Should I get a 2nd opinion?

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My 12 year old son, Austin, was diagnosed with Bipolar NOS today. I don't feel that this is the right diagnosis for him. He has never had any depressive episodes. I'm wondering if I should get a 2nd opinion. I would hate to put him on meds that aren't right for him.

The following problems have been with him since birth:

Austin does display some of the symptoms of Bipolar disorder such as the angry outbursts. But, and I specifically told the doctor, he doesn't have any depression. There aren't many time when my son is sad. He's usually pretty content. Yes, there are times when he is hyper and talks incessantly. But, he hardly ever cries or mopes around like he's depressed. I know that depression in children can be shown outwardly as anger. But, there are certain situations that trigger his angry episodes.

Ever since birth, he's had sensory issues that have not gone away. Clothing bothers him. He doesn't like tags, seams, scratchy clothing or sheets. He prefers to wear sandals so he doesn't have to wear socks. He has a stiff and clumsy gait. He has to slap his feet on the floor or ground to make sure he has his footing. I used to tell him to stop stomping his feet.
"I'm not stomping," he would say. Then, lifting his feet up, one at a time, he would slam them down on the floor and say, "this is stomping." He quickly taught me the difference between his normal gait and stomping.

Most of the time he takes things literally. And, he's very blunt when it comes to telling people how he feels about them or a certain subject. He seems to be less empathetic to other peoples feelings than most children his age. It doesn't seem like it's done in a mean way. He just doesn't seem to understand the feelings of others; nor does he care to.

He's constantly scripting. It doesn't matter what we are talking about, he always has some quote from a movie or TV show that works for the topic of discussion. His interests are limited to Pokemon and Yu-Gi oh cards, video games, and science related items. He doesn't socialize very well with others. He has one friend that he will play with. He likes to spend time with me because I'm the only one that understands him. He loves to talk to adults and adults are amazed at how articulate he is. He can look people in the eyes for a short period of time; especially people that he already knows. Usually, however, he looks away quite often.

He is hypersensitive to some sounds. Loud noises or unexpected noises give him such a start that he screams. High pitched noises and multiple noises bother him a lot. However, if he is intrigued by a show on the TV or video game he can usually tune out background noise. When it comes to people talking though he has a more difficult time hearing just one voice.

As for his tactile senses, he prefers a deep touch. He doesn't like being tickled. He says it hurts. He loves to be surrounded by pillows and have a heavy blanket over him. He asked me this morning if I could buy three heavy blankets for him so he could be comfortable.

And, what about his hand flapping? He does this when he is excited, nervous or having trouble speaking. He tends to stammer and can't get the words out fast enough. His hand will be flapping or he'll be jumping up and down or spinning. Sometimes he'll just stop talking and just stare off into space for a while with a blank look on his face. He does that a lot when it's raining.

So, should I get a 2nd opinion? Or, do you feel that it could be Bipolar NOS? Any advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Erica

As the medications and treatments for juvenile bipolar are so serious and specific to bipolar disorder, yes, absolutely seek a second opinion from a qualified specialist, like a developmental pediatrician. It could be bipolar with SPD, it could be ASD, it could be anything, but it's certainly not going to hurt to get as much covered with as many specialists you can.

Thank you so much for replying! My problem here is that he has been going to see a neuropsychologist with the Children's Development Center in my area. He seems to be overlooking my sons other issues. I really feel that he has Asperger's syndrome or some sort of ASD. I'm at a loss now of where to turn for additional help. I'm going to get him into a Behavioral Therapist. Which, with any of these diagnoses, will definitely help him. However, I'm not sure if this type of therapist will be able to see something else in him other than Bipolar NOS because of the neuropsychologist diagnosing him as such.

I agree that it's worth a second opinion. Bipolar usually doesn't manifest until late teens as far as I know. I would think that a bipolar diagnosis would have to be very obvious to be made at such a young age; and it doesn't sound like your son is presenting as such. You can look for neurophysiologists on your insurance list. That's the type of doctor I went to for an assessment.

Thanks J0sh. I'm definitely going to look for a new doctor. I was really shocked when the neuropsychologist diagnosed him with Bipolar NOS at 12 years old. Especially when these symptoms have been on-going since birth. I appreciate your response. It makes me feel much better knowing that I'm not the only one who thinks that this doctor is wrong.