Sensory Processing Disorder?

[one l michele]

I pulled up this site after it being suggested due to another thread of mine on my middlers rages after eating. http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/ and I've also put The Out of Sync Child on hold at the library. What stands out is not my middler, but my "little guy". He's been through speech and physical therapy, they determined he simply has his own timeline. He likely has some form of hypotonia (as do I). He didn't walk until 21 months. But looking at the checklist at that site, he has ALL of the symptoms of hypersensitivity to touch, movement, oral input, and proprioceptive dysfunction? He will turn 6 in January, still sucks his thumb day and night, still rubs his "be bo" (belly button), grinds his teeth, chews anything, loves all things rough or fast, is always moving, tackling, bear hugs, crashing things, taking things apart, falling on the floor on purpose, biting his nails, all sports, etc. He is also anaphylactic to milk.

Do you have any thoughts, book recommendations, or links?

[LittleIzumi]

The Out-Of-Sync Child Has Fun
for activities/sensory diet/etc to help out

[az_momy]

Are you wanting tips on how to reign it in until you can get your hands on the book? There is a plethora of information on the web, but the book categorizes it best in an attainable and managable fashion so you can apply what you learn to YOUR child. A child who is either a sensory seeker or sensory avoider (or both, at different times) will need YOU to help guide his input/output until he learns to manage it. You will be his greatest advocate in this. For us it was developmental (ages 4-6 esp.), then it became manageable and my son (now 9) rarely needs sensory management to control rage issues, but sometimes to help process educational information.

I agree with the previous poster -- if you can't get your hands on Out of Sync, then try getting a copy of The Out of Sync Child has Fun.

I would also recommend starting a list. Write down the things that trigger emotional outbursts (does he have these?). Expose him to different textures, and make a list of things that he can't tolerate (either to touch or to eat). Does the feel of grass bother him? Does he walk on his tiptoes? Does he get upset if his clothes have tags or wrinkles? Does he rock or sway? These sorts of things...

When he is seeking sensory input, teach him manageable ways to get that input (rolling or bouncing on a therapy ball, doing cartwheels, walking like a wheelbarrow with his brother holding his feet, doing pushups or jumping jacks, swinging on a swing, etc.). Let him chew gum. There will be some motions that he might not like (make him sick to his stomach) and others he can't get enough of (but annoying to everyone else in the house or dangerous to himself). These are things that you will need to discern and help him find alternatives for. My son is a sensory seeker, so I can't speak for those with children who are sensory avoiders, only things we did to assist with appropriate input (such as balancing on a therapy ball vs. jumping down a flight of stairs repeatedly so he could see how much harder he could hit the wall at the bottom of the stairs).

My son was never "formally" diagnosed by a physician because our doctor had never heard of sensory integration disorder. However, my preemie son's occupational therapist picked up on it right away and led me in the right direction until he "outgrew" it. I would highly recommend Diana Henry, OT's workshop if it is available to you or possibly her videos. I wish I had attended her workshop in the beginning of my search for answers rather than at the end... but it still gave me so much useful information to work with for my boys, regardless.
http://shop.henryot.com/pk4/store.pl?section=3

Blessings to you on this journey!

[az_momy]

On Ms. Henry's OT site, I found a very helpful page which outlines different needs, and then down below has applications.
http://www.henryot.com/news/sensory_diet_applications_review.asp

Hope this helps...

[Kleine Hexe]

I have just started reading Sensational Kids.