My son is 6 years old. He has always been behind developmentally in a social sense. As he gets older, this is becoming more noticeable. I worry about him and whether he is "normal" or not.
The main thing is how he deals with things. He seems to have massive over reactions to things. If he can't find his Lego, he gets really upset and doesn't deal with it well if he can't have it now. He has this screamy whingy noise he makes to show his dissatisfaction. He sometimes starts taking his clothes off (coats, jumpers etc) and throws them on the floor.
At football, he does the same if he can't get things right like how the coaches have shown him. He will roll on the floor and stomp off and refuse to discuss it or let me calm him down. I have asked him to try and ignore it if the other team scores or if he misses a goal and he is adamant that he can't ignore it.
He does seem to be coping better with impulsive reactions. Like if he is teased, he used to hit out straight away but if the teasing is prolonged, he will ignore till he can't anymore and then react.
Some of the kids at School are asking why he gets upset at everything so they are noticing.
He seems hypersensitive to noise...hates hairdryers, toddlers screaming and will cover his ears. Does not like certain food textures like mash or mushy cereal and will not eat these.
He does have certain quirks...walks on toes at home a lot when shoes are off, especially when he is talking...will pace the room and walk on tip toes.
He likes rubbing his face against me and will make funny noises as he does it. He will do this also with people he has a strong bond with but it is mostly me.
Academically, he is not behind. He is not genius or gifted but is in the top groups of his class.
He struggled a lot in reception with his behaviour but his teacher was excellent and really got him and he improved a lot (he used to hate people coming into his personal space but seems better with that now)
He still does not like being told off and I have to wait till the situation is calm, often at home before he will even let me talk about it. He used to hide if he was being told off and now will run off in a different direction.
Sorry for the essay, but I want to give as much info as possible.
He seems to be getting better at school year on year but nothing changes at home, due largely to an older sibling who takes joy in winding him up constantly.
How can I help my lovely son? Deep down he is so loving but these things are just getting more tricky socially as he gets older. None of his peers act the way he does. Does he need support do you think, or will he grow out of it? Are there strategies that can help him deal with situations better. Is he normal or is there something that needs support?
Thank you for any insight.