Update re: 1st Appt with Developmental Pediatrician tomorrow - what to say / request - sugar issue?

[SKL]

Update:

 

So, the doctor gave me zero insight regarding the sugar issue (though they did do a finger prick test for hypoglycemia at my request). She said she'd seen the same before in a child with a similar history, but had no suggestions for how to deal with it, other than give her a moderate amount of sugar. (Yeah, I tried that for years.)

 

The doctor said there's basically no such thing as auditory processing disorder, that it's really the same thing as attention problems. She had no comment on the sensory stuff.

 

She did say my daughter is a bright child with "nothing to worry about." She said that daily reading aloud and discussing to recall the story would develop the skills necessary to listen better in class. (We already do this daily, but I had not thought of this connection before.) She also suggested making a schedule for my kids to follow on the weekends, so they get practice and confidence in proactively following same.

 

I guess I am glad we went, because the doctor looked at my DD and told her that she's as smart as her classmates and just needs to work faster. DD felt funny hearing her school issues discussed, though. I don't know whether that is a good or bad thing. Sometimes I wonder if it encourges her to seek negative attention at school. I mean, screwing up means we get to go do doctors and have all the focus on us. I would have rather had some of the discussion out of her earshot.

 

I couldn't wait around for the written report, so I haven't seen it yet (she promised to mail it to me). So I'm not sure, but I feel like I've been blown off. Either not ever keeping up with classwork is not a problem worth treating, or there is nothing they can do for it, or this doctor doesn't have that knowledge.

 

***

 

Original Post:

 

So tomorrow, DD6 has an appointment with a developmental pediatrician. I really have no idea what this is all about. This doc comes around one day per month, so I assume they refer the kids to others for testing or whatever.

 

I think my focus will be on three things: auditory processing, sensory processing, and whatever it is that makes my kid crave, hoard, steal, and otherwise obsess over sugar (and act crazy after consuming it).

 

If any of you have gone this route, do you know if the doctor may have any insight into the sugar issue? This just seems to be getting worse and worse. There's only so many times she'll be able to steal candy at school without getting kicked out. What in the world would drive this kind of behavior? Am I crazy to even bring this up with the doctor? Could it be a physical issue or is my kid just a klepto?

 

Will they give her an IQ test to see what is a reasonable threshold for educational goals?

 

What else will they do? Refer her to whom? Any experience is welcome!

[geodob]

While it could be looked at in terms of OCD and sugar becoming a random obsession?

Sugar, or rather glucose plays a critical role in the function of muscles and the brain.

Where the Pancreas maintains a very precise control of levels, using insulin.

But their is something called Hypoglycemia, which is an over production of insulin. Which causes the blood sugar levels to be too low.

Where people need to keep some sugar on hand, to keep their levels adequate.

So that it raises the question about whether he might be self-medicating?

But in choosing his own dosage, is taking too much?

 

Yet if this not the case, then this over consumption of sugar/ glucose, could result in Diabetes?

But on the other side, if he is just using it for what is termed as a 'sugar hit'?

I have seen studies that have shown this practice in early childhood, as a predictor of later alcohol, tobacco and drug usage.

So that it is a rather serious issue, that needs to be clarified early.

[Tiramisu]

I have different sugar types in the house, and I'll tell you about them in case it will help you sort things out since we fall into two of the categories the PP mentioned..

 

I have a dd who would get into her lunch at the wrong time while she was in school, and she did show signs of being hypoglycemic. Usually a couple of hours after a meal she would have a tantrum in her very young years or as an older child, her face would get very tight looking and she appeared distressed, and she couldn't concentrate on work. Now that she's older, it seems better or maybe she's just able to manage it herself. She will say to me, "I need something with protein," or ask matter of factly, "Do we have anything sweet?" She has SPD and is hypersensitive. We haven't tested her. Her doctors have been split about testing. Some say it won't change anything to test, since you would handle it the same way. Meanwhile, the GI doctor thought it would be worth testing.

 

I'm similar. I have to be careful of what and when I eat, and I am really bad with low carb eating. I feel much better and think more clearly with a good amount of carbs in my diet, and I don't crave sweets but have a bit of a weakness for chocolate.

 

I also have a different type who LOVES candy. That's what she asks for for Christmas and birthday presents. We don't usually have candy, sweets, or soda around the house, but when we do for a party, for example, she really enjoys it. Maybe this is normal to some degree, but it's different than my other kids. And though I can't say for sure whether the candy gives her a sensation that she craves, I wouldn't be completely surprised it that were the case. If she has it, she will bring it to school and shares it with her friends for the fun of it, not because she seems to physically need it. Since this also came up, I'll mention that this one has a tendency to obsess, and I can't go food shopping or into any store without her pushing the candy issue.

 

Then I have one more who doesn't seem to crave sugar, but when she has it, she gets obviously charged up. She has hypersenstivities, too.

 

If the dev. ped. is coming to your regular peds office, share with him how your kids interact with food and sugar. You may want to think about whether your diet at home is low carb and if your kids could be hypoglycemic and are craving sugar for that reason, or if they're getting a typical diet and the sugar is playing a different role. I hope this helps a bit!

[SKL]

Thanks for the replies so far!

 

I recently changed my daughter's diet in the hope that it would reduce some craziness in her school behavior. I reduced carbs / sugar and went heavy on the protein at breakfast & lunch. It seemed to help. Problem is that she doesn't like any non-sugary breakfast foods enough to really eat heartily.

 

I also wondered about the blood sugar issue. So I will ask about that.

 

Today I sent her to school with some gummy vitamins (which are made with sugar) to eat if she gets a sweet craving. I figure it's better than stealing the candy canes off the class tree like she did yesterday. It's just a shot in the dark, but maybe this will help.

 

I have also thought about the potential for substance abuse in adulthood (or teen age) with this child. I could totally see her doing almost anything for that fix. It is a scary thought, but I don't know if I can do anything about it from a physical perspective.

[Tiramisu]

I'm curious if you have seen an increase in the sugar cravings since increasing protein relative to carbs. And if it's been awhile or if you could still be in an adjustment period.

 

Also, out of curiosity, what type of SPD do you deal with, is it mostly sensory avoidance or sensory seeking?

 

I know it's scary. We're all dealing with combinations of individual dispositions and genetic predispositions in our children . The most important thing is to be aware of any underlying medical issues that could cause any problems we're seeing and take care of them the best we can. Then we have to stay on top of the emotional stuff, our dc's own tendencies as well as the family dynamics that develop around them, and help our dc develop healthy was of managing their weaknesses. In dealing with this, sometimes we see the outward signs that immediately drive us crazy, but there are also the internal struggles, which may become apparent later as anxiety, depression and that sort of thing. I don't think any family doesn't deal with this stuff to one degree or another. But when we recognize it and can take steps to deal with our own particular package in positive ways, there is a very good chance that things will be okay. Through this, they can learn skills that will help them deal with whatever life throws at them and have a head start in becoming compassionate human beings. Be hopeful.

[SKL]

I'm curious if you have seen an increase in the sugar cravings since increasing protein relative to carbs. And if it's been awhile or if you could still be in an adjustment period.

 

Also, out of curiosity, what type of SPD do you deal with, is it mostly sensory avoidance or sensory seeking?

 

 

I really don't know whether the cravings are better or worse. She was already stealing and hoarding even when she had a normal amount of sugar freely available. Now she still zeroes in on candy, but that could be because it's always in her face at this time of year.

 

As for SPD, my school-related concern is that she gets distracted by the barrage of lights, sound, colors, etc. that goes on in school, to the point where she doesn't focus on her work and she sometimes acts impulsively (e.g., hitting out at a friend when she knows better). She also has trouble with self-control as she transitions, e.g., from one classroom to another. Some specific oddities include being able "turn off" pain sensation or even desire pain (another thing to worry about later), eating lemons, and knowing more about what her sister is (quietly) doing upstairs than what she's supposed to be looking at right in front of her. She had some other odd reactions when she was younger, but I can't remember too many that remain.

[Arcadia]

What help my sensory (hypersensitive) boy was being allowed to eat while doing his school work. He goes hungry every two hours and seems to get hungry just doing writing or math, not if he is doing reading.

 

Also his kindergarten teacher made sure he was eithe at the front or middle of a group when going from classroom to gym/library. That help with the transition. She also has the schedule written on the classroom whiteboard so he knows what is the whole day's schedule and that helps.

 

His first grade teacher taught first grade for the first time and did not handle him well. She was well meaning, just does not know how to deal with any SN kids. She originally only taught 2nd grade.

[SKL]

Just updated the original post:

 

So, the doctor gave me zero insight regarding the sugar issue (though they did do a finger prick test for hypoglycemia at my request). She said she'd seen the same before in a child with a similar history, but had no suggestions for how to deal with it, other than give her a moderate amount of sugar. (Yeah, I tried that for years.)

 

The doctor said there's basically no such thing as auditory processing disorder, that it's really the same thing as attention problems. She had no comment on the sensory stuff.

 

She did say my daughter is a bright child with "nothing to worry about." She said that daily reading aloud and discussing to recall the story would develop the skills necessary to listen better in class. (We already do this daily, but I had not thought of this connection before.) She also suggested making a schedule for my kids to follow on the weekends, so they get practice and confidence in proactively following same.

 

I guess I am glad we went, because the doctor looked at my DD and told her that she's as smart as her classmates and just needs to work faster. DD felt funny hearing her school issues discussed, though. I don't know whether that is a good or bad thing. Sometimes I wonder if it encourges her to seek negative attention at school. I mean, screwing up means we get to go do doctors and have all the focus on us. I would have rather had some of the discussion out of her earshot.

 

I couldn't wait around for the written report, so I haven't seen it yet (she promised to mail it to me). So I'm not sure, but I feel like I've been blown off. Either not ever keeping up with classwork is not a problem worth treating, or there is nothing they can do for it, or this doctor doesn't have that knowledge.

[Tiramisu]

You must feel blown off. And I would go with "this doctor doesn't have that knowledge."

 

She appears to ignorant about the basics of auditory processing, sensory processing, etc. Regardless of the controversies about these things, she should still address your concerns. If she's of the camp that CAPD or SPD doesn't exist, she should still give you some explanation about why you're seeing what your seeing. And if she says CAPD is nothing more than an attention problem, why didn't she discuss the possibility of ADHD?

 

There are different types of CAPD and some can be explained by an attention deficit but others can't. And if you don't do the testing, you won't really know.

 

Then there's the issue about whether SPD is a disorder on its own. Even if the DSM doesn't recognize it as an independent disorder, doctors should still recognize the symptoms, especially a developmental pediatrician, and be willing to talk about them and their impact in the child's and family's life. And if she's having the symptoms and the dev ped doesn't seem to recognize SPD as an independent disorder, then she should try to give you some idea of what the cause is.

 

I didn't realize there was a problem with listening and never keeping up in school. In light of that, I would have even more of a problem taking this doctor seriously. It's good that she tells your dd she's bright, but to tell her she just needs to work faster is problematic because right now you still really don't know what's in her control. What if she has low processing speed and/or working memory, ADHD, CAPD, or even anxiety (remembering the sugar hoarding)? She could put all she has into trying to listen better and work faster, and she'll only end up more stressed out and anxious, and feeling more like a failure...which will make it much less likely for her to be able to listen well and work efficiently. With kids with real issues like that, it's really important to avoid this kind of frustration, or they could end up in a downward spiral, feeling like no matter what they do makes any difference so they may as well give up trying.

 

Trust yourself. I believe your daughter is bright and in the grand scheme of things, very normal. But there are issues or else you wouldn't have gone to see that dev ped in the first place. I think, despite this bummer of a visit, if your mommy instinct is telling you there's something there, you need get to the bottom of it. You could start with an evaluation that includes measuring her working memory and processing speed, for starters. A psychologist or neuropsychologist could also screen for anxiety. Down the road, you could consider an auditory processing evaluation.

 

I'm sorry the visit wasn't as productive as you hoped. I think others here will chime in and let you know you're not the only one. There's such a learning curve in dealing with these issues. But you're off to a good start because you're trying and you're looking at the big picture.

 

:grouphug: