Is there a tribe for kids with sensory processing disorder?

[MamaScout]

That title pretty much said it all! I'm looking for other parents of kids with sensory processing disorder (SPD).

My DS is sensory seeking and I'm looking for others who could shed some light on the situation.

Thanks!

[annettemarie]

I'm going to move you over to Special Needs Parenting. I've gotten great advice there!

[AndVeeGeeMakes3]

There are a bunch of us here. Any specific thing you're interested in hearing about?

[kittynurse]

I've got a seeker - I'd love to help you out! What would you like to know?

Also, welcome to the Special Needs forum!

Martha

ETA looks like our guys are around the same age - DS1 was born at the end of May.

[kme]

HI and welcome! I have a son who is a sensory seeker; we just started OT about 3 weeks ago. He also has ADHD and an expressive language disorder. Red-flagged for dyslexia as well. I would love to communicate with other sensory seeker parents too!

[Peony]

6y DD1 is a sensory seeker and dyslexic. I saw the poster ahead of me has a DS who is on the path there as well.

[HarperRose]

Hey there! I have 2 kids w/ it and have it, myself!

[Owachi]

I don't think my ds has sensory processing disorder but he has some sensory issues....he is turning 3 soon and the books on the disorder don't say very much about toddler years. Anyone read any good books for infant/toddler years?

[newmommajess]

join the club

I also have a ds that is 2 with pdd nos and lots of sensory issues. He is a seeker as well. We do lots of deep pressure excersises with balls, scooter boards, rolling pins, brushing. Lots of good books. Anything specific?

[JoyofBirth]

I have 2, possibly 3, girls with it. My oldest is mostly a seeker, with some defensiveness. My younger is mostly defensive with a few seeking behaviors. My baby is showing some signs of defensiveness. My oldest started out defensive. Sometimes it's all very difficult for me. We are dealing with a lot of behavior and discipline issues. I could totally use some advice on how to handle my children at other people's homes and in public.

[straighthaircurly]

My DS is now 5.5 and was diagnosed with moderate SPD at age 3.5. He had 6 months of OT which helped a lot and taught me a lot about how to help him. He has a mix of sensory seeking (proprioceptive and other movement senses and sight) and sensory avoiding (sounds, tastes, clothing, and smells). We sought professional help because it was damaging his peer relationships and causing difficulties within his preschool classroom as well as preventing him participation in certain activities he enjoyed.

He is now halfway through a successful Kindergarten year. He still struggles at times but we found a school with strong support for his needs.

[straighthaircurly]

Originally Posted by JoyofBirth

I have 2, possibly 3, girls with it. My oldest is mostly a seeker, with some defensiveness. My younger is mostly defensive with a few seeking behaviors. My baby is showing some signs of defensiveness. My oldest started out defensive. Sometimes it's all very difficult for me. We are dealing with a lot of behavior and discipline issues. I could totally use some advice on how to handle my children at other people's homes and in public.

Have you read The Out-of-Sync Child yet? Once you know the specific area of seeking and defensiveness you can start to observe triggers. Keep a journal of good moments and difficult moments and then analyze what led up to those moments. Recognizing negative triggers and getting clear of them is key. It helped us to learn to do joint compressions (best if a professional demonstrates for you, but they are easy to do) as a calming method.

In terms of discipline and behavior...I found I had to be even more proactive than the average parent about food and sleep. I also had to lay clear expectations right before we entered a social setting about how to act then I had to vigilant to the noise and activity levels and leave before it became overwhelming for him. We sometimes had a secret signal he could use if things became too noisy for him. Or I had to be creative when walking became an overwhelming chore for him (marching is a great way to get a sensory seeking child the sensory input they need to not collapse in a heap on the floor when trying to walk calmly). Don't punish the child for reacting to a trigger that has overwhelmed or underwhelmed their senses. Try instead to predict and compensate or give them an alternative behavior that meets their sensory needs.

And it does get easier as they learn to recognize the triggers on their own as they get older.

[isign]

DS - 19m - has been referred to an OT for an eval for SPD, and is being evaluated for speech/hearing issues as well. I'm still learning a lot about this, and am going to get The Out of Sync Child this weekend. I know that SPD often misdiagnosed as ADHD, which is a concern since DH has it as well. I also know that it's not usually diagnosed until around 5 or older. He craves touching things, and puts everything in his mouth. He has an extremely high pain tolerance which concerns me. He feel on the pavement yesterday and didn't cry. Later I saw how scratched up his knees were and was quite surprised that he didn't even fuss.

I talked to a psychologist yesterday who spoke at my mom's group (MOPS). I told her that I've been looking for tools for to work with him, and keep hitting walls. So many people online tell me that he's a normal toddler, but his activity level combined with other behavior is not normal. She understood me, and made me feel better about my 'mommy skills', and validated my concerns.

I'm really wanting to talk to other mamas on how to teach/discipline DS effectively.

[cherylinbuffalo]

I would also suggest "The Out Of Synch Child Has Fun"....because it follows "The Out Of Synch Child", but gives lots of good ideas for activities you can do once you start to identify problems that your child is having!!

My dd has severe SPD, among other problems....and receives ST, OT, PT, and SEIT through our county Early Intervention Program.

[ericswifey27]

Subbing... an OT mentioned some signs of sensory issues with our oldest and from what I've read I am also concerned. We have an assessment coming up in a couple of weeks...

[elmh23]

I have a sensory seeking 2 year old. He's been doing really well lately and has gone from OT every 2 weeks, to OT quarterly. I love OT though and credit it with helping him get to where he is now.

Oh and the Out of Sync Child Has Fun is a great book with lots of ideas on helping the child meet his or her needs in an appropriate way. We use several of the ideas in the book daily.

[isign]

I just picked up that book - LOVE the activities in it. The original Out of Sync book was out at B&N and am waiting for it to arrive.

We have an OT coming to evaluate DS.

[Fiestabeth]

Both of my girls have sensory issues, and I am blogging as a way to process and record our journey with it. I really wish I would have got earlier intervention for my older dd. She just started OT and my younger dd starts next month. Both girls have a really hard time with clothing and shoes, dd1 has issues with bright lights, loud noises, hates fast or unexpected movement. Dd2 loves fast movement and her only hypersensitivity besides clothing is that her nose is really sensitive.

[avivaelona]

just subbing for now.

[SashaBreeze]

Our almost 3yod son has SPD. He is mostly a seeker but is defensive to sounds and anything touching his hands and feet. He will spend the day crashing into things only to turn around and accidentally touch something squishy and completely break down. The biggest help is to have a "safe" area that he can retreat to when the noise/lights/movement gets to much for him. For now it is a cozy corner behind a chair but dh is working on building him a tower in the corner of his bedroom that he can escape to.
I read a ton of books on the subject when we first found out, but found Raising a Sensory Smart Child by Lindsey Biel and Nancy Peske to be the most helpful from a parenting point of view. They do a really good job at explaining why they do the things they do at therapy and how it helps them. Ds has been going to Occupational Therapy since October of last year and speech therapy since January of this year. There has not been much change in his behavior as of yet but it has helped to understand why he gets upset so much and how to help him. I recently tried to get a support group started at the therapist office but had not success, most people get their child's therapy at the public school and since we homeschool their just wasn't a big enough demographic. I really look forward to talking and sharing ideas with you ladies, I know I for one really need the help/advice, it's like learning to parent all over again.