Mamas of SPD/SID kids

[jse107]

Wow! I haven't posted in a LONG time...(lost my ID, busy with baby, etc.) I've been lurking quite a bit though. The post on the weighted blanket, and yesterdays post about causes of autism and spectrum-related disorders got me thinking...

Anyway, my name is Jen. I'm mama to Owen (4) and Elizabeth (1). Owen was just diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder, specifically relating to sensory modulation. This comes after watching him have more more meltdowns as he gets older, rather than fewer. They occur over seemingly insignificant things both at home and school. He is tactile defensive, and under-responsive in the vestibular area. So, we have shying away from hugs or light touch, but jumping onto and into furniture, beds, people, etc.

Becuase ADHD runs in my family, we went to see a psychologist to find out what was going on. She met with us and observed Owen, concluding that we should have an OT eval. WE filled out all the required questionnaires, with no indication of ADHD or any similar disorder. His anxiety is super-high though.

Had the OT eval done, and while he has great coordination and muscle tone, there are some real need areas. We start OT therapy next week for 1hr/week.

We have a swing in our basement, a hammock swing on the way, and I just got a mini-trampoline last night.

Talk to me about your experiences! What should I expect from OT (which insurance won't cover...)? What suggestions do you have?

[Elilly]

There's a great book titled, " Building Bridges Through Sensory Integration". This is a very practical book for therapists and families that gives ideas on implementing a sensory diet for your child. There are even cards in the back that can be photocopied. When I sense that Graham needs some sensory input, he picks a card and we do the activity that he picks. We have an indoor swing, exercise balls, a trampoline etc in the house too. But also do things like the crab walk, wheelbarrow, etc "races" with both kids to give Graham a positive outlet for sensory experiences. Also, we have rice and beans in his sand and water table for indoor play in the winter. Swimming lessons are great too as swimming is very sensory. Hope this helps.

[daisymommy]

The Out of Sync Child Has Fun is also a good book.

Here's a great website too:
http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/index.html

[jse107]

Thanks mamas!

Have you had experiences with private OT therapy? Has it been beneficial?

We actually had a pretty good day today--the first one in a long time without a major meltdown. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he falls asleep easily.

I've checked out the websites and they've been really helpful. The OT also had some recommendations. Currently I'm reading The Seonsory Sensitive Child: Practical Solutions for Out of Bound Behavior. My next step is The Out of Sync Child.

Has anybody found any links to changes in diet or any other variable factors?

[JTsMom]

Hi Jen,
My DS has different sensory issues, but I can tell you a little bit about our OT experiences. We've been going since the end of Oct., and I'm now starting to see a big difference in certain areas. We still have a long way to go though. DS also has a speech delay, and I believe the two together were making things much worse than one or the other alone would have been.

Two of DS's major issues are self-regulation and attention. When we first started, it was a real challenge to keep him on task through the entire session. Now though, he's a champ! He's learning to delay gratification a little, and to follow directions, even when he'd rather be doing something else. That's huge for us!

His OT sessions involve a lot of swinging, fine motor activities and tactile challenges. For example, in the beining, his OT started him on a really wide, long swing, that she'd sit with him on. While they were swinging, she'd keep him busy doing puzzles, or putting tokens into a piggy bank. After that, they might bounce on an exercise ball, then roll back and forth on it. They'd work on writing (started with perfecting circles and crosses). They'd do an art project- often involving painting his hands to make hand prints.

DS has really enjoyed going for the most part. There have been a few days when they pushed him a little too hard, and then he'd get a little nervous about going back, but he always says he likes OT. He really loves the little projects and the undivided attention.

Right now, we're starting a new type of therapy called Therapeutic Listening. We've dabbled a little, and I've been really impressed with the results we've seen thus far. We'll see how it goes when we dive in full time, which should be next week.

Anyway, hope this helps a little. Try to give it some time, and keep an open mind. At first, it kind of feels like it's a waste of time, and that it's nothing you couldn't do at home (at least it did to me), but after a while, it starts to make more sense. Of course it's easy for me to say that since my insurance is footing the bill!

[maestramommy]

One of my friends has a ds who wasn't formally diagnosed, but she was advised that her son did have some sensory issues. The suggestion was to enroll him in gymnastics and other very physically active classes. She said it made a big difference.

I've read "Sensational Kids" just out of curiosity, and I think you will probably find a lot of good ideas there.

[jse107]

Lori--
Thanks so much for sharing your experience with OT. I'm happy to hear that you're seeing encouraging results. This is a lot of money for us to spend on something that isn't covered by insurance or the school system. Not that it's about the money--but I just want it to be directed to something worthwhile that will help O in the long run! Truthfully, I would go to any lengths to help my kids--as I think most parents would!

Keeping an open mind is going to be tough for DH--he's an engineer and a black/white problem-solver (who is also probably the biggest genetic contributer to O's sensory issues ;) ). He is the one who has put up a swing, bought a hammock swing, and set up the mini-trampoline though!

Melinda--Thank you for your thoughts! I forgot to mention that Owen is in gymnastics--we started him in Sept. and he LOVES it!