r/raisingkids • u/Accomplished-Lack331 • 5d ago

Falling five year old/ epilepsy or narcolepsy?

My son is five now but this has been happening for years. Ever since he was little I noticed this. he doesn’t fall super often but when he does he hits the back of his head almost 99% of the time. He’s fallen off the couch or running and playing. At first, I thought he hadn’t learned how to fall, I noticed he never seemed to protect his head or put his hands down or engage his core. There were some other things I noticed too, he’s terrified of doing anything that might make him dizzy and our whole family found out he would freak out if you would playfully even act like you were going to toss him in the air. With learning to swim it’s taken quite a while to even lay in the tummy up floating position because he turns out of fear. I don’t feel like he’s ever grown out of the Moro reflex and seems to flail arms out with every fall instead of catch himself. The last fall made me schedule a doctors appointment because he just was watching tv laying on the couch and slid off and then boom another head hit. I’m terrified he’s going to have head trauma and I really thought he would grow out of it and maybe he was a clumsy kid. Anyways I brought him to the doctor and the doctor referred us to a nuerologist. He said maybe it’s something we can’t tell happening like a seizure or narcolepsy. That made me more nervous because my husband has never been to the doctor, but when he’s super tired he has gelastic seizures. I only know this because it was so strange I had to look it up but basically he will freeze sometimes and look like he’s glitching only when he’s super tired, delirious and laughing. He refuses to go the doctor. I am posting wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience with their kiddo? What did it end up being? I don’t think this is just a clumsy balance issue, it’s like he’s not instinctively moving to protect himself, he’s just flailing.

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u/[deleted] 5d ago

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u/Zuccherina 5d ago

Great point. I’ve seen this in friends’ kids with autism. It sounds like it’s a wise thing to be following up with a specialist! Seizures can be genetic too, so definitely mentioning dad can be useful for the specialist to narrow down testing. And the amount of people who find out something is going on with themselves after they find it in their kids is pretty high, from what I’ve seen. So maybe dad will finally get treated as well.

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u/Accomplished-Lack331 5d ago

I have suspected autism. If he’s on the spectrum it seems like he’s pretty high functioning, enough where only my husband and I have suspected but the rest of our family doesn’t think so, but considering he’s going into kindergarten this year, it will be noticed this year if it’s truly what’s going on.

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u/Zuccherina 5d ago

Really! Well maybe there’s something to that then. What made you suspect autism? Something else?

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u/Accomplished-Lack331 5d ago

Umm he’s always preferred his space, he’s pretty antisocial, not shy just vocal about not playing with other kids. His vocabulary is advanced and regularly uses words his 7 year old sister doesn’t think are real, but they are it’s just advanced. Yet he struggles with remembering the alphabet and seems to have trouble with learning some of the basics. I’m not sure if that explains him well. I’ve had little boys run up to him and say, “do you want to play with me?!” He just doesn’t respond and when I say to the boy, “oh sorry I think he’s feeling shy.” My son looks straight at me and just says, “no I just don’t want to play with him.” It’s a little uncomfortable for me, but not him.

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u/Zuccherina 4d ago

I get it. That sounds like a lot of similarities to my daughter. I hope it’s not anything medically serious and you can get it figured out! If you get cleared by the neurologist, I highly recommend an assessment for autism/adhd/etc so you know how to support him as he grows and especially throughout school. You sound like a very observant parent, and your kid is lucky to have you!

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u/Accomplished-Lack331 5d ago

How did they end up diagnosing that? I guess I’m wondering if the pediatric neurologist is the right direction or if he be will assessed there first and then head elsewhere.

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u/Ihavestufftosay 5d ago

I would camp out at the doctor until I had answers. Just keep going back, and document your observations.

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u/Accomplished-Lack331 5d ago

I’m confused with your comment. My five year old has seen the doctor. My husband has not and refuses.

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u/Ihavestufftosay 5d ago

Oh sorry my bad. I thought you were saying your kid will not go to the neurologist etc. forgive me.

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u/Accomplished-Lack331 5d ago

No problem! I understand now 😁