8 yo staring off into space

[Bekka]

I am very curious about something our 8 yo has started doing. I will be talking to her (or someone else will) and she will fixate on something beyond/on the ceiling and just completely zone out for part of the conversation. It doesn't seem like she's doing it on purpose--no rolling eyes or sighs (she does that elsewhen), just a zone-out.

I need to get around to seriously having her hearing checked, and I am wondering if this has anything to do with it. When I ask her about it, she doesn't remember anything, doesn't tell me "what" she was looking at, and doesn't remember what I was saying or that I was talking to her in the first place. I am wondering about petit mals or something like that, but I don't want to go straight to an EEG (did that with dd1, kind of annoying), and I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas.

I don't know if this post should be elsewhere, as well.

TIA

[Heavenly]

It sounds to me like she is just daydreaming. Probably thinking about something very serious in the life of an 8 year old. I think jumping to the possibility of seizures is SERIOUSLY overreaching.

[suabel]

I actually know someone for whom her seizures were exactly as you describe. Especially if this is a new behavior or you have any alarm bells ringing, I don't see the harm in having it checked out. My friend's condition escalated before they caught it. I hope it's nothing. Hugs.

[4evermom]

I remember doing this and seeing other kids doing this all the time in school when a teacher was droning. It's easier to do when tired, ime.

[Dabble]

Originally Posted by 4evermom

I remember doing this and seeing other kids doing this all the time in school when a teacher was droning. It's easier to do when tired, ime.

Exactly. I have very clear memories of doing this in school and at home, too. And I remember seeing other kids doing it too. It's just a deep daydream, and I agree that it's much easier to fall into when tired. It's almost like a mini eyes-open nap, as if you are getting REM sleep in the middle of the day.

Is she getting enough good quality sleep at night?

I wouldn't worry about it at all. I'm sure it's frustrating having to repeat yourself all the time when she zones out like that, but the thought of seizures wouldn't even enter my mind. It sounds like a simple "problem" of a daydreaming child.

[heatherdeg]

Originally Posted by suabel

I actually know someone for whom her seizures were exactly as you describe. Especially if this is a new behavior or you have any alarm bells ringing, I don't see the harm in having it checked out. My friend's condition escalated before they caught it. I hope it's nothing. Hugs.

It's called "absence seizures". My son had them. There was no other behavior attached to them and I honest-to-God have no clue how we discovered them (he was much younger). If not for the fact that we got one on video, I'm not sure the doctors would've known for sure because they didn't turn up on any EEGs--extended or otherwise.

When she does it, tap her and see if she snaps out of it. If she doesn't most of the time (they don't last long), then I would have them checked out. Otherwise, she's probably just tuning out.

[Bekka]

Originally Posted by heatherdeg

When she does it, tap her and see if she snaps out of it. If she doesn't most of the time (they don't last long), then I would have them checked out. Otherwise, she's probably just tuning out.

See, I thought I had read something about this when we did the EEG stuff for dd1 (something unrelated). Thanks--this is a really concrete suggestion that I will try when I notice this this week.

Someone asked about sleep--she gets enough sleep most of the time--she's right at the transition point (almost 9) of needing slightly less sleep, but by Friday she's tired every week, even when she gets to bed on time. I'll keep an eye on her, and try the tapping thing. Also schedule/get a referral for hearing testing (probably unrelated).

[nextcommercial]

It's probably just daydreaming, or being tired.

Not to scare you, but I have seziures and they are exactly like that.

Sometimes I can hear what's being said.. I just can't snap out of it. Sometimes, I miss the whole thing. I just tell people "I lost my train of thought".

I usually will fixate on one thing, normally something small and bright. It's almost as if my eyes catch something, and I can't move my eyes. But, I am not really looking AT it.

It's almost ALWAYS when I am tired. Never when I'm well rested. So, early moring when I am trying to wake up, and late evening.

[spiraldancer]

I've done this all my life ("what are you staring at?" being frequently directed at me, lol) and now my 2 older kids do it, too. for me, and I think them, it's just a a kind of trance state, sort of like daydreaming or inner listening, or thinking about something really intensely. I'm into magic and imagination, so for me it's a physical process connected to those things, and hopefully not a health concern! best wishes that she's just a dreamy, thoughtful, psychically-attuned kind of girl . . .

[Bekka]

finally an update

It took us a while to get in to the neurologist. We did the whole evaluation process, and it turns out she has absence seizures and they've been getting worse (more frequent and longer). They're talking about "medicine" and I've been reading and anti seizure meds are pretty extreme, but anyway.

I have now decided it NEVER hurts to have something evaluated. We were right. Oh, and she fell and broke her arm (prob. during a seizure).

Thanks for all your responses/ideas. DH had the idea also to document the episodes, which was really useful as well, and describe in detail what we saw. In case anyone ever has questions about it.

[mama_mojo]

Good for you for following your instinct! I only just saw this thread, and would have said the behavior was normal, but worthy of checking just in case. It is wonderful to know your intuition lead you on the path to help your daughter.

[spiraldancer]

Wow - your instincts were right on! Good for you for trusting yourself and figuring out what's happening - what a great advocate you are for your daughter! Best of luck figuring out which approaches work best to deal with the seizures, let us know how it goes.

[annamama]

A member of our family had these absence seizures too, and yes, the consultant asked them to video the child during one of the seizures so that they could see what was happening from beginning to end.
He did have to have medication, but the Dr discussed it in great detail with them and really worked with them to try various combinations and reduce the side-effects.