Question
A seven-and-a-half-year-old girl is undergoing hormone treatment for optic neuritis. She is worried about being teased by classmates for her weight and is afraid to go to school. At home, she gets angry over homework, and on severe occasions, she doesn’t know how to do simple addition and subtraction within ten. What should the parents do if they accompany her to school?
Answer
Based on the symptoms, it appears that the child has been using hormones for an extended period, leading to side effects such as obesity. Currently, there is a clear case of low self-esteem, which needs to be prevented from developing into autism or social phobia. Does the child have any signs of personality isolation, social barriers, ignoring others, not responding when called, or unwillingness to meet strangers? If so, it should be treated as soon as possible by consulting with a pediatric neurology department at a children’s hospital.