Sensory Processing Disorder?

[SweetErika]

Does anyone here have a Sensory Processing Disorder? There are many, many different types and levels of severity from what I've read. I may have a fairly mild form myself, as I can have strong (and really illogical, if I'm honest) reactions to certain colors, light, sounds and textures. I feel like these specific things assault me, and while it doesn't have a negative impact on my daily life, it can definitely be disquieting and cause some anxiety.

Anyway, I'm curious because our toddler may have an SPD. We're taking him to be evaluated by specialists in a few weeks; if he does, most of his issues seem to be in the social (e.g. aggression and trouble learning social norms), impulse control, and sensing danger realms. It'd be interesting to hear how this condition affects people as they mature into adults, with or without early intervention (which I understand can be critical for kids with this disorder).

 

[Phaedre]

Hi,

I do not have a sensory processing disorder but my daughter (13 yrs) has a diagnosis of autistic spectrum condition and has every SPD issue going.

I found that the check lists on this website really helped me to pin down exactly what her behaviours were. Although it is related to its check lists for Asperger's Syndrome (which my daughter has) I think it was helpful in pinning down some of the sensory issues.

This website has another checklist.

Similarly this website has lots of useful info which might be helpful to you.

As a parent I understand how worrying these behaviours are & I would urge you to try to get some help now whilst your child is young. These behavioural issues are _much_ harder to manage with an older child.

Good Luck!

 

[SweetErika]

Thanks, Phaedre!

We have an appointment to have our son evaluated by a team at an excellent local pediatric therapy center that specializes in Autism, SPD, ADHD, and other issues on the 27th. The center offers many different options, including water and horse therapy. His doctor stressed if it IS something like a sensory disorder, we definitely don't want to miss this opportunity to get him help early, so I'm glad I decided to take him in, his doc took my concerns seriously and we're able to have them checked out right away. Even if it's [somewhat] "typical toddler" behavior, I'm excited about having some different opportunities for learning parenting techniques, coping strategies, support, and of course helping our little guy work on his social and fine motor skills more.

We have Asperger's and some other brain and mood issues throughout our family tree, so I've definitely been watching for signs all along. I don't believe that even a mild ASD fits his symptoms well, but when I go through the SPD and early ADHD checklists, I absolutely see a bunch of red flags that have been popping up for many months in most cases. I guess we'll see what the experts have to say, though; in the meantime, I'll hope I'm just overreacting and imagining things!

 

[bobinks2]

My son has some sensory processing issues. He's 12 now. I didn't know there was treatment for it.

I don't fully understand it. I know that when baking, when you rub flour on a wooden rolling pin so that the dough doesn't stick to it, the sound of rubbing the flour on the rolling pin affects him like fingernails on a chalk board. I'm sure there are other sounds that most people don't hear that drive him nuts as well. He also seems less tolerant of temperature changes. (ie If the class is too hot, it will affect him more than other kids.)

I read a book a couple of years ago about gifted kids. The guy who wrote the book worked with a student who could tell what he was writing by the sound that the pencil made on the paper. Each letter/number had a unique sound. The student could tell what he was writing almost without error.

I think the classroom is a terrible place for kids with sensory processing issues. They know that the classroom is supposed to be a quiet place. The teacher is supposed to maintain quiet, but there are people making disruptive noises and the teacher doesn't do anything about it. Of course the teacher can't hear the disruptive noises, but it's so clear to the student that they don't understand it.

I also think these noises, temperatures tend to overload his senses. Sometimes I think the classroom for him would be like plopping me down in the middle of a casino amidst the slot machines and all the associated lights and sounds and asking me to study.

Not sure if this helps. As far as what happens as they get older, he seems to be better at dealing with it now than he was when he was younger. I don't know if it bothers him less, or if he has just learned how to deal with it.

On another note, my son had double vision. (He saw two of everything.) He thought that was normal, because it had always been that way. The classroom is a really bad place for a kid with double vision. If you have a child who is having difficulty in the classroom, you might ask if they ever see two of everything. It never occurred to me to ask. When he told me, I didn't believe him. I thought he was joking.

 

[SweetErika]

My son has some sensory processing issues. He's 12 now. I didn't know there was treatment for it.

Yeah, I'm not exactly sure what the most accepted treatments entail, but I find it encouraging that there IS help if SPD turns out to be the major issue.

I don't fully understand it. I know that when baking, when you rub flour on a wooden rolling pin so that the dough doesn't stick to it, the sound of rubbing the flour on the rolling pin affects him like fingernails on a chalk board. I'm sure there are other sounds that most people don't hear that drive him nuts as well. He also seems less tolerant of temperature changes. (ie If the class is too hot, it will affect him more than other kids.)

That has to really suck! I know that some people are hypersensitive while others are hyposensitive to certain things, and the severity can vary greatly.

I read a book a couple of years ago about gifted kids. The guy who wrote the book worked with a student who could tell what he was writing by the sound that the pencil made on the paper. Each letter/number had a unique sound. The student could tell what he was writing almost without error.

What an interesting gift!

Is your son gifted, Bob? I ask because while we haven't noticed anything savant-like, our son is outrageously verbal and way ahead of his peers in certain areas. Like he started showing an interest in potty training at 16 months and has been able to understand and clearly verbalize a shocking amount of information for quite sometime. But then he's lacking in fine motor and social skills, even though we work on them daily. And he hasn't shown an interest in quite a few "typical" baby and toddler activities, so he's behind in areas like stacking and sorting.

Not sure if this helps. As far as what happens as they get older, he seems to be better at dealing with it now than he was when he was younger. I don't know if it bothers him less, or if he has just learned how to deal with it.

That's encouraging!

On another note, my son had double vision. (He saw two of everything.) He thought that was normal, because it had always been that way. The classroom is a really bad place for a kid with double vision. If you have a child who is having difficulty in the classroom, you might ask if they ever see two of everything. It never occurred to me to ask. When he told me, I didn't believe him. I thought he was joking.

We've had our son's vision tested thoroughly because one of his eyes has always tended to get lazy. We'll stay on the lookout for issues since nearly everyone in our family has terrible vision, but apparently his is right where it's supposed to be at this age.

 

[bobinks2]

My son has some gifts, and he has some challenges.

As far as the eye tests go, he could pass a normal eye test.

I mentioned the double vision thing because I know a lot of ppl read this forum and it's something that I never would have thought of. Getting it corrected has made the classroom much more bearable.

 

[SweetErika]

My son has some gifts, and he has some challenges.

As far as the eye tests go, he could pass a normal eye test.

I mentioned the double vision thing because I know a lot of ppl read this forum and it's something that I never would have thought of. Getting it corrected has made the classroom much more bearable.

Our little guy is still shaky on numbers (like he knows two cookies are better than one, but I bet he'd randomly say a number if we asked how many of something he saw), so we'll have to wait until he knows them and can verbalize any issues like double vision better.

 

[WaitWhatt]

1. Sensory Seeking Behaviors:



__ seeks out jumping, bumping, and crashing activities

__ stomps feet when walking

__ kicks his/her feet on floor or chair while sitting at desk/table

__ bites or sucks on fingers and/or frequently cracks his/her knuckles

__ loves to be tightly wrapped in many or weighted blankets, especially at bedtime

__ prefers clothes (and belts, hoods, shoelaces) to be as tight as possible

__ loves/seeks out "squishing" activities

__ enjoys bear hugs

__ excessive banging on/with toys and objects

__ loves "roughhousing" and tackling/wrestling games

__ frequently falls on floor intentionally

__ would jump on a trampoline for hours on end

__ grinds his/her teeth throughout the day

__ loves pushing/pulling/dragging objects

__ loves jumping off furniture or from high places

__ frequently hits, bumps or pushes other children

__ chews on pens, straws, shirt sleeves etc.

lol. Stupid list. A lot of that is typical kid stuff. Chewing on pens? Really? That can be anxiety. Or maybe the kid just needs a piece of gum and is used to chewing constantly.


I have the sound sensory thing though. It's certain freaking pitches I can't stand and obviously effect me more than other people.

 

[SweetErika]

lol. Stupid list. A lot of that is typical kid stuff. Chewing on pens? Really? That can be anxiety. Or maybe the kid just needs a piece of gum and is used to chewing constantly.

You're right, a lot of it is typical kid stuff, which is exactly why it can be tough to recognize and diagnose. The important thing is to look for the number of symptoms and severity of them, though.

Like I can check off a bunch of items that mainly fall in certain categories and the behaviors are on the extreme side of the spectrum. Everyone comments on how active our son is. He's go-go-go, even in comparison with his buddies who have a ton of energy. He's into stuff all the time, and it's not because he doesn't get enough attention. Everyone notes how ridiculously verbal he is. His talking and singing is frequently incessant; most of his peers are very quiet at this point in comparison. He nearly always hates having his "sensing tools" (head, hands, ears) covered, even temporarily. It's like he's constantly seeking out sensory experiences in extreme ways. He clearly has issues with impulse control, recognizing danger, being aware of his surroundings and aggression.

When I look at his peers (and I see loads of them 4+ days a week), I see a baseline of typical behavior. When I look at his behavior, I see a lot of typical toddler stuff, but also quite a bit of atypical and extreme behavior. Sticking a dried blueberry into his nose today? Totally normal! The fact that he could not follow simple safety rules at the park this morning? Problem!

We'll see what the experts say, but it's becoming more and more apparent that our son is different, and we all need some help to address the differences that are problematic safety-wise, socially, etc.

 

[WaitWhatt]

Makes more sense when you explain it that way. What about ADHD for that go-go-go thing? Or does that sensory thing go along with it?

 

[nikkifromny]

Hey, just wanted to chime in with some words of encouragement. I used to teach special education.

It's amazing what can be done when these types of challenges are caught when the child is preschool age. Early intervention can really work.

your son will definitely benefit from how proactive you and your husband are being.

Nikki

 

[SweetErika]

Makes more sense when you explain it that way. What about ADHD for that go-go-go thing? Or does that sensory thing go along with it?

The hyperactivity, impulsivity, incessant talking, not following rules, etc., could be a sign or either ADHD or a sensory disorder. From what I've read on both conditions, he could have either condition (or both, I suppose), but he does have some other symptoms that point toward SPD. I didn't talk to his pediatrician about it for that long, but he mentioned both disorders based on the symptoms we discussed. The thing is, it's really hard to diagnose early ADHD at this age - kids aren't diagnosed with that until they're at least 4-6 (usually when we can see how they behave in a classroom environment and the teacher can add more info), and then the parents look back and see there were symptoms of it much earlier.

I believe they'll test him and look at all of his symptoms on the whole, and the treatment(s) will be similar regardless of whether they think it's early ADHD or SPD. Medication for ADHD is absolutely not an option until kids are at least 6, so any treatment for that would have to be behavior-based in nature. Of course I hope we'd never have to resort to medication even for clear ADHD, but I know it's something we'll have to consider if that is what he has and we've exhausted all of our other options. His doctor mentioned looking at that choice when/if the time comes, and I felt very reassured that he believe it IS a choice each parent has to make. He's definitely not a pill pusher by any means!

Hey, just wanted to chime in with some words of encouragement. I used to teach special education.

It's amazing what can be done when these types of challenges are caught when the child is preschool age. Early intervention can really work.

your son will definitely benefit from how proactive you and your husband are being.

Nikki

Thanks, Nikki!

One of the problems I'm running into is my mom also has a ton of Special Ed and LD teaching experience, so she has ideas on what conditions should look like and is totally against "labeling" our son with any sort of diagnosis. For instance, her idea of SPD is kids who have an immense amount of difficulty functioning and must be in a SpEd environment. It's like she doesn't get that all of this stuff falls on a spectrum and our son could very well have something that is less severe but still affects his functioning. So, she's quick to tell us her grandson is a normal toddler, every kid is different, and we just need to parent differently. The thing is, I've been working on that theory and blaming myself for 6-10 months now, and I really just need her to let it be and say, "I'm glad you're getting him checked out and treated if necessary." I told her that last weekend, but she can't stop nagging, so I'm pretty sure her harassment will resume in short order. It's sad because I'd like to be able to talk to her about it and get her support, but instead I have to avoid all mention of it so she doesn't keep telling us the same thing over and over.

 

[Layne]

"raises hand"

hey, been following your thread, however for some reason have been unable to get my user name and password to stay on my phone.

anyway - 43 yo male here and I battle SPD every day - have for years, only didn't know what to call it until the last few. Bipolar as well - but...

Is it awful - yea

Can it be dealt with, yea

for me, colors seem to be the hardest thing to deal with, so many times they become so loud that it is painful and I get really frustrated - one particular resturant, I simply cant dine at anymore due to the art on the walls - but thats a longer story

of all the things I've done, tried - my greatest feat was my Christmas gift to me, this year, a 20 pound weighted blanket - not cheap, but well worth every cent.

Also - (cringe if you want) - I sleep with a pacifier, yes at my age - it calms me, i do not destroy my teeth from grinding them all night, and my lips (which I chew on all day) get a break -

pretty sure I didnt answer anything you asked - but know that its real, and its not necessarily something that he will "grow out of" - maybe so, I hope so, but it is something that you can learn to deal with.

 

[Karal]

Just to throw this out....

Is there the possibility that Synesthesia enters into this?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia

I ask because there are varying types and feedback from that can cause odd and out of the ordinary behaviors as well.

I personally have sound -> color Synesthesia myself and it can, under the right circumstances, be slightly distracting. Like the Wiki article mentions..I'm also one of those who "see" music on a screen. But that...can be disconcerting to a child and possibly causing something along these lines.

Anyway, I thought I might contribute because Synesthesia is one of those things that's simply not generally possible to diagnose through typical pediatrics.

 

[SweetErika]

Just to throw this out....

Is there the possibility that Synesthesia enters into this?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia

I ask because there are varying types and feedback from that can cause odd and out of the ordinary behaviors as well.

I personally have sound -> color Synesthesia myself and it can, under the right circumstances, be slightly distracting. Like the Wiki article mentions..I'm also one of those who "see" music on a screen. But that...can be disconcerting to a child and possibly causing something along these lines.

Anyway, I thought I might contribute because Synesthesia is one of those things that's simply not generally possible to diagnose through typical pediatrics.

Maybe, but I haven't noticed him showing any traits of it, or at least the descriptions don't "ring true" like many of the SPD and early ADHD symptoms.

Our appointment with the Occupational Therapy team (one's an OT, the other is some other kind of therapist or pediatric specialist) is in a few days, so we'll just have to see what the testing and such shows. In the past week or two, our son has started claiming many things are "too tight" and taking those "tight" things (which aren't tight at all) off when he can. I don't know if he's trying to get a reaction, or if he actually feels his shoes, socks, diaper, seatbelt, pants, elastic on his coat's wristbands, hats, etc., are truly too tight for him to stand them.

 

[Noor]

Maybe, but I haven't noticed him showing any traits of it, or at least the descriptions don't "ring true" like many of the SPD and early ADHD symptoms.

Our appointment with the Occupational Therapy team (one's an OT, the other is some other kind of therapist or pediatric specialist) is in a few days, so we'll just have to see what the testing and such shows. In the past week or two, our son has started claiming many things are "too tight" and taking those "tight" things (which aren't tight at all) off when he can. I don't know if he's trying to get a reaction, or if he actually feels his shoes, socks, diaper, seatbelt, pants, elastic on his coat's wristbands, hats, etc., are truly too tight for him to stand them.

I suspect he actually feels uncomfortable in them. It may not be the actual tightness but the how it feels, I could only wear covered elastic on wristbands and waistbands. Pantyhose drive me insane. Need something between my body and the seatbelt, something soft like polarfleece,

I don;t mind my hands covered as long as the coverings met the right criteria, are the even , am I able to do things with them on , the material feels right. I can't handle my hands being dirty at all, esp sticky.

 

[Noor]

I understanding the not wanting to label too early. learning to swim at a young age and swimming a lot helped.

 

[Sir Victor]

Maybe, but I haven't noticed him showing any traits of it, or at least the descriptions don't "ring true" like many of the SPD and early ADHD symptoms.

Our appointment with the Occupational Therapy team (one's an OT, the other is some other kind of therapist or pediatric specialist) is in a few days, so we'll just have to see what the testing and such shows. In the past week or two, our son has started claiming many things are "too tight" and taking those "tight" things (which aren't tight at all) off when he can. I don't know if he's trying to get a reaction, or if he actually feels his shoes, socks, diaper, seatbelt, pants, elastic on his coat's wristbands, hats, etc., are truly too tight for him to stand them.

These things fall on a spectrum. A fascinating read is Temple Grandin's "Thinking in Pictures":
http://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Pictures-Expanded-Life-Autism/dp/0307275655

She speaks about being sensitive to the feeling of clothes, how pressure all over her body calms her and how there seem to be some wires crossed in her visual to auditory processing. I realize that he is not Autistic but there might be some overlap in other areas.

This also might be helpful if you need to determine what type of learner he is:
http://www.gifteddevelopment.com/Visual_Spatial_Learner/vsl.htm

Watch out for Dyslexia which often goes along with these things.

Do you have the huge toddler sized Lego? I don't think it is called lego. Chances are you've got an engineer on the way and they are usually excellent with Lego.

 

[Noor]

From my point of view, the physical sensations and such can be overcome or avoided once you know how to deal with them, but the social aspects are much harder. Dyslexia can also be a problem but there are patterns you can learn to recognize.

Another book that Temple Grandin co-wrote, The Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships is definitely one to consider. In the long run for your child teaching them these sorts of things will help a lot more.

To this day I still have problems with social things, even though I know what is going on.

I remember dates, times, numbers, its not like I commit them to memory, they just are there. For instance if someone says "Wow, I haven't spoken to you in a couple weeks," I think actually its been 24 days, when you said you would get back to me on that Sunday, which would have been 21 days ago. If I am very tired, I forget and say that, but normally I would say "yes, its been a while" or change the subject because making white lie small talk is near impossible for me.

I also tend to take people literally and believe them unless I have some reason not to. I know that people often are not being literal and that many people do not actually mean what they said but that is a thought that must be super imposed on top of my initial thoughts. The problem is when someone tells me something several times and doesn't follow through, I tend to stop believing anything they say because I can't really distinguish the "white" lies from the serious ones.

 

[Noor]

If you would like a list of coping skills I use for the sensory stuff, pm me and I will send them.

 

[Noor]

"The Ten Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships

(From page 119)
Rule #1: Rules are Not Absolute. They are Situation-based and People-based.

Rule #2: Not Everything is Equally Important in the Grand Scheme of Things.

Rule #3: Everyone in the World Makes Mistakes. It Doesn’t Have to Ruin Your Day.

Rule #4: Honesty is Different than Diplomacy.

Rule #5: Being Polite is Appropriate in Any Situation.

Rule #6: Not Everyone Who is Nice to Me is My Friend.

Rule #7: People Act Differently in Public than They do in Private.

Rule #8: Know When You’re Turning People Off.

Rule #9: “Fitting In” is Often Tied to Looking and Sounding Like You Fit In

Rule #10: People are Responsible for Their Own Behaviors"- The Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships

 

[SweetErika]

OK, so we went to his evaluation yesterday, and while he's typical in almost every major developmental area (he has a smallish lag in things like feeding, dressing and hygiene, but then is crazily ahead of his peers in verbal and cognitive skills), it was very clear to the team that he has some sensory issues going on. He spent the whole session go-go-going (even though he had played hard before we even got there!), climbing, jumping onto a pillow about 30 times, and wanting to be hugged tightly by one of the therapists over and over!

So, they referred us for Occupational Therapy, which is great. It's a huge relief to know his "quirks" are actually something, and we can work on them to keep him safer and help him do better socially, emotionally, etc.

 

[Reading_is_Sexy]

I am glad that you sought out answers and help for him! I have some sensory issues myself, and as a teacher, I can see how it impacts children dramatically. My parents never found my "quirks" anything to be seen for. I can't unwrap the paper off of napkins, or even touch paper napkins, hold wooden Popsicle sticks, etc. I like to be weighted-- even made myself a weighted blanket haha. Held tightly, lots of pressure, etc. to calm me down in anxious situations.

It is great that you are taking him to OT-- esp. with your concern about his danger issues. I am sure they will be able to help lots!

 

[SweetErika]

I am glad that you sought out answers and help for him! I have some sensory issues myself, and as a teacher, I can see how it impacts children dramatically. My parents never found my "quirks" anything to be seen for. I can't unwrap the paper off of napkins, or even touch paper napkins, hold wooden Popsicle sticks, etc. I like to be weighted-- even made myself a weighted blanket haha. Held tightly, lots of pressure, etc. to calm me down in anxious situations.

It is great that you are taking him to OT-- esp. with your concern about his danger issues. I am sure they will be able to help lots!

Have you seen that commercial for the "hugging" weighted coats for dogs that are supposed to calm them right down during fireworks and anxiety attacks? Sorry, but the weighted blanked comment reminded me of that! In all seriousness, I know weight/hugging is calming for a lot of people and pets, and what a cool, easy solution!

Yesterday, they had a huge "therapy" pillow that apparently helps a lot of people with sensory disorders and autism. It even converts into a pillow chair for reading and such. I'm sure they're very expensive, but we might make something like that for our son to at least jump into, tunnel under, etc.

I'm VERY lucky I'm able to stay at home with our son (as much as I'd much rather work outside the home sometimes!) and have so many activities nearby where I can see how tons of other kids act, he interacts with all of his peers, etc. I'm not sure we would have taken any special notice if either of those factors were missing, quite honestly. It's so easy to write kids with his particular issues off as hyperactive, problem children, just too physical, emotionally unstable, very independent, and even the result of poor parenting.

The therapists also noted how incredibly lucky we were to have a pediatrician who was aware of sensory disorders and took my concerns seriously enough to make the referral, because apparently most doctors don't.

So, the stars aligned for us on this one, really.

 

[glynndah]

Erika, I have a son with autism. When he was much younger {he's 26 now}, Lekotek was very helpful. I would most definitely recommend getting in touch with them.