I think dd needs to be evaluated, today she was told the devil is in her - Page 2

[BetsyNY]

Sensory Integration Disorder is what came to my mind as well...I've known a few kids with SID that sound like your DD--highly intelligent, high needs, tantrummy, high energy, restless, fussy about clothes, etc...

[KJoslyn78]

i jsut wanted to add that i have a 4 1/2 yr old dd - and she was just like that at your LOs age... and now we are looking into sensory issues with her.

i just wanted to say though - good lcuk in what you decide to do - and listen to your mama gut if you think something just isnt right... you know your child best.

[AndVeeGeeMakes3]

Originally Posted by Kodama

I still would be very careful about what people say around her like that. I would not put up with those comments from people. Although she may not speak as well as an adult, she still understands.

And if she does have special needs, it makes it even that much worse for them to say it even if they did not intend it to be mean. She may not be able to control some of her behaviors through no fault of her own, and people are already ridiculing her for that. That makes me a bit heartbroken.

If she has special needs, she is different. She is not wrong, broken, or defective. She just processes the world differently and needs a bit of help. There is nothing you did wrong with her. She is just different. That does not make her bad or defective.

:

As hard as it is, I really agree that the name-calling, from anyone, is just not a good thing. It really can be harmful. My little brother was always called such names - and his behavior was VERY similar to you dd's - and to this day (he's 35), he thinks of himself as a "bad kid." It's really affected the way he sees the world, himself, etc. It turned out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. And, the people that called him those "nicknames" really did love him. They, too, were members of our church, which was EXTREMELY closeknit.

[GooeyRN]

Thanks for the heads up about name calling. I will put an end to anyone calling her names if she can hear it. I don't really mind if people say things to me, but I really don't think it would be good for her to hear others describe her as being possessed. She doesn't know what that means now, thankfully, but in a year or two she will. I don't want that to be her self fullfilled prophesy. I won't tolerate that stuff anymore.

[Marieke]

My son (2.5) has a genetic disorder (Cri du Chat aka 5p- syndrome, a partial deletion of his 5th chromosome), and with that (as part of it?) he has sensory issues, along with developmental delays.

I can certainly relate to some of the stuff you've mentioned (feeding and sleep issues as well as the sensory stuff). He's a highly active little boy, and for a long while the only time he was calm was if he was asleep.

With the sensory issues he craves lots and lots of sensory input, specifically vestibular, so he's all about the jumping and rocking and bouncing and anything that involves movement. There would be no way that we would be able to keep him calm and quiet anywhere for anything beyond minutes maybe. Dining out is really something that we do try to avoid if possible, because we already know that it will be tag-team toddler wrestling, which does kind of ruin any enjoyment of the meal.

Due to his delays he gets therapy, and his therapists work on sensory integration a lot to help him get more "organised" (through physical means and also special cd's to listen to). In the past year he has gone from being unable to really sit still and focus on toys to being able to play with toys by himself. It's gratifying to see him being able to concentrate and focus on things other than just chasing the vestibular input, and I feel his development has sped up in areas because he is now no longer focusing on feeding his sensory needs.

We still have issues with his sleeping and feeding, but they've been improving.

I would suggest that maybe you look into some way to get evaluated for sensory issues, and that therapy might be an option to help your daughter cope.

And definitely don't stand for comments such as that one about the devil being in your child. I don't care how jokingly someone says that, it strikes me as highly insulting and offensive to have my child seen that way. It's one thing to comment on how full-on and active your child is, but having the devil in them? that's not exactly a flattering equation at all.



Marieke

[mamamelia]

I always felt something was wrong, other just said she was a difficult baby. Now that I have a "normal" baby, I KNOW something isn't right with her.

this is *exactly* what happened to me. i always suspected something was a little different about dd and then when dd2 came along, i KNEW something was definitely different about her.
she has sensory integration disorder but i also believe she lies *somewhere* on the spectrum. the "was crying all the time since birth", "can't stand to be dirty", "will only wear certain clothes", "can't sit still to save her life" sound all too familiar. she is also very easily overstimulated when we go out and often runs away too. i did not think that running was her way of coping of with it all - thanks to whoever suggested that! i'll keep it in mind next time i'm calling out and chasing her down the aisles.

i would look into sensory issues.... i suppose you could wait it out a little... but IMO, i don't really see a reason to wait it out. i've seen fiesty kids and i've seen dd with SID, and i hope this makes sense.. but dd is definitely up a notch or two more than the fiestiest of neurotypical kids.