Next year, I'm going to home-school Adam. It's through the Idaho Virtual Academy. He'll have a teacher and most of the work will be done online.
This has been a VERY long year. He hates school. We've considered maybe there's a bully, he doesn't like his teachers, or even, maybe he's just not smart enough. He's getting Cs and Ds in most of his classes.
When Adam started kindergarten, he started telling us he couldn't stand the feeling of paper, and if he had to use a pencil ON paper, well, it was really traumatic. As we all know, you can't get through school without touching paper, or reading a book (also paper), or using a pencil. So, every year from the time he was in first grade, we talked to his teachers to see if he could possibly at least use pens instead of pencils. Most weren't at all sympathetic to this unknown oddity and refused.
So, we've struggled through 8 years of school. A few weeks ago, Adam took one of his ISAT tests and was just 4 points short of "Exceeding" in that class. A class in which he has a D. I asked him why he did so well and he said it was because he got to use the computer for the test instead of having to use paper. Bingo, I had an Epiphany. I guess I had just never really understood how bad this problem was. Adam has never been able to eat off a paper plate, use a paper napkin, or a paper towel unless it was ABSOLUTELY a last resort.
When our nieces Kelly and Abbie tutored Adam in third grade because he was having such a hard time with reading, it wasn't because he couldn't read - it was because he COULDN'T read - he couldn't stand the feel of books.
So why did it take me 8 years of school to figure out how bad this problem was? We even took him to 3 different counselors last year and one did tell us that he thought this was a sign of Autism although he has no other signs of it.
I've tried looking this up on the internet under phobias and can't find a thing. Anybody have any ideas? I'm considering taking him to hypnotherapy this summer to see if we can make this more manageable. I mean, how can a person get through life if they can't touch paper or read a book???
12 comments:
Jodi, it is a real phobia and here is the name....good luck!
papyrophobia
A fear of paper
Sheri
Thanks Sheri! However, I've been doing google searches for an hour now and can find tons of websites that tell what this phobia is, but can't find anything about treatment. Any suggestions?
I'll keep looking...letting him use the computer is brilliant tho. Is he excited about Home Schooling? We have a program like that in Oregon and a lot of kids do really well with it. Sheri
OOOHhhhh man, I'm searching ALL OVER because a few months ago one of the (many) blogs I read talked about this; her son was diagnosed with...with...oh hell I'm going to keep looking.
Have you had him tested for Asperger's Syndrome? That's a low-spectrum form of Autism; it definately includes hating the feel of certain things (my friend's son has it and he can NOT stand the feel of certain fabrics.)
I'll keep looking.
Ok, you guys are definately helping me! I did some research on Aspergers Syndrome and he definately exhibits some of those behaviors. He needs everything to be the same (routine), he has some OCD behaviors (germs), and the paper thing.
My friend LeeAnn from DG - her son Kevin has Asbergers Syndrom. She has had the same problem with Kevin. I wonder if you and she should talk. Would you be willing to call her, if I asked her about it first. The two of you could probably help each other alot.
Adam? Having Asperger's? He's WAY too social and empathetic to have that...
Err, is it possible that his phobia(s) are an indirect result of the events he went through when he was little? Wasn't it 8 years ago that you got cancer for the first time? It might be that letting him indulge in what seemed a harmless fear/dislike at a time when so much was going on may have actually enabled this fear/dislike to blossom. You might want to research OCD more and maybe see a specialist who can help him overcome those fears.
It could be a form of autism but with his social skills with friends, and from my interaction with him, he seems like a pretty empathetic kid who gets along well with his peers. If anything, he's too nice. Adam is a great person and I just hope he can find a way to overcome this fear. We're here for ya, buddy!
Heather, Asperger's can be so mild that it often isn't diagnosed at all; or it's misdiagnosed as ADHD or ADD.
I agree that the OCD thing most likely stems from when you had cancer; kids (or adults) develop it when stressful situations occure that are beyond their control. So they (we) control what we can. Treatment is usually therapy and/or drugs.
I just eventually grew out of mine but I think that's kind of unusual.
I think no matter what it is, the first thing I'd like to try is hypnosis. We'll see what happens.
Disliking the feel of paper or the sound of a pencil on paper sounds more like Asperger's symptoms than just a random phobia. My friend's great-granddaughter has Asperger's & loves to draw, but can only use pens due to the sound that pencils make on the paper. Hopefully the info helps...good luck!
Pat
I don't think it's a phobia. In my family, we call it "a texture thing." I can barely touch toilet paper. It's too soft, and gives me the heebie jeebies. I hate paper towels. I hardly use them, but sometimes the gross factor of wiping up something with a rag, then having to wash that rag is enough to make be grab a paper towel. But I will NOT touch a paper towel if my hands are in the least bit damp. I will dry my hands and wait until they're completely dry, and then i have to put on lotion, or I can't touch the paper towel.
I hate touching newspapers, too.
When my brother lived out of the country as a missionary, we read that missionaries in that country couldn't buy cotton balls and really missed having them. So we sent him a bag. We apparently forgot that he can't stand to touch them. I can barely stand them, either. I prefer Q-tips.
I also can't fold laundry unless I have put lotion on my hands first. It feels the same as paper towels and toilet paper on my hands unless I do.
I think it would be more indicative of a sensory disorder (hypersensitivity) than a phobia. Do you have to cut the tags out of his clothes?
Susie, thanks for the comments! Have you tried hypnosis? I think that's going to be my only hope to get him through life (and school). I just don't know what else to try!
Thanks for the info re hypersensitivity, I'm going to google it and see what I can find! Welcome to my goofy blog!
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