2 week "honeymoon", now I think I must be totally nuts.

[InMediasRes]

So for two weeks now, DS has been just wonderful. He's been suddenly sleeping well at night, doing well during the day, handling situations he was previously melting down about.

We were thinking SPD, but now I'm just not so sure. He still has some of the sensory stuff (afraid of noise, problems with clothes, stimming, smell sensitivity), but that stuff seems more manageable. He has, however, picked up some other anxiety about (what seems like) non sensory stuff. He gets worried if people or characters are "trapped" inside of something, he has these bizarre freak outs about us changing our appearance, like putting down hair, changing clothes, etc. He just seems to have anxiety about....lots of stuff.

So now I am wondering if the sensory things were not just age appropriate fears that were blown out of proportion by general anxiety. But I still can't really reconcile that with what his infancy and the last year or so have been like. Is it possible that SPD and anxiety about non-sensory things just go hand in hand? I mean, I know his coping skills are practically nil, but it seems like he goes way overboard with some things.

I don't know. Now I'm just second guessing myself like crazy. He'll be three in March, and I was really expecting this roller coaster to go on a bit longer. Maybe it's just a calm period and we'll cycle back through it again? I've seen that before. So do we just continue doing what we were doing? I'm not cancelling our dev ped appointment since it took so dang long to get to see him, but I'm worried that he's just going to think I'm nuts.

Today he actually asked to help Dad with the vacuum instead of screaming in terror and running away. WTH did that come from?

We haven't really made a whole lot of change recently. We've been pushing not to have his nap because it screws up his bedtime. I've been giving him a fish oil supp before bed. I've been trying really hard not to yell. Could those things really have made that much of a difference? He seems...pleasant. Fun to be around, even.

Bah. Now I'm just confused.

[Linda on the move]

hello! My DD is 13 year olds and has mild special needs, including SPD. We go for LONG periods with no issues what so ever, and then everything comes back up. It's sort of like we figure out a particular phase and then things go smooth, until we hit a new phase when it all goes to hell. The longest *good* phase was upper elementary school, which was a piece of cake. And then puberty hit and everything went to hell. DD has new symptoms (including an anxiety disorder) and a new evaluation coming up.

I think that for kids with mild issues, this may be normal.

Originally Posted by InMediasRes

So do we just continue doing what we were doing? I'm not cancelling our dev ped appointment since it took so dang long to get to see him, but I'm worried that he's just going to think I'm nuts.

keep doing what you are doing! It's working! And see the dev ped!!!!!!!

It's also possible that some of your son's quirkiness seems more normal to you than it really is. My DD seems more normal to me when I don't spend much times watching her around her peers.

[QueenOfTheMeadow]

I know how you feel. My ds1 is now 10 and he seems to go in about 2 week cycles. I don't know why exactly, but I've heard that a lot of kids with special needs tend to cycle like that. So I would definitely keep doing what you are doing and keep your appointment!

[HollyBearsMom]

Another cycler here too!

Our son (8) has SPD and he can go a few weeks with no issues meaning- no meltdowns, no clothing complaints, routine sensitivity, etc.

Right now he is a great spot. He's cheerful, happy, accommodating (sp?), polite-basically a joy to be around.

Flashback to 2 weeks ago..... Ornery, angry, prone to outburst, no pants fit, all shirts itched, and hats were too small or too big. The smallest request or change in routine would send him over the edge.

Since his diagnosis at age 4 he has been like this. I do find the "honeymoon" stretches last longer when he takes he Nordic naturals EVERY day, routines are held, we talk about transitions/exit strategies and I keep up with he laundry (LOL) so his favorite pants/shirts are always clean.

Nutrition is a big one too. When we slide and eat too many meals out or if there is a big wave of B-day parties (which tend to have junky type food) I can really see a difference.

[beachbaby]

DD (SPD) had a 2-week honeymoon, too, when we first started fish oil supplements. She also seems to cycle like the PPs suggested. The ups and downs are really hard.

[Linda on the move]

Originally Posted by HollyBearsMom

Nutrition is a big one too. When we slide and eat too many meals out or if there is a big wave of B-day parties (which tend to have junky type food) I can really see a difference.

there are so many different things that can affect how DD does, and sometimes I feel like I have it figured out and sometimes I don't. And sometimes I feel like one thing is a factor only later to decide is was just a coincidence.

Good nutrition with limited over-processed food helps, but DD loves loves her carbs!!! I find it funky to find a balance between helping her eat healthy (which makes everything easier for her) and not getting into power struggles over food (which just complete life and really isn't the hill I want to die on).

[KimPM]

Like HollyBearsMom, I've also noticed that food and supplements make a BIG difference in my DS. When he's eating anything he's allergic to, even if he's just mildly reacting...it really really affects his behavior and ability to tolerate the world around him. I've noticed that since I've switched him from the cow dairy he was sensitive to, to goat dairy, he had a huge jump in his ability to regulate his emotions and handle sensory stuff. So in light of that, I'll have to ask if there has been any change in your DS's diet or supplements that would account for the improvement. You mentioned the fish oil. It could really be that simple. But is there anything else as well?

[InMediasRes]

Well, we had another bout of panic about my mom's coffee grinder, so I'm pretty sure the sound stuff is still bothering him. He also has a problem with his Papa, who is particularly boistrous.

I haven't really made any huge changes in diet, but I think we have eaten out a lot less since the holiday, just because we have been at home more. Maybe that's made some difference, but even when we do eat out, we go to the same healthy places that we haven't had problems with before. Hm. Trying to remember about his diary/soy/egg intake in that timeframe as well, and it doesn't seem much different to me. The fish oil is the only really big change.

And I was never considering not keeping the appointment, I'm just worried that I'm going to look like a totally overworried, parnoid mom bringing in a completely normal kid.

But then again, that's two weeks from now, so we could be back to a low time.

[KimPM]

Hmm, the NOT eating out lately is an interesting clue. Even if they are "healthy" places...they are still likely cooking differently than you do at home. Different oils, different spices. It could be anything, it doesn't have to be the "top 8 allergens". Sounds like eating at home is better for him. Keep that in the back of your mind next time you eat out, and then see if it makes any difference.

Re: the doctors, they may dismiss your concerns (I hope not), but that doesn't make your concerns any less valid. In fact if you bring up any possible connection between diet and his issues, they may think you are crazy. This would be typical for a standard doctor. But we are truly made up of what we eat. I have seen way too many connections between diet and behavior/symptoms.

[Linda on the move]

Eating out isn't just about the food -- for a kid with sensory issues, resturants can be overload. Even if they don't react while they are there, it can just build up. Frankly, the whole Halloween /Thankgiving/ run into Christmas thing can be nuts. Everyplace has up extra decorations. Kids are handed more candy than they rest of the year, and most families just have A LOT going on. Everything calming down every where could be helping your little guy.

In your appointment, I'd focus on the big picture of what you've seen since he was an infant, and not what is happing in the last week.

[LynnS6]

Originally Posted by InMediasRes

Is it possible that SPD and anxiety about non-sensory things just go hand in hand? I mean, I know his coping skills are practically nil, but it seems like he goes way overboard with some things.

Yes. The more I hear about SPD kids, the more I'm convinced that SPD rarely, if ever, occurs just alone. Anxiety + SPD seems to be a pretty common combo - and it makes sense to me. If you can't self-regulate your sensory system, it doesn't matter whether it's external stimuli (sensory) or internal stimuli (anxiety) that set you off. They're both hard to deal with. (Other common combos are SPD + ADHD, and SPD + Autism spectrum).

All kids (typically developing or not) do go through cycles. Getting back to a routine after the holidays can indeed help calm a child down.

Originally Posted by Linda on the move

Eating out isn't just about the food -- for a kid with sensory issues, restaurants can be overload. Even if they don't react while they are there, it can just build up.

Yep -- And the one thing about SPD kids is that they don't easily ratchet down after being overstimulated. I remember when ds was a toddler, if we were out at something stimulating any time from the dinner hour on, I knew it would take ds 2-3 hours to wind down and go to sleep after we got home. That was long before I even thought about SPD for him.

Originally Posted by Linda on the move

In your appointment, I'd focus on the big picture of what you've seen since he was an infant, and not what is happing in the last week.

Great advice. And they will ask you things not just about the last couple of weeks, but about development and things in general.