ot's and moms of kids with spd, please help

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Forum -> Parenting our children -> Preschoolers

Ot's and moms of kids with spd, please help

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amother

Tue, Oct 28 2014, 6:05 pm

At home my 4 year old dd has all the symptomsof a sensory seeking child. Always running, jumping, swinging, spinning, talking really loud, and chewing/mouthing hands and toys.

School seems to be a different story. She sits and listens and does what she is supposed to do. She does have a chewy neclace which is always in her mouth at school, and she doesnt speak very much to the morah's, but she otherwise appears fine.

Could she still have spd and function well at school? Or am I totally off?

otsrock

Tue, Oct 28 2014, 7:14 pm

Yes. She could be having difficulty with self regulation. This means that she is holding it together all day and then lets it out at home.

amother

Tue, Oct 28 2014, 7:52 pm

I'm an OT. Does it make a big difference whether or not she would qualify for a diagnosis of SPD? If you're having trouble with specific behaviors you can address those regardless of an official diagnosis.

amother

Tue, Oct 28 2014, 8:01 pm

No it diesnt maje a difference. Im jyst trying to figure out wgat ut could be before figuring out if she beeds an eval, or if its normal 4 yr old behaviour. Her behaviours are all iver the place!

amother

Tue, Oct 28 2014, 8:06 pm

Those are all normal kid behaviors unless they interfere with functioning or cause her to be unsafe. Is that the case?

amother

Tue, Oct 28 2014, 9:35 pm

I now that running, jumping and moving are all normal kid behaviors. I have a 1 and 2 year old who are very active, but I would consider them normal, esp the two year old being two and a boy.

DD on the other hand has always been a difficult child.
She has trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, even when she is exhausted.
She is all over the place at home, pretty much doing flips on the couch, running in circles and just moving all around. She has an oral fixation, so if her hands aren't in her mouth, some other toy or chewy necklace is in her mouth.
She also talks very loud and does not seem to notice that she is talking to someone who is right next to her. when she listens to music she turns it way up and claims she can't hear it, yet our neighbors can probably hear it. On the other hand if she hears thunder or other loud noises like a siren, it freaks her out.

She also tantrums very easily at home. I can see that when she is jumping around she is winding herself up and it will eventually end up with a tantrum. I try to give her "quiet times" but she has difficulty going to her room or another quiet spot to calm down.

She gets her other siblings riled up too.

Also, she barely talks to adults other then her parents/grandparents. With her teachers she gives one word answers and does not initiate conversations. When we have guests or are guests by someone, she does not speak to the adults, and if there are kids it takes her a long time to warm up to them.

She plays well with kids, but she usually engages in active play rather then with toys.
She does love to do art work and can sit for a good 30 minutes sometimes doing art.

Im not sure what is going on with her.

If you saw her in school you would think she was shy, but a good listener who sits attentively. Besides for her chew toy which she is always chomping on, you would probably see her as any other normal kid in the class.

amother

Tue, Oct 28 2014, 9:42 pm

Different environments can provoke different responses. If you're finding that her behaviors are challenging and interfering with function then you should look into how you can meet her sensory needs.

amother

Tue, Oct 28 2014, 10:02 pm

Sometimes kids like yours do not qualify for services because they do well in school.
I would suggest some reading for you as her mother, to educate yourself on different methods of helping your daughter learn to regulate herself.

*The out of sync child
*sensational kids
*raising a sensory smart child

These books will help you read her cues, and enable you to help your daughter.

Signed ot2

amother

Tue, Oct 28 2014, 10:22 pm

Im reading the out of sync child.

Your righ that bc she does well in school she may nit qualify. I actually work with special needs choldren. Some have spd, but they also have learning disabilities, so they recieve help. She doesnt need help with school.
Soryy, im writing from my phone and it wont let me edit all these spelling errors!

seeker

Tue, Oct 28 2014, 10:23 pm

It does make sense. As a person who has SPD and has a child with it, it's not unheard of for a kid to be able to "hold it together" in public and then let it all out at home. Also, school is naturally more stimulating.

If you think her behaviors are outside of normal range at home, then you should definitely have her evaluated (and treated, if indicated) now because it is likely to result in school issues later down the line.

amother

Wed, Oct 29 2014, 8:12 am

So where do I begine with an eval? I dont know the procedure. Im in the states but not ny.

5*Mom

Wed, Oct 29 2014, 8:42 am

amother wrote:

This.

Your dd sounds like a classic case of sensory seeking to me. BUT I don't think you need an evaluation because it is obvious what the issue is. Also, even after you receive an evaluation, the bulk of the remediation for sensory issues is making sure your dd gets a "balanced sensory diet" throughout her day which is going to be your job. OT once a week will not solve the problem; it's more for parental education and from your detailed and thorough description of your dd's behaviors, it's clear that you are a very perceptive mother. You can do this. Read, read, read. Learn what activities rev her up and which calm her down and build a sensory diet from those throughout the day, heavy on the proprioception.

Jewishmofm

Wed, Oct 29 2014, 9:22 am

Another mom with spd and kids with spd here. What you describe is similar to DS5. He is more typically behaved at school because it is highly structured. Home, with its very loose structure and changing stimulation is nerve-wracking for him. So he goes crazy.
We've learned to provide him with more scheduled home time, and we invested in appropriate sensory Play and explore items. And we give him lots of bear hugs.
read the books suggested, then experiment a bit to see what activities or modifications work best with your DD.

amother

Wed, Oct 29 2014, 10:21 am

I feel like ive tried so many things with her. The chewy neckace and crunchy/chewy foods fir snacjs, a ball pit in the basement, sit and spin, bilibo, riding toys. Gak, play dough, finger paints. Im just nit sure what else to do. Her behaviours are so demanding, and with two younger kids, I have such a hard time wwith her.

5*Mom

Wed, Oct 29 2014, 10:34 am

amother wrote:

Proprioception, which is input to muscles and joints, is the magic word because it is a regulating type of sensory input. Heavy work like pushing, pulling, carrying heavy things, banging, hanging (but not necessarily swinging) like on monkey bars, climbing, eating hard things like carrots and big hard pretzels, massages or brushing (but only if she likes it). There are lots more ideas in the above-mentioned books and online. Search for proprioceptive activity ideas.

Also, 4 years old is a DIFFICULT age. Harder than 2, almost as hard as 16 Smile

It's not all about the SPD.

amother

Wed, Oct 29 2014, 2:52 pm

Another mom of a challenging, undiagnosed SPD 4 year old here-

I want to add a GREAT book to the reading list- Raising Your Spirited Child
It is really eye opening.

Hatzlacha, don't let it get you down. And try not to let it cloud your perception of your wonderful special dd!

amother

Wed, Oct 29 2014, 5:13 pm

Thank you for this thread!
I have a four year old with celiac and SPD but have not been able to take him to OT yet. I feel like Im gonna lose it. He has not slept through a single night since the day he was born! Already in the hospital as a newborn he showed first signs of SPD by not stopping to cry until he felt my skin. I have a few older children and this was new to me but I didnt realize only till about half a year ago that all these behaviours ties up to something called SPD! I had never heard of this termn before. I always thought any issues were because of his (until last year) undiagnoses celiac as well as a bunch of allergies he has.
I got some good tips now on what to read. Thanks!!!!
Anon cuz of too many details

amother

Wed, Oct 29 2014, 6:39 pm

Op here. Ive read the spirited child and it does describe dd. But my problem is implementing it 😉😉 I think im going to make her a weighted blanket, and do whats others have suggested.

Thanks everyone!

MaBelleVie

Wed, Oct 29 2014, 7:03 pm

SPD is not something that you can cure by doing sensory activities once in a while... It's a condition that requires maintaining a regular sensory diet to keep the child regulated. I agree with a lot of the above suggestions.

cbsp

Thu, Oct 30 2014, 8:35 pm

Another book, highly recommended, written by a frum OT in Passaic:
The Parent-Child Dance: A Guide To Help You Understand and Shape Your Child's Behavior
By Miriam Manela OTR/L
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/.....r=8-1

She gives lots of scenarios and targeted exercises and activities with detailed drawings so you know exactly what to do and how to do it.

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