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Forum -> Children's Health
Sensory? Behavioral? Muscle tone?



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amother


 

Post Tue, Sep 09 2014, 10:04 am
My ds (6) is a very smart kid, who has some issues w emotional regulation, tantrums, doesn't like loud situations ( example weddings or graduations) constantly touching things or ppl etc.
We had him evaluated about two yrs ago by both a psychologist and OT to see if it's behavior or sensory related. Neither one came up w anything definitive. He had some OT by his ( then ) Morah for sensory issues, but honestly I saw no improvement.
The head of the place where I got the Ot from thinks it's behavioral but I'm not so sure that I agree.
How can I figure out what his issues are and help him deal with them?
Anon bec I've discussed this IRL ( w no clear answers either)
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imasinger




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Sep 09 2014, 10:26 am
If you tried OT and didn't think it helped, maybe you should try psychology and/or social skills. Can you find someone good to see and assess him?
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amother


 

Post Tue, Sep 09 2014, 11:12 am
The psychologist who evaluated him was the head of a very well known special needs school and he didn't think it was behavioral (he was a bit stumped) and was the one who mentioned sensory issues.
So each of them thinks it might be the other thing- which is why I'm so confused....
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otsrock




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Sep 09 2014, 11:31 am
Anything sensory can become behavioral. Really, all behaviors tell us something, and if a child is acting "behavioral", it is very likely a sensory issue. That being said, many times sensory issues still need to be treated behaviorally as well, even when the underlying cause is treated- because it is already a learned behavior.

From the information that you wrote, it sounds like it might be an issue with self regulation. Seek out an OT trained in Julia harpers method of self regulation. (I'm not currently available Smile)
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amother


 

Post Tue, Sep 09 2014, 11:33 am
to otsrock- thank you for your input- can you explain more about self regulation? I'm in north jersey, just moved to a new community and have no idea how to go about finding an ot, let alone one who teaches self regulation......
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2gether




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Sep 09 2014, 12:29 pm
Read Out-of-Sync Child.
It will help you evaluated your son plus how to deal with it.
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otsrock




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Sep 09 2014, 12:58 pm
In a nutshell, when our sensory systems are not equipped to handle the situations that we are placed in, we are always trying to "hold it together" - basic tasks become difficult for reasons that we might not notice. When a task becomes too much, or an environment is too difficult to bear, the result is a tantrum, or "behavior" because the system is overloaded. Imagine yourself, holding a crying baby while trying to cook supper while on the phone. If someone comes to ask you a simple question, you might blow a fit, which may look irrational only if the person asking you the question doesn't know the million other things you are trying to hold it together for.

So basic treatment involves improving the automaticity of skills, so that you don't have to pay attention to things. If a child is struggling to hold themselves up because theirs core is weak, we'll work on that. If they can't process incoming sensations such as sounds or lights, and they continually have to filter that out to function, we'll work on that. A lot of these "skills" are things we take for granted, such as breath support and reflex integration. That's a whole other thing but is definitely part of treatment for self regulation.
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MaBelleVie




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Sep 09 2014, 1:23 pm
Check out the alert program aka how does your engine run. It's a program that any caregiver can implement to address self regulation in children of all ages. You can google for more info.
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amother


 

Post Tue, Sep 09 2014, 1:52 pm
Thank you all so much esp otsrock and mabelle! Smile
I remember that by his graduation/ Chumash mesiba last yr the music and singing were so loud and I saw him getting more & more upset until he burst into tears & I had to take him outside to calm down. Something like this makes me lean more towards sensory/self regulation as opposed to just misbehaving.
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happimom




 
 
    
 

Post Tue, Sep 09 2014, 9:42 pm
Sensory!!!! You are describing my DD exactly. And we had such a hard time understanding her until we understood how much she was suffering.
These behaviors are all coming from sensory dysfunction.
In my experience, behavior improved a lot when the sensory piece improved.
Read The out of sync child.
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cbsp




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Sep 10 2014, 8:37 pm
amother wrote:
to otsrock- thank you for your input- can you explain more about self regulation? I'm in north jersey, just moved to a new community and have no idea how to go about finding an ot, let alone one who teaches self regulation......


Sounds like DD too.
You mentioned north Jersey. In Passaic there's Miriam Manela:
www.otthrive.com
She specializes in sensory integration, reflex integration, and is a wonderful, illustrated, sympathetic person. She also works with the parents to implement her strategies.

There's also Kid Clan. They are the agency that the board of ed uses for services to non public schools but they also have a sensory gym and I know a lot of people who've had great success with them.

I also gained a lot reading *the* book on sensory processing disorders by Dr. Jean Ayers.
Sensory Integration and the Child
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/.....dir=1

Hatzlachah!
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amother


 

Post Mon, Oct 20 2014, 7:16 pm
Op here: sO now that we r back to school and doing hmwk, it seems like my ds might have learning difficulties, or maybe just can't focus bec of his sensory issues. Sometimes he just seems to not understand anything at all, but when he pays attention he does seem to know. I'm so confused. Can possible sensory issues cause learning issues?
Who can I talk to about all this?
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MaBelleVie




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Oct 20 2014, 7:44 pm
If his brain isn't regulated he will have difficulty focusing.
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goforit




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Oct 20 2014, 7:54 pm
Please check with a blood test if he has pandas. We went 3 hours a week to ot and no improvement. Also did so many testing and because of weird learning issues. Pandas litteraly eats up the sensory regulations in the brain. When we went threw the check list everything maid Sence. Good luck.
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amother


 

Post Mon, Oct 20 2014, 9:41 pm
Pandas is worth a shot as it's some kind of infection that attacks the basal ganglia and can cause a host of symptoms. My DD has always had sensory issues and her strep titers are moderately high... her symptoms increase and decrease which is typical of pandas as the body is exposed to the invading pathogen. She has had a history of sensitivity to Lou noises and touching anything and everything as well (including people).
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the world's best mom




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Oct 20 2014, 10:12 pm
Can you explain what it means for his issues to be behavioral? Do you mean to say he's a perfectly functional child who just decided he wants to act weird? I would have a hard time believing that about anyone who grew up in a semi-functional home. Kids generally behave fairly well unless they have a reason not to.

Based on the way you described him, it sounds like he does have sensory issues. Maybe you can consult with another OT and get a second opinion?
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