Temper tantrums: Re: RE: Temper Tantrums

» Red - Re: RE: Temper Tantrums

In response to message posted by kgurrl:

kgurrl,

I agree with most of your statements. Children as young as 4 weeks do not throw temper tantrums. They have a definite need.

There's one point that I want to bring forward. A meltdown is so much like a temper tantrum that it is often hard to tell the difference. If this trend continues when the child is taught his behavior is unacceptable, he/she should be taken to a behavior specialist. This is how we found out that Brandon had Asperger's. Even his father assumed he was throwing tantrums to get his own way. Not true. Brandon has a chemical imbalance of the brain that allows him to perceive things very differently than we do. For instance, when he looks at a tapestry, he doesn't see the entire thing, but each thread separately. Textures can cause him to meltdown, whether it be food, clothing, bedding etc. We have to be very careful when we buy him new clothes or bedding.

Don't always assume a child is throwing a temper tantrum when he may be having a meltdown. These are things that parents need to be educated in. Though Asperger's was discovered in 1939, the knowledge didn't reach the North American continent until 1995. Just a word of caution.

-- posted by Red