My middle son has been showing strange symptoms since birth. It started with staring at bright lights, progressed into delayed speech and sensitivity to sounds, along with violent outbursts as a toddler, and arm flailing and refusing eye contact. I never wanted to admit there may be a problem and told myself he was OK because he was affectionate (on his terms, and sometimes OVERLY, like 'petting' strangers). When school started I figured the teachers or speech therapist would say something, but no one did. He's a good student, who has difficulty staying focused and is disruptive in class (cries a lot). My family has been telling me he was autistic since he was 2 and every time I half-heartedly talked to doctors they said "oh, he's fine" and brushed me off. I don't think its autism, asperger's MAYBE.
The other day I was searching the web for an explanation of his 'sensory issues' being just normal for who he is and I found a web page on SID and grew concerned when I saw that out of his common eccentricities, he displayed 19/33 almost daily and one or two of them often (listed below).
Anyways, I called my ped's office earlier today for a referral and was just curious what kind of doctor is able to make a dx?
What are the advantages of a dx? I hate the idea of my child wearing a special 'label'.
I also feel like a bad mama for waiting so long to be proactive, I am just torn.
I am in need of support, I hope more than anything they tell me my child is just an odd-bird, but part of me knows he's having a hard time.
<sigh>
Anyways, these are the issues I noticed (in *'s only, the ones without *'s he does not display).
Sensory Symptoms
Auditory:
*Responds negatively to unexpected or loud noises
*Holds hands over ears
Cannot walk with background noise
*Seems oblivious within an active environment
Visual:
Prefers to be in the dark
*Hesitates going up and down steps
*Avoids bright lights
*Stares intensely at people or objects
*Avoids eye contact
Taste/Smell:
Avoids certain tastes/smells that are typically part of children's diets
*Routinely smells nonfood objects
Seeks out certain tastes or smells
Does not seem to smell strong odors
Body Position:
*Continually seeks out all kinds of movement activities
*Hangs on other people, furniture, objects, even in familiar situations
Seems to have weak muscles, tires easily, has poor endurance
Walks on toes
Movement:
Becomes anxious or distressed when feet leave the ground
*Avoids climbing or jumping
Avoids playground equipment
*Seeks all kinds of movement and this interferes with daily life
Takes excessive risks while playing, has no safety awareness
Touch:
Avoids getting messy in glue, sand, finger paint, tape
Is sensitive to certain fabrics (clothing, bedding)
*Touches people and objects at an irritating level
Avoids going barefoot, especially in grass or sand
*Has decreased awareness of pain or temperature
Attention, Behavior And Social:
*Jumps from one activity to another frequently and it interferes with play
*Has difficulty paying attention
*Is overly affectionate with others
Seems anxious
*Is accident prone
*Has difficulty making friends, does not express emotions
