Q:
My 2½-year-old grandson gets upset when anyone expresses excitement. When it was my husband’s birthday, for example, we explained to my grandson that we were going to sing “Happy Birthday.” But when the family started singing, he began to scream. I don’t know if there’s any relationship, but he was delayed in his speech, though it’s fine now. We don’t understand why he does this.
A:
Your question raises two possibilities. One, your grandson has a sensitive temperament and finds noise and excitement upsetting. Generally, with time and patience youngsters like this tend to feel more comfortable. A second possibility is that there is a developmental delay in your grandson regarding socialization. When a child has one delay, such as speech, it is common for other delays to occur.
I recommend that your daughter consult her pediatrician so she can talk with him about several issues – namely, whether he makes eye contact, is able to give and receive affection, communicates with the adults in his world, demonstrates reasonable intelligence and is interested in other children. If the pediatrician finds him normal in these regards, chances are your grandson has a sensitive temperament.
Dr. Bettye M. Caldwell Ph.D. Professor of Pediatrics in Child Development and Education
