Dr. Robert Needlman
Specialist in pediatric behavior and development.
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 Ask Dr. Needlman
Attention Problems and Unusual Movements | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Needlman,
My son is experiencing behavior problems in kindergarten--he has a hard time paying attention and not talking. Recently, he's started making excessive facial "grimaces," such as stretching his mouth wide open and scrunching up his nose repeatedly. I've also seen him take a deep breath (as deep as he can) and then repeat it two or three times. Is this something to be concerned about, such as OCD, or is it simply a childhood habit that will go away? And could this be related to the problems he's having in school?— Staci in Evansville, IN | | | ANSWER |
May 10, 2001 | | | Dear Staci,
The behaviors you describe could be habits or conscious attention-seeking behaviors. They could also be tics, which are involuntary movements. Rarely, these sorts of movements are caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain, also known as seizures or epilepsy. Most people think seizures always involve a person falling down, losing consciousness, and moving his arms and legs violently. In fact, there are seizures that have as their only symptom facial grimacing. Another kind of seizure involves a person momentarily "blanking out." This kind of seizure, called "petit mal," can sometimes cause a child to appear to not be paying attention in class.
Although a diagnosis of seizures or epilepsy sounds very frightening, in many cases medications can control the seizures.
Of course, without seeing your son I can't know if seizures are a possibility for your son, but in general, either tics or seizures do need to be considered when a child has difficulty paying attention along with abnormal body movements.
With these possibilities in mind, it certainly would make sense to talk with your child's doctor and probably arrange a thorough evaluation for your son.— by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. |
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