do these behaviors sound sensory related?

[inky leeuhhh]

i have posted here not long ago about being worried that dd2 could end up on the spectrum like dd1. she is very social and is right on track with her motor skills (actually started walking at 10 mos). however, i am wondering about a few behaviors that she has started exhibiting. she will only eat foods with a smooth texture, will only walk on our wall to wall carpeting (not on the linoleum or the area rugs), shakes her head from side to side a lot, and is generally very VERY active. like when she is not in our baby proofed area, we are running to keep up with her. i know many babies and toddlers are active, but i teach a class of 2 year olds at a preschool center and she out moves even a lot of those kids. do these sound like typical baby behaviors? i can't remember what dd1 was like as a baby because she is 6 now. ugh i hate how i obsess over this stuff! oh, wanted to add that she is almost 12 mos old.

[Linda on the move]

She sounds very physically advanced. I'd keep offering foods with different textures. She most likely gets better traction on the wall to wall carpet. Is the head shaking just a looking around kind of thing, or more like stim?

The quickness doesn't seem like a flag at all.

[inky leeuhhh]

i think she is advanced with her large motor skills. she started walking at 10 mos. honestly, in my heart i think i think she is "normal" (whatever that is), i just can't help being paranoid. i hadn't thought about the traction issue either. i can't tell what the head shaking is. at first i thought maybe a tooth was coming in or she had an ear infection, but she has been doing it a while now and i don't think she has either of those problems. it doesn't quite seem like when dd1 stims, but they're different kids and may stim in different ways. LOL.

[kittykat2481]

DS has had some sensory issues - refused to walk on certain textures/flooring, could only eat certain textures, had low muscle tone in his face and oral hyposensitivity, terrified of being turned side to side/upside down or going down a slide... He had a little OT but honestly they weren't very good. I got him into a mommy and me gymnastics class, worked with him on oral issues (proving a chewy tube, offering strong flavors of foods, encouraging straw drinking and eliminating sippy cups) and now, at 27 months you'd hardly know he ever had an issue. He climbs, slides, eats any and all textures, and just last week in gymnastics did a forward roll and a back bend! As his mother, sure I can tell when he's tired or stressed because he may drool or grind his teeth, but I am keenly attune to those little coping mechanisms of his. His sensory stuff is really only an issue when he's tired or stressed though, and even then it's not at all unmanageable. Like I said, I only notice because I'm his mother. He is absolutely by no means on the spectrum. He is social, verbal, on track or advanced with all of his motor skills. The sensory stuff is just part of who he is. Maybe your baby has some sensory "issues" that you can help her work through, but try not to lose too much sleep over whether or not she will be on the spectrum. Sensory does not always equal ASD. It can just be sensory - and I believe very often that is the case. Your daughter is lucky that you have some experience with those issues and you can spot them early and help her. Most kids are not so lucky and are just assumed to be "difficult", "picky eaters", or they just "never listen".

[kme]

It's understandable that you are paranoid! I have 2 kids that have sensory issues. One has more severe SPD and may be mildly on the spectrum. The other is really "normal" - definitely not on the spectrum. But he was FRIGHTENINGLY active as a toddler, has weird food aversions (will only eat certain textures and puts hot sauce on EVERYTHING - even ice cream!), has to always be moving, will only wear athletic "track" pants and shorts (no jeans), etc. (and he is 11!!) He has been dx with ADHD but I suspect many of his issues are sensory in nature. He is social, athletic, great sense of humor, lots of interests, etc. Not a spectrum-y kid - but definitely has sensory stuff going on. You really can have sensory issues without ASD. It sounds like your daughter is fine from what you said.

[Linda on the move]

My typical child, who is gifted, athletic, and talented, is a far picker eater than my ASD child with lots of sensory issues.

Some kids are just pick eaters.

[inky leeuhhh]

Originally Posted by Linda on the move

My typical child, who is gifted, athletic, and talented, is a far picker eater than my ASD child with lots of sensory issues.

Some kids are just pick eaters.

thanks all for the advice and kind words! i'm over obsessing about this stuff for a little while. i'm sure it will pick up again at some point. it comes in waves, lol. i think what was bothering me was that a lot of the things i've been seeing in her are things i saw in dd1 as well. they are very different though personality wise, so maybe i'm just seeing normal toddler/ baby stuff and over analyzing it.