N is a seven year old school going child with epilepsy and developmental language disorder, who came to visit me six times during the last two years. During the first two visits, he cried towards the latter part of the consultation, without any obvious reason. At his third visit, I welcomed him to another room, which was sterile in its ambience without the usual child-freindly facilities, such as toys, aquarium, etc. He did not cry during that visit.That made me realize that it may be something in the usual consultation room, which intimidates him.
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
At the next visit , I covered the toy shelf and yet he cried in distress. No sooner had I taken him to another room he ceased crying, which made me feel fairly sure that it was the room and its ambience that disturbed him. I covered the aquarium with a cloth and brought him back to the room. He did not resort to crying following this. But when I uncovered the aquarium, he cried inconsolably.
I found the next visit uneventful as I welcomed him in another room.I enquired from the father whether he had any distressing experience with water. Father did not recollect any untoward incident.
After many leading questions, he recalled that he cries, while having a bath; refuses to wash hands after and before eating, and is most uncomfortable when he has to walk in water clogged roads after rain. He seemed to have developed this when he turned four.
Father recollected with a sigh, while begin helped to travel back in his memory lane, that N had slipped into a stream of water during a rainy salon, when he was turning four, and had to be rescued. He appeared shocked and cried for long as if he was in distress. Father was sure, that it was after this incident, he developed phobia for water.
N was often punished at home and school for not washing before and after eating. He often avoided bathing if he could help. He would drink water only after much persuasion and needed treatment for urinary tract infection twice during two years.
Many children have internalized different experiences and suffer recurrent emotional pain when there is any reminder of a traumatic incident. This is one form of post-traumatic stress disorder, with needs cognitive behavior therapy.They recover gradually but surely.
When a child appears unreasonable in his or her behavior, please take time to discover its association with a possible previous trauma, fear, distress, etc. that a child may have suffered from. This calls for more sympathetic parenting practices and sensitivity by teachers at school.
M.C.Mathew
After many leading questions, he recalled that he cries, while having a bath; refuses to wash hands after and before eating, and is most uncomfortable when he has to walk in water clogged roads after rain. He seemed to have developed this when he turned four.
Father recollected with a sigh, while begin helped to travel back in his memory lane, that N had slipped into a stream of water during a rainy salon, when he was turning four, and had to be rescued. He appeared shocked and cried for long as if he was in distress. Father was sure, that it was after this incident, he developed phobia for water.
N was often punished at home and school for not washing before and after eating. He often avoided bathing if he could help. He would drink water only after much persuasion and needed treatment for urinary tract infection twice during two years.
Many children have internalized different experiences and suffer recurrent emotional pain when there is any reminder of a traumatic incident. This is one form of post-traumatic stress disorder, with needs cognitive behavior therapy.They recover gradually but surely.
When a child appears unreasonable in his or her behavior, please take time to discover its association with a possible previous trauma, fear, distress, etc. that a child may have suffered from. This calls for more sympathetic parenting practices and sensitivity by teachers at school.
M.C.Mathew
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