Our Exceptional Kids

Sun Danger - Keep Your Kids Safe In The Sun

2009-02-05T14:53:00.001-08:00

Last week, my friends son was staying at his friends house overnight. I know my friend is always very strict with using sunscreen and keeping the kids covered when in the sun, but when they are under the care of someone else, I guess you can't always rely on others to do the right thing. Unfortunately, due to the lack of sun care management, my friends son was very badly burnt. When you think of bad sunburn - think even worse!

My friend woke to her son screaming at 4am the morning after he got home, because he was literally stuck to his bed. She had to gently take the pillow out of the pillow case and then with his pillow case and sheet still stuck to him, had to put him in the shower and soak them off. He then had to go to the hospital to have his burns treated and yesterday was his second visit to have his dressings removed, the skin shaved off and then re-dressed. This poor boy has been unable to lie down all week and has barely slept and has been in A LOT of pain.

I wanted to share his story here just to let others know the dangers of the sun and how important it is to make sure your kids have the right protection in the sun - and never rely on others to care for them as you would care for them yourselves.

Here are some photos and the email I received from my friend yesterday.

Hi Everyone,

These are pictures of my 12 year old son today. He stayed at a friend's house on the weekend. Sunday afternoon he came home and as parents we got the shock of our lives. He had been taken to the beach on Sat, 41 degrees, for three hours, no shirt, no sunscreen!! He went to his friends for the weekend to go to the basketball on Sat night, but was taken to the beach on Sat for three hours, 11-2pm.

My son since birth has always worn a rashie, and with his fair skin has always applied sunscreen.

His reason for taking off his shirt, was that he was wearing the one he wanted to wear to the basketball, and the adult he was with did not choose to make him wear his shirt or take sunscreen to the beach....both idiots!!!!

I guess I just want to let everyone know of my sons condition and remind everybody to SLIP, SLOP, SLAP, SEEK, & SLIDE.

Although we educate our children constantly about this, they can still do the wrong thing when we are not with them, and you cannot rely on other adults that are with them either.

With the help of "happy gas" today my son had a layer of skin shaved off his back, and now he is in the next stage of recovery.

On a positive note, he is not going to need any skin grafts, which was the news I was praying for today.

Thank you for reading,
Please talk to your children about how my son has learnt a lesson the hard way.
Cheers,

I asked my friend if I could put her sons story on my site to share his experience and send the message to others. She asked that I not mention names as he is a bit sensitive about it all - understandably for a 12 year old.

Adelaide has just experienced one of the worst (if not the worst) heatwaves ever with temperatures over 40 degrees and up to 45.7 (104 to 114 fahrenheit) for a week. There are a number of people in the burns unit in Adelaide hospital as a result of sunburn. There have been over 60 sudden deaths during that week, which although not proven they are believed to be heat related.

We lost 2 of our pet rats and my sons friend lost 2 pet birds due to the heat and I can't imagine how many other people have lots their beloved pets during the heat last week.

REMEMBER - when it is this hot - stay inside in an airconditioned room. If you don't have air conditioning or a good fan (or power) then go and visit and stay with someone that has. Don't feel like you are imposing - it is better to impose on family or friends, than to suffer and even die because of the heat.

REMEMBER - wear sunscreen and lather your kids with sunscreen. Make them wear hats and shirts and take all precautions necessary to keep them sun safe.

REMEMBER - to keep an eye on your pets. Make sure they have shade and cold water - trust me their water heats up quickly. If they are in a cage, put a wet towel over the cage - this gives them shade as well as helps to keep the area cool.

Thanks for reading - and hopefully this heat will be over soon.

http://ourexceptionalkids.com/

Is Your Child Naughty Or Do They Have ADHD?

2009-01-29T17:16:00.000-08:00

There are some people who just don't believe in disorders such as ADHD but just think that these kids are just naughty and need some good discipline. For a parent with an ADHD child, it can be quite frustrating to hear people say things like that, as these parents have usually tried almost every type of discipline they can think of and nothing seems to work.

Sure, many of the symptoms of ADHD are things that everyone does at some stage - but it is the extent that these children have the symptoms that set them apart from other children. When there is something neurological going on, then the child can't help the way that they behave.

So because these symptoms can occur with anyone, just how do you know when a child does actually have this disorder?

The behavior of an ADHD child is consistent behavior, usually if a child displays this behavior consistently for six months or more then they are a good canditate to be diagnosed with the disorder. The main thing though for diagnosis is that the behavior creates a handicap in at least two areas of the child's life. This can be, for example, that it impacts their learning at school, or perhaps impacts significantly on their behavior in the playground and may therefore affect their ability to make and maintain friendships.

Generally, the behaviors in an ADHD child are continuous and occur in almost every setting. They are much more common in a child with the disorder than they are in children without the disorder. If you believe that your child may have this or any other disorder it is important to take action and have them diagnosed. A doctor has ADHD diagnostic criteria that he will compare with your child to determine whether your child has ADHD or not.

Remember, these kids are not bad kids, they can't help their behavior. But as a parent, carer, sibling, relative, teacher or friend, we can control our behavior and we need to use that to help them in any way that we can.

To find out more about ADHD visit http://ourexceptionalkids.com/

What Are The Symptoms Of Autism?

2009-01-29T16:38:00.000-08:00

What is Autism?

Autism is a rather complicated disorder which is neurological in nature and mainly affects the areas of the brain that relate to communication and social interaction.

The range of symptoms with Autism can vary greatly. It is a 'Spectrum Disorder' which means that some people can have very severe symptoms while others may have very mild symptoms and then there is a big range inbetween. So no two people with Autism are the same, the variances are quite large.

The symptoms of Autism

The symtpoms of this disorder can be broken down into three separate areas being:

Communication and social symptoms

Sensory and motor symptoms

Personality symptoms.

Communication and Social Symptoms

These may include:

Difficulty in differentiation between different tones of voice and difficulty understanding body language.

Lack of eye contact

Unusual speech patterns or delayed speech

Don't have much expression in their tone of voice

Find it hard to see things from other people's perspectives

Find it hard communicating their feelings and find it hard to understand the feelings of others

Are not that comfortable with close contact

Often have trouble expressing their needs.

Sensory and Motor Symptoms

Autistic people will often be overly sensitive to some stimulants such as bright lights or loud noises. They will often become very upset if there is a sound, light or other sensory stimulant that is irritating them.

Often have trouble with fine motor skills and will seem very clumsy and un-coordinated. They will often have poor hand writing and may seem clumsy when playing sports or running.

Personality Symptoms

These symptoms may include:

Have dificulty making friends and maintaining friendships

Will prefer to do activities that have little verbal interaction on their part

They may have rituals or repetitive behaviors

May often become quite obsessive about one or a few interests that they are really passionate about

Generally do not like to play 'make believe' games

Are more interested in the things they like and not too interested in things that others are showing them

Dislike any changes in their life and can become very upset if their routine is changed

They like things to be done in a particular way.

With many Austistic children, they can start out developing skills at the normal rate and then lose those skills at a certain point. Due to the change in the development of skills and even a backward step, many have wondered wether immunizations could be the cause of Autism. There is much dispute over this and at this stage there is no scientific evidence to prove that immunizations can cause the disorder.

To find out more about Autism visit http://ourexceptionalkids.com/

What Are The Symptoms Of ADHD?

2009-01-29T16:06:00.000-08:00

What is ADHD and what are it's symptoms?

ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is a condition which is believed to cause a slight difference to normal brain function, which results in a child underperforming at school and also behaves quite badly. A child with ADHD will be hyperactive and can be exhausting for their parents or carers as they have a lot of energy and don't very often take a break from their behavior.

It is believe that ADHD is a hereditary condition and you will usually find that a child with ADHD will often have a parent with some degree of the condition also. This is not just a case of naughty children who haven't been disciplined correctly, this is a mental condition that is real and needs to be treated.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of this condition include:

Easily distracted, get bored quickly and usually jump from one task to another - very inattentive.

Impulsive - they often don't think about what they are going to say but just blurt out exactly what they are thinking.

Often have a learning disability. This could include math, reading or writing or even a language delay. They may have one learning disability or a combination of more than one.

Find it hard to follow instructions, particularly if they are given a number of tasks to do at one time. They will often complete the first task but forget about the others.

Difficulty sitting site, they will usually fidget and can't sit still in one spot for very long.

Usually very disorganised. Will quite often forget things and leave them behind or even wear clothes back to front or inside out.

They often just don't know when to stop - they intrude, demand and interrogate and often just go a bit too far. Once they have an idea in their head their is no stopping them.

May be quite sensitive and can develop poor self esteem. They will often put a lot of effort into their school work and other things but often fail to reach the desired level, leading to the development of low self confidence.

With any child it is important to nurture and encourage a high self esteem but even more so in children that may have a disorder of some sort. These children will often know that they are a little different than others and may become self conscious of it.

To find out more about ADHD visit http://ourexceptionalkids.com/

What is ODD And What Can You Do To Help It

2009-01-28T17:04:00.000-08:00

ODD or Oppositional Defiant Disorder is a behavior disorder and it affects one in ten children. This disorder is more common in boys than in girls. The main characteristics of Odd are defiance, negative attitude, irritable and uncooperative behavior - particularly toward parents and teachers.

Children that suffer from ODD can be incredibly difficult to live with and can cause a lot of distress within a family. Not only is it difficult for parents to deal with, but often siblings will suffer from the ODD childs behavior.

Many people will not agree that ODD is an actual disorder and may just think that the child is naughty and needs some good discipline. However, a child with ODD is beyond 'normal' naughtiness and is not just naughty sometimes but will be naughty and defiant almost all of the time. A parent will usually feel if their child is just naughty or if it goes beyond normal bad behavior.

Symptoms of ODD

ODD symptoms include:

Frequent temper tantrums

Frequent arguments with authority figures

Refusal to obey requests from adults

Refusal to follow set rules

Will usually, if not always, blame others for their behavior or mistakes

Will be easily annoyed by others

Will continually try to annoy and upset others

Will often speak in an unkind manner

Will always need to have the last word in an argument

Will often seek revenge

Diagnosis of ODD

For a diagnosis, the child will need to be assessed by a child psychiatrist. They will likely take a detailed history of the child's behaviors and will also observe the child and talk to the child. It may take a few visits for the doctor to become familiar with the child and be able to make a diagnosis.

If you suspect your child has ODD or any other disorder it is important to get a diagnosis early. Early intervention will give the best results and help to prevent future problems with your child. Children with ODD will often suffer from other mental disorders such as ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) or anxiety disorders, so it is very important to have your child assessed so all problems can be dealt with.

Treatment for ODD

Treatments available include:

Psychotherapy. This may include cognitive behavior therapy for the child which can improve communication skills, impulse control and anger management.

Family therapy. As ODD effects the whole family, often some changes in the family routine or system is required so family therapy can be quite effective. This may include things like family interactions to improve communication skills for all family members. Parents can also learn new and more effective ways to deal with their childs behavior.

Peer group therapy can often help your child to develop better social skills and interpersonal skills.

Medication is sometimes used but as a last resort, although usually medication is not very effective for ODD.

Sometimes a childs behavior can be the result of a food intolerance so it is also recommended to change your childs diet to see if that makes a difference. Avoiding certain preservatives may also improve your childs behavior.

To find out more about ODD visit http://ourexceptionalkids.com/

Does Your Child Have Aspergers Syndrome?

2009-01-28T16:23:00.000-08:00

Aspergers Syndrome is often a hard one to diagnose and particularly if your child doesn't show all of the 'more common' symptoms. For example, my own son has not had a diagnosis of Aspergers as yet although he does show some symptoms, but his psychiatrist is finding him difficult to diagnose as he doesn't have the 'most common' symptoms such as repetitive behavior or obsessiveness.

So what exactly is Aspergers?

Aspergers is an Austism Spectrum Disorder - it is thought to be a much milder form of Autism and is often referred to as 'high functioning autism'. The main difference between Autism and Aspergers is that people with Aspergers do not have language delay and they also have average to above average intelligence.

Symptoms of Aspergers

The main symptoms of Aspergers Syndrome are:

A lack of social skills. Although Aspie's want to socialise they usually find it hard to, it is like they just don't fit in, they aren't sure how to socialise. They find it hard to pick up on social cues and are not good are reading body language.

They dislike changes in routines.

Lack empathy for others.

Have difficulty recognising differences in speech tone and therefore may not understand jokes or may take sarcasm the wrong way.

Avoid eye contact.

May have unusual facial expressions or postures.

Will often be preoccupied with one or two interests which they are usually very knowledgable about. They will often have a collection of items regarding their interest and be quite obsessive with it.

They may talk a lot about their own interests even though others are not interested in that topic.

May have delayed motor development or seem clumsy or awkward.

May have a heightened sensitivity to loud noises, lights or tastes.

Diagnosis of Aspergers Syndrome

Diagnosis will differ between patients depending on the severity of their symptoms. A doctor may be able to see immediately that a child has Aspergers in some cases, while in other children with mild symptoms the diagnosis can be quite difficult.

To diagnoses Aspergers the child needs to be assessed which will include a developmental history and some observation. This needs to be done by a medical professional and preferably one that has experience with Autism and Aspergers.

Treatment for Aspergers

There are no medications to treat Aspergers and there is no cure, but there are many things that you can do to help your child with Aspergers learn to deal with their differences and also manage them.

Social skills are a main concern for those with Aspergers and there are ways to help develop your childs social skills and help them to fit in with others better.

Early diagnosis and early management of Aspergers will give your child the best headstart in life. If Aspergers is not treated or managed, the child can become angry with his inability to socialise and express his emotions in an acceptable way. There is also a risk of them developing anxiety or depression, so it is definately recommended to work together with your childs doctor to manage their Aspergers.

For more information visit http://ourexceptionalkids.com/