Hi,
My new pre-adoptive son trips, and knocks himself on everything everyday... I am having his eyes checked but I think it is more attention issue than physical. He will walk down a hallway and all of the sudden trip over his own feet. He is heading for another room and hits the edge of the door...it feels like we spend most of the day saying "be careful" Does anyone have a similar problem with their 3.5 year old? Background history due to negligence by his birth parents he had some motorskill and cognitive delays..however, he has been given a clean bill by the therapists. I would appreciate any insights....
L.,
My first thought when reading this would be to get his ears checked, as opposed to his eyes. Inner ear infections (that can sometimes be painless) can cause balance issues. I would look into that. Also, if he was neglected as a younger child, he may do it just to hear you say becareful. It lets him know that you are there, and paying attention to him. He may just need a little extra tlc.
Sensory processing disorders can also cause a child to be 'clumsy' because they have trouble orienting themselves in space. DSI can also be worse one day and better the next which can make it appear to be a behavioral issue rather than a medical one. An OT can help you diagnosis and treat a sensory issue, if that were the problem. Good luck and let us know how it goes!
Jen
Hi there,
I too am an adoptive mother of twins (a boy and a girl). They are now twelve years old but when my son was three, he would walk into walls, trip over his feet and stumble over everything. I had his eyes, ears, everything checked. He did in fact need glasses but he was still knocking into things. What worked for him? - Karate! I signed my son up for karate classes and his balance, coordination and focus improved tremendously. I started to see results after only a couple of weeks. He took karate for five years before he abandoned it for baseball, lacrosse and football. Today he is an excellent well-rounded athlete with high grades in school. Karate helped him stay focused and on task as well as improve his balance. Every day he makes sure his homework and studies are completed before heading out to play. There is definitely something to be said for developing self-discipline. Hope you will give it a try - good luck!
L.,
I would definitely get his eyes checked. If for no other reason than just to rule out a vision problem. You mention that he has motor skill issues. That may be it. If his balance is a little off, then he'll bump into stuff and fall. Does he trip a lot when he's doing something physical that requires concentration, like trying to climb a jungle gym? Has he ever, either through therapy or at play time tried to walk a balance beam? If he can do those things when he is concentrating on them, but trips over his own feet, then it might just be general clumsiness. I do stuff like that. Nothing wrong with me, just a klutz. For whatever reason, I simply cannot remember to look where I'm going.
When it comes to balance, an ear exam would be a good idea. Inner ear fluid imbalance is often the culprit for balance issues. Also, kids tend to trip over their own feet a lot when their shoes are getting too small. At this age, he's probably outgrowing shoes every 3-4 months. If he just started doing this, you may want to just stop at a shoe store and get him sized. A growth spurt might be the problem.
So, in short, reasonably anything could be doing it. I would try these first, then see your ped if everything checks out okay, but he's still doing it.
Jess
