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*Lindsey*
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| Posted: Oct 22 2010 at 10:13am | IP Logged
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DS will be 7 next month. He is extremely bright & loves to read. He has been "high needs" since birth. He was an extremely fussy baby and threw many tantrums as a toddler (moreso than "normal"). He had severe eczema. He has been diagnosed with a peanut allergy and asthma. He has very strong emotions.
I'm getting more concerned about what seem to be sensory issues with him. He will not wear shirts with tags or collars. It leads to an absolutely screaming, crying meltdown. The seams inside the shirts along the arms are also frequently complained about. His pants cannot be too tight or too loose and finding the perfect fit to satisfy him on a particular day is overwhelming. He'll scream that they are too loose, so we adjust the waist, then he screams that they are too tight. Socks and shoes are major issues, too. One day they are fine and the next he'll complain that they are bunched up, pinching, have a bump, etc.
If we have anything with syrup for breakfast, I might as well call it a day. He loses it over having sticky hands/shirt. He washes his hands with soap and water and comes out of the bathroom in a tizzy that his hands are "STILL STICKY!!!" and the inside of his shirt is sticky, too. He asks me to feel and check, so I do, and they aren't sticky at all. He screams and cries that it is and wants to wash again. He also feels sticky after eating an apple. AFter the girls eat one, he insists that they wash their hands and any toys they might have touched b/c they are sticky.
I am extremely overwhelmed with this. It sometimes makes me very angry and I do not know how to deal with it. DH thinks he's just being ridiculous but I'm getting concerned.
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Lindsey
Mama to DS (11), DD(9), twin dds(7), DD (5), DS (4), DS (3), and 5 angels in heaven.
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greengables
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| Posted: Oct 22 2010 at 11:49am | IP Logged
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Lindsey,
Last night I went to an auditory processing seminar and among other difficulties, they described exactly what you are describing. They spoke of children with tremendous sensitivity to someone touching them or a tag on their shirt or sticky hands or the sound of a vacuum that would really bother them.
I attended the seminar because I have had several children that are "higher need" than the others and I just wanted to rule this auditory processing thing out. Somehow I love learning new information even though processing it all is rather difficult for me. I feel that if there is a struggling child, I would rather find it at say 8 years old versus having us and the child/children trying to COPE when there may be something that can really help to make life much smoother! Anyway, I am still processing all the information from the seminar so forgive me if what I try to express is unclear.
Among other things, I learned that the ear is for much more than hearing! The little bones in our ears filter and buffer sound so that we can focus on the information we need to hear. In other words, we need to be able to block out background noise. According to this seminar, the ear also plays a significant role in affecting our abilities in many other areas.
The one chart from the seminar that really made an impression on me was the Frequency Chart. (I don't think I copied it completely, but it is close!)
Low Frequency dysfunction can affect our bodily functions, fine motor, toileting, balance, appetite, sleep and horseplay.
Middle Frequency dysfunction can affect our language skills, planning skills, cognitive skills, processing multi-step instructions, magnitude, and theory of mind.
High Frequency dysfunction can affect our energy, expressive language, mood, and sound sensitivities.
This is just some of what I HEARD last night. Here is a website to help you begin your search. www.soundlistening.com
Maybe it will be a starting place for you. I will keep your child and your family in my prayers.
Please pass along any information you learn!
Deus tibi benedicas,
Greengables
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May God bless you,
Greengables - wife to best friend and mother to 11 blessings on earth
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KatieMae
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| Posted: Oct 22 2010 at 2:47pm | IP Logged
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Those are classic characteristics of Sensory Processing Disorder (also called Sensory Integration Disorder). I am somewhat familiar with this, as my oldest son (also seven years old) has a mild/moderate form of Autism that also involves a lot of sensory problems.
I would recommend talking to your pediatrician about these issues and tell him/her you would like a referral to an occupational therapist for an evaluation. This is likely to cost in the $200-$400 range, FYI. If your son would fall under this diagnosis there are most likely some programs or grants in your state or local area to help you to afford occ therapy for him, which is fantastically expensive to pay out-of-pocket.
To do some more research on this yourself in the meantime, you could read ""The Out of Sync Child" and ""The Out of Sync Child Has Fun." The first explains these issues in much greater detail, allowing you to pinpoint a child's particular struggles, while the "... Has Fun" book is filled with ways for you to treat him with at-home therapy in lieu of or in addition to professional help.
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SaraP
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| Posted: Oct 22 2010 at 3:20pm | IP Logged
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FWIW I have a son with sensory issues and our insurance covered OT completely - even without a referral from his pediatrician. All we ever paid was the $10/visit co-pay.
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Mama to six on earth, two in heaven and two waiting in Russia. Foxberry Farm Almanac
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*Lindsey*
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| Posted: Oct 22 2010 at 4:05pm | IP Logged
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One thing I forgot to mention is that he only reacts like that when I'm around. Not for DH, not for a sitter, or when he stays the night somewhere, just me.
Thank you for the replies! I am going to check out those books.
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Lindsey
Mama to DS (11), DD(9), twin dds(7), DD (5), DS (4), DS (3), and 5 angels in heaven.
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KatieMae
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| Posted: Oct 22 2010 at 4:17pm | IP Logged
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SaraP wrote:
| FWIW I have a son with sensory issues and our insurance covered OT completely - even without a referral from his pediatrician. All we ever paid was the $10/visit co-pay. |
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That's great, Sara!  Ours would only pay for OT if it was to treat ADD or ADHD.
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kbfsc
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| Posted: Oct 23 2010 at 2:15pm | IP Logged
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I don't have familiarity with sensory disorders per se, but I have a son that has an intense, perceptive temperment that can be overwhelming. I fought it for years and thought it was just a result of bad mothering  - until I read the book Raising Your Spirited Child by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka. I've written about it before on the boards (forgive me, I'm a broken record!), but it has made that much of a difference in our life! We still struggle almost daily, but this book helped me to see my son's heart and difficulties from his perspective. I can help him when I can grasp what the issues are instead of feeling like he's just obstinate or obnoxious.
Kurcinka breaks temperment down into its nine parts (intensity, perceptiveness, adaptability, persistence, and others I can't recall...) and illustrates what a child who is high in one part or another might be like. And for each part she shares very practical strategies for helping your child handle their challenges better.
I wonder if this would be something for you to look at, particularly since you shared that your son only reacts to you this way. Again, I'm not familiar with sensory disorders, but wouldn't a child with a true sensory issue react to the triggers regardless of who he is with? Someone with expertise could answer that one.
I would be happy to share more about the particulars of how this approach has helped my son if that would be helpful... but I won't babble more right now.
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Kiera
happy mama of ds '02, dd '03, ds '06, dd '09 and little ones in heaven
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4Real Forums : Mothering and Family Life
Topic: Sensory issues
