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Liamsmom 
So Liam has started having meltdowns at school. Not like angry, mean, throwing, temper-tantrums, just meltdowns. He'll be fine one minute and then he'll start full on crying, like the pressure has gotten to him and he just starts crumples into tears. Loud, huge, racking, sobbing tears. Took him to Dr. Prentice (his pediatrician) and she could find nothing physically wrong with him to cause it. No signs of abuse (any form of abuse, thank goodness) and no illness (ie ear infections, sinus...). She spoke with his neurologist and they believe he's having some sort of anxiety or panic attack due to the fact that he's becoming more cognizant that he has A-T. Which is typical of the disorder. At a certain point kids with A-T usually start counseling sessions with a child psychologist. They need to learn how to cope with their diagnosis which is not good and the fact that they have to work so much harder, physically, to get their bodies to do what they want them to do. I mean Liam has to really concentrate to get his muscles to cooperate and do even the most basic things like writing his own name. Meanwhile, the other kids his own age, are finishing faster and playing faster than he is. Kids with A-T typically have above average intelligence. Which I can only imagine frustrates them to no end. A friend asked me the other day, "I wonder what is harder, not being able to walk and do simple things from birth, thereby never having the experience of freedom, or starting out normal, physically and then having it taken away from you slowly over a period of time." My reply is I don't know. The only way I would know is if we could ask someone that has gone through it both ways and ask them which do you prefer? Since that is not a possibility I have no answer to her question. I cannot imagine either prospect is good. Can you imagine how frustrating it would be to be all there mentally but not be able to move physically? I have since contacted a child psychologist, in my area, and have set up an appt to meet with her re: Liam. She wants to meet first with me and then with Liam. She's not sure he really need psycho-therapy. It may, she said, just be a matter of having family therapy. As well as, classes for P.D. and I, to learn how to deal with Liam, when these breakdowns, of his, happen. So, we'll as usual have to "wait and see". I hate that phrase.
