<p>My DD is six years old, and has had ongoing issues with gross motor skills. She was a late walker (20 months), has typically been a year or two behind her peers with most gross motor skills (running, jumping, etc.), and still has major issues going down stairs and avoids playground equipment (except swings) like the plague. She has a lot of anxiety about group situations with kids that play aggressively (in a way that is typical for the age group), and she has developed behavioral issues as a means of dealing with her anxieties and keeping other people at bay. The behavioral issues are just as pressing as the physical issues.</p>
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<p>A couple of years ago I read the Out of Sync Child and thought it did not apply to my daughter at all. There are so many sensory things that she <em>does</em> enjoy (i.e. getting messy or bouncing on the bed) that I couldn't see where she fit into a SPD diagnosis. She also went to an evaluation with a pediatric neurologist, who basically said that nothing was wrong with her.</p>
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<p>So for the past two years we have just been suffering, not knowing what to do, and just hoping that she would grow out of a lot of her issues. To some extent she has (by virtue of her height she can now step down off a curb with ease, when it used to be a major issue), but she is certainly not "typical" in her gross motor skills for her age group. My husband and I are deeply sad for her, as it is so obvious to us that she is struggling every day and avoiding activities that to most kids are normal (scooters, balance beams, games like tag, bouncy houses). And there are other daily issues too - like getting dressed -- that can cause major rifts in our house. She has very reluctant to get any help from anyone on anything.</p>
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<p>So... this past summer I wrote a long letter to my pediatrician asking his advice as to what to do. He referred me to Kennedy Krieger Institute. At the same time, a friend sent me a link to a local Occupational Therapist who specializes in kids and seems to have an amazing state-of-the-art therapy gym. While perusing her website, I linked to some articles on an aspect of SPD called Gravitational Insecurity and EUREKA! I finally read something that sounds exactly like the experience we are having with my daughter! It was a great moment!</p>
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<p>So now I am trying to figure out if I want to go to an O.T. that specializes in SPD, or if I want to get a diagnosis at KKI, which apparently doesn't overtly address SPD. I'm not sure if that is because most insurance companies won't pay for treatment for SPD, or if they philosophically just don't believe in it. Personally, I don't know enough about SPD to have an informed opinion, but I do see that the information about it is qualitative, and not quantitiative. In other words, much of the success stories seem anecdotal.</p>
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<p>I would REALLY appreciate any feedback as to what course of action would make the most sense for us. My insurance does not pay for SPD, and we may very well have to pay out of pocket for whatever course of action we take. But that aside - I am more concerned with wasting time than money. <em>The OT does not deal with the psychological side of things. </em> She is only six, so I'm not sure if there is much that could be done psychologically/behaviorally, but I do not believe that simply improving her physical abilities will wipe away her behavioral issues at this point. I think her personality is pretty well set by now, even if she could climb the tallest tree on the block.</p>
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<p>I will add that I do not believe in any way that she is on the Autism Spectrum, and it seems like this is a speciality of KKI (but I'm not sure). And I will also add that while I am sure her issues pale in comparison with other special needs kids, her issues affect each and every one of us in her family every day, and it is exhausting and incredibly difficult. Any advice that anyone could give us about with path we should initially pursue (KKI or O.T.) would be greatly appreciated. If you are local to Maryland and want to know which O.T. we are considering, PM me and I will let you know. It is in Severna Park.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Thank you, thank you, thank you!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A couple of years ago I read the Out of Sync Child and thought it did not apply to my daughter at all. There are so many sensory things that she <em>does</em> enjoy (i.e. getting messy or bouncing on the bed) that I couldn't see where she fit into a SPD diagnosis. She also went to an evaluation with a pediatric neurologist, who basically said that nothing was wrong with her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>So for the past two years we have just been suffering, not knowing what to do, and just hoping that she would grow out of a lot of her issues. To some extent she has (by virtue of her height she can now step down off a curb with ease, when it used to be a major issue), but she is certainly not "typical" in her gross motor skills for her age group. My husband and I are deeply sad for her, as it is so obvious to us that she is struggling every day and avoiding activities that to most kids are normal (scooters, balance beams, games like tag, bouncy houses). And there are other daily issues too - like getting dressed -- that can cause major rifts in our house. She has very reluctant to get any help from anyone on anything.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>So... this past summer I wrote a long letter to my pediatrician asking his advice as to what to do. He referred me to Kennedy Krieger Institute. At the same time, a friend sent me a link to a local Occupational Therapist who specializes in kids and seems to have an amazing state-of-the-art therapy gym. While perusing her website, I linked to some articles on an aspect of SPD called Gravitational Insecurity and EUREKA! I finally read something that sounds exactly like the experience we are having with my daughter! It was a great moment!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>So now I am trying to figure out if I want to go to an O.T. that specializes in SPD, or if I want to get a diagnosis at KKI, which apparently doesn't overtly address SPD. I'm not sure if that is because most insurance companies won't pay for treatment for SPD, or if they philosophically just don't believe in it. Personally, I don't know enough about SPD to have an informed opinion, but I do see that the information about it is qualitative, and not quantitiative. In other words, much of the success stories seem anecdotal.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I would REALLY appreciate any feedback as to what course of action would make the most sense for us. My insurance does not pay for SPD, and we may very well have to pay out of pocket for whatever course of action we take. But that aside - I am more concerned with wasting time than money. <em>The OT does not deal with the psychological side of things. </em> She is only six, so I'm not sure if there is much that could be done psychologically/behaviorally, but I do not believe that simply improving her physical abilities will wipe away her behavioral issues at this point. I think her personality is pretty well set by now, even if she could climb the tallest tree on the block.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I will add that I do not believe in any way that she is on the Autism Spectrum, and it seems like this is a speciality of KKI (but I'm not sure). And I will also add that while I am sure her issues pale in comparison with other special needs kids, her issues affect each and every one of us in her family every day, and it is exhausting and incredibly difficult. Any advice that anyone could give us about with path we should initially pursue (KKI or O.T.) would be greatly appreciated. If you are local to Maryland and want to know which O.T. we are considering, PM me and I will let you know. It is in Severna Park.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Thank you, thank you, thank you!</p>
