Behaviour Problem?

[bensmum08]

Hi, I was just wondering whether a child having a CHD is more likely to have a behaviour problem.

My son is 2.5 years old now and he still hasn't said his first word, just da da, ma ma, la la, ba ba etc, does not respond to his name and often appears in his "own world". He is also very hyperactive and throws everything he can grab around the room.

Is anyone else's child like this, is this quite common? I know it is too early to say for my son, but have anyone else's child been diagnosed with behaviour problems such as Autism or Asperger's Syndrome?

Would love to hear your comments.

Thanks

Ben's Mum x

[Victoria]

I'm not sure if it's more likely or not, but there are a few parents with children with autistic tendancies / aspergers and general behavioural and development issues...I'm sure they will be along shortly with lots of help...

Welcome to heartline

Victoria x

[kay]

My eldest sounds very similar, she was hyperactive, excessively demanding of adult attention, was speech delayed and has quite a few unusual behavioural issues. She is under assessment for ADHD. Officials will try to delay “labelling” for a long as possible.

I sure I read somewhere ADHD is about 4 times more likely in children with cardiac issues. In my daughters case the consultant says it is possibly related to her early days and delay in treatment.

When she was 2 she was referred to a speech and language therapist at our local children’s clinic and had weekly speech sessions. Each area will be slightly different. Due to her behavioural they referred us to their developmental paediatrician.

It is worth being referred as soon a possible (our health visitor referred us - or sure doctor would). While she was little it was just a cases of recording information, but now she has been at school a year the fact we were “in the system” has made it a bit easier with history and evidence. She was awarded 1st year funding with-in the first term and a statement is being written now.

K.

[kelly]

hugs hun.

Luke has recently been diagnosed as having high functioning autistic spectrum disorder but they have not made any reference to it being cardiac related. They did make it trickier for people to see what was just hospital related issues and what were autistic tendencies but as has got older (he is 4 and half now) they have got more obvious.

Our kids all have such difficult starts and have lots to deal with day to day so I sure that in the majority of cases the problems with behaviour are just related to that and that those of us with autistic diagnosis are much less.

i hope that as he gets older things start to improve for you x x x x

[Anna]

Originally Posted by bensmum08

Hi, I was just wondering whether a child having a CHD is more likely to have a behaviour problem.

My son is 2.5 years old now and he still hasn't said his first word, just da da, ma ma, la la, ba ba etc, does not respond to his name and often appears in his "own world". He is also very hyperactive and throws everything he can grab around the room.

Is anyone else's child like this, is this quite common? I know it is too early to say for my son, but have anyone else's child been diagnosed with behaviour problems such as Autism or Asperger's Syndrome?

Would love to hear your comments.

Thanks

Ben's Mum x

I have posted and responded to many threads about behaviour as a parent who was convinced that Jake had severe behaviour problems and there was something else. I think there are lots of parents out there whose children have bahaviour problems and soem people tell you there is no link and others that there is. Apparently behaviour is influenced by many factors including the amount of physical contact your child gets in the first 3 months, normal childhood experiences such as going shopping etc as a baby, oxygen saturations, effect of sedation medication etc... There is very little research on this and I have posted on here when I have reached the point of utter dispair that Jake will never been able to behave. Just recently there has been a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel as he has managed to be good in school. Stay positive you could well get there it might just take longer than the average child!

[Punya]

My son Jesse has both adhd and autism and was very difficult to manage as an toddler and child. I believe it is not so important to have a label for the behaviour although that does help with getting services but more important in the early stages to learn how to manage those difficult behaviours and establish communication. The earlier the better. I had Jesse in early intervention from infancy and although his behaviour continues even as an adult to be at times challenging I was able to set some clear rules and boundaries around what was expectable and establish an alternative communication system for him to understand the world and to express himself. Jesse's language skills for both receptive and expressive language were in the 1st percentile as a child and he was seriously frustrated because of his inability to communicate. Using PECS cards saved my sanity, helped establish a routine the Jesse was comfortable with and lessened some of the more serious meltdowns.
All the best with your seeking help for Ben.

[Helen Calland]

My son has a few behaviour issues. He is a very angry boy and he looses his temper very quickly. I believe a lot of it is due to frustration as he can't join in sport as much as he would want to or keep up with his friends. He's got a lot to be angry about.

[Helen Preece]

Originally Posted by Helen Calland

My son has a few behaviour issues. He is a very angry boy and he looses his temper very quickly. I believe a lot of it is due to frustration as he can't join in sport as much as he would want to or keep up with his friends. He's got a lot to be angry about.

I have another William exactly the same and he's 31 !!

[bensmum08]

Thanks for all your replies, I'm sure time will tell xx

Ben's mum x