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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To wonder if there's something different about my seven year old

14 replies

HairdryerMary · 09/12/2023 10:15

I will start by saying that my older child is on the waiting list for ASD and ADHD assessments. These were both prompted by school. I was completely blindsided when they called me in when she was in year one to say they were considering referring for ADHD (with my agreement) when she was 7 and did I notice any traits of autism. I work in mental health but was completely blind to her little quirks and temperament. I thought it was anxiety and just kids being hyper!
My son is in year 2 and there have been no concerns from school. His sleep is awful though, he will not go to sleep. Not alone. Not with me. Not anywhere. He is very tired in the day.
His brain just doesn't switch off. Talking or moving constantly. I've had to enforce a no talking rule, because he just keeps speaking to me, or himself if he's alone. If I do this it just switches to fidgeting. Constant fidgeting.
Even on holiday if we've walked 30,000 steps, or played on the beach all day, he will stay awake until past 11. There's been times I've fallen asleep and woken at 1am to find him still awake.
But school don't see anything. He does have special interests, well apart from what he watches on YouTube. He will sometimes get angry if I enforce boundaries around his screen time. Or tell him he needs to watch 'proper programmes with a storyline'. He is fine at losing games and busy places, changes to routine. Has some eccentricities about clothing texture and warmth. We have to warm up clothes with a hairdryer.
I'm not asking you to diagnose my child. But is the sleep alone worth exploring? I do often wonder about him being afraid of sleeping. He did have some trauma this year, but this predates this.

OP posts:
HairdryerMary · 09/12/2023 10:34

Anyone

OP posts:
LylaLee · 09/12/2023 10:37

This reply has been deleted

We decided to take this down as it is not in the spirit of the site.

User13579367337 · 09/12/2023 10:39

It’s really good that the school has picked up on something with your daughter and is already assisting her in that. Could you start with having a word with them about your son and see what they say?

User13579367337 · 09/12/2023 10:40

This reply has been deleted

We decided to take this down as it is not in the spirit of the site.

I read it fine.

Nordlo · 09/12/2023 10:46

I read it just fine. Why must people be such twats? Just scroll on by.

Anyway, yes I think there's plenty there to warrant an assessment. You missed it with your first child so best to let someone else have a look now. They won't find what isn't there.

ServeMeTheSky · 09/12/2023 10:47

I'd start with your GP. There are definitely impacts to sleep with neurodiversities and insomnia is linked to ADHD among others. The other things that jumped out was the warm clothhes/textures thing.

My oldest is autistic and he's directly opposite in that he will sleep 15 hours at a stretch every day if we don't wake him
That can sometimes take five or six attempts to as he can't stay awake.

PubicZirconia · 09/12/2023 10:50

This reply has been deleted

We decided to take this down as it is not in the spirit of the site.

I think it's just you.

NonanteNeuf · 09/12/2023 10:51

What is your son’s diet like? What does he eat in a day?

LylaLee · 09/12/2023 10:52

Literally just trying to get op more responses. If that's twattish, fine.

HairdryerMary · 09/12/2023 10:56

@LylaLee don't worry I didn't read your comment that way, it didn't realise when I wrote it how the formatting would come across.

OP posts:
HairdryerMary · 09/12/2023 11:03

@NonanteNeuf well he doesn't like food much. He has a jacket potato for school dinner every day. He will just about eat pasta or cheese toasties.

OP posts:
idontlikealdi · 09/12/2023 11:21

Everything you said would have me getting him assessed.

HairdryerMary · 09/12/2023 11:30

@idontlikealdi thank you. I'll have a word with the GP as the school don't see it

OP posts:
User7477 · 09/12/2023 11:44

HairdryerMary · 09/12/2023 11:03

@NonanteNeuf well he doesn't like food much. He has a jacket potato for school dinner every day. He will just about eat pasta or cheese toasties.

My son is the same he is 7 years old and is always full of energy he has no chill, where as my 8 year old can sit and watch a film and chill out my 7 year old does not sit still, although he does sleep once he his asleep but before this he will get up around 20 times for random things like a cushion off the sofa or a dressing gown off his bedroom door, or he will move the toys around in his room when he's meant to be sleeping 🤦🏻‍♀️ and then he will change pajamas like twice a night from shorts to trousers from trousers to shorts, this may not be anything to do with it but my 8 year old is currently being assessed and I had to fill out a questionnaire about how he is with certain things and most of them relate to my 7 year old

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