Dawg's abilities.

I have Asperger's Syndrome, officially diagnosed with it in 1999.

I am not "single minded" in the sense that you used. At age 5, I was able to read Stephen King, and understood most of what was happening, if not all.

I tend to fixate on technology and mechanical stuff. I generally have a very good understanding of how those things work, but I have a varied interest in many subjects.

It DOES sound like AS. My oldest daughter has AS, officially diagnosed, and I am suspecting that my son (one of my twins) has AS as well. His is not as severe as my daughter though.

Ask the doctor about it. Don't expect an easy answer though. AS can be difficult to diagnose properly, and there is no treatment, other than STRICTLY structuring your son's life.

This does not mean be strict. What it means is, set a schedule, a certain order of things to be done during the day. It is a reward system. We did this with my daughter, and she is a lot "smoother" in her cycles now. She has leveled out, and gets along better with other children.

My oldest is 9, my twins are 8. They have a long difficult path ahead of them with AS, but once they are old enough, they will be able to teach themselves to overcome their limitations.

I still have intermittent issues, socially. I find it difficult to make friends, and sometimes I try too hard, which can alienate people. But I am doing better now than I was, since I understand what I have.

i personally dont see much other than a competitive 5 year old... i acted much the same way as a kid, (16 now) although i had trrouble learning how to read, once i did i was waaaaay ahead of everyone else. i had a bad temper, which fixed itself in 3rd grade after i won, yes won, a fight, and felt horrible about what i had done to the kid, and resolved never to let myself get out of control again. maybe im wrong, but i think a lot of parents are too quick to assume somethings wrong with their kid, give him a few years. i dont have any trouble now, not since 3rd grade. maybe im different in that most kids wouldnt have reacted the way i did to that fight, but let him be for another year or 2, punish him for doing something wrong, treat him like a normal kid and see if he doesnt start to act more normally.

AS or PDD kids can exhibit a variety of symptoms, including ADHD, Mood disorder, OCD, all interfering with social interactions. Though the latter is a problem in itself for AS kids. The key is to identify and treat early, as the belief that they will get better is often wrong. If you feel something is wrong, and others including teachers feel something is wrong, you can do no wrong seeking professional help.