SPD and carseats, anger and diet?

[baby-makes-3]

I know that's a jumbled up title, but I basically I am asking if this sounds like SPD to you? She's 4yo.

Here are a couple links to DD's behavior over the last 5 months:

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...828&highlight=

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...879&highlight=

We currently have her on Feingold which seems to help a lot with the anger issues, but not the sensitivity ones. Because so many of her issues seem to overlap, I've been hesitant to pigeonhole her into one "diagnosis" and have tried to pursue the diet route to help.

Some of her issues are:

1. car seat. HATES HATES HATES car seat. Started screaming in the car seat at 3 WEEKS old. It was horrible, in fact we altered our entertainment plans, how far we would travel from the home, etc. because of it for the first 2 years of her life. Long trips were pure misery. The only way she would sleep in the car would be to be nursed (which I did with my seat belt). Since she was weaned, she has fallen asleep in the car maybe 4 times EVER without being nursed. Ever. No matter how tired she is, she cannot sleep in the car seat. We got a reprieve briefly when faced her forward at 2yo. but then when the cold weather hit again and clothes got bulky, the screaming started again. Basically when I click her in, she will cry and complain for about 10 minutes before calming down. Now that the weather is warmer and clothes are lighter, it isn't as bad.

2. Has always been sensitive to light. I joke that she never saw the outdoors until she was 6 mo because everytime I took her out, she would close her eyes tight and bury her face in my chest .

3. Is very sensitive to others' feelings/facial expressions. Very alert and observant of people in general. Gets her feelings hurt easily. VERY touchy. Has a hard time respecting people's "space" which people kind of understood when she was younger, but now at 4, people expect her not to be so "in your face". She is just very intense with her feelings, and when she doesn't like somebody, she's just as extreme in that direction. Can be very mean and unkind. Very extreme in both directions.

4. Clothing. Starting last fall, all of a sudden had HUGE clothing issues. Will only wear knee socks pulled up over the knee. The only shorts she will wear are the super loose cotton kind without a lot of "bunching" at the crotch. She'll pick one pair of shoes to wear all the time. Hates all straps, gathers, etc. Nothing tight at all.

5. Just inflexible in general. If you suggest anything other than what she has in mind, it's total anxiety and panic. Like she can't accept anything other than what's she's already prepared to do.

6. Very anxious in general. When she was an infant, she had what I can only describe as "anxiety meltdowns". If she was hungry and for whatever reason could not nurse NOW, it was a huge inconsolable meltdown for 15 or so minutes.

SO, do you think this is SPD??

And if so, what should I do at this point? I want to pursue diet and anything I can do myself before seeking professional help. And what is the best professional help and how should I go about getting it? I've talked to my ped several times and he just doesn't get it and I can tell thinks it's probably a discipline issue .

Help ...??

[HarperRose]

Yikes. I think you have my daughter in your house.



She's 8, now, and on prozac. It really helps her a lot w/ the anxiety. She can tolerate previously intolerable things before (like seams in her socks).

Carseat and shoes were HUUUUUGE issues when she was younger. HUGE.

I didn't find a change in diet to be much help. We were on Feingold for 2 years and she did not change her issues.

[slsurface]

Your daughter sounds a lot like my son. He was diagnosed with SPD a few months ago at the age of 3. I had a hard time getting the help I needed - it took more than 6 months to get an eval. But SPD is not well known around here. I would talk to your ped and see about getting a referral to and OT for an eval. Good luck!

As an aside, I would see if your DD is more comfortable in a simple booster seat (assuming she fits). Life in a car has gotten much more peaceful since we switched DS to this (http://www.nhtsa.gov/portal/nhtsa_eo...e=booster&i=40) booster seat.

[baby-makes-3]

Sisurface, yes, we have thought long and hard about the car seat issue -- we feel so strongly that she is safer in a 5-pt harness rather than a booster, but it's a tough call given her level of misery. We actually flipped her forward for the same reasons, before we wanted to, but to give her some peace and it worked temporarily...

Our ped is pretty backwards -- I've talked to him about this a couple times and I generally get treated like some sort of hypochondriac for my kid. I need to find another one, but that's such a huge task. Did the OT help your son?

Harperrose,

I have two questions for you: Does your DD go to public school or do you homeschool? Also, how does DD treat her siblings? What is their relationship and do they get along generally? (outside of typical sibling stuff...)

[didelphus]

That's hilarious, HarperRose! I could've written your post only my daughter is now 9 and on prozac!!
The huge turning point for us and the carseat was when she was almost four and I let her switch to a booster that used the car seatbelt. It made a HUGE difference...actually, the carseat screaming disappeared, because she could finally move around a little, reach for stuff, etc. without being pinned down by the 5-pt harness. The DVD player was a must, too. I was like you. We just didn't go anywhere for 3.5 years.
She wore flipflops and loose knit dresses everywhere until Kindergarten where they have uniforms with specific shoe rules.
With the addition of prozac (we started about 9 months ago) she actually initiated a conversation with a sales clerk a couple of weeks ago. I nearly fell on the floor. She used to throw up if anyone else touched her (like one time she tripped and a clerk helped her up.....she barfed everywhere just out of anxiety of being touched by a stranger).
Laura