How do you know if you have a sensory child?

amother

Lemon

Mon, Dec 05 2016, 2:25 am

My 21 month old has been exhibiting some behaviors that worry me.

He's become very finicky. His vocabulary of negative words has increased tremendously. Everything is always icky or ew or mess or itchy. He can't stand being dirty and keeps asking for a napkin during mealtimes. He has a new habit of inspecting the spaces between his toes and freaking out if he finds a bit of fuzz. He also goes crazy if there is a hair floating in the bathtub.

These can't possibly be learned behaviors because no one around here acts like that. He's not my first child either so I'm not neurotic about everything being just so. My house is very laid back.

Should I be worried? His next checkup is not until he turns 2 so I can bring up my concerns then. In the meantime is there anything I can do to help my child? Should I be stimulating him in certain ways or trying to calm him down? Does he need to be evaluated?

momaleh

Mon, Dec 05 2016, 3:13 am

It's very young to tell, but read "the out of sync child." It describes the child with sensory processing disorder and gives tips for dealing with it. You can also get him evaluated by an OT.

cnc

Mon, Dec 05 2016, 8:01 am

I don't think it's too young to tell, I was able to tell by one of my children even before that age. Definitely get an OT evaluation. And as the PP mentioned The Out of Sync Child by Carol Stock Kranowitz is an excellent resource. You can probably get it on amazon for about ten dollars.

amother

Pumpkin

Mon, Dec 05 2016, 9:46 am

My daughters teacher told me she has some sensory issues, I should have her evaluated.
I dont see any unusual behavior at home, but she's a great top teacher so I trust her.

amother

Forestgreen

Mon, Dec 05 2016, 9:52 am

Teachers sees the child and their pairs so they can detect it faster. It doesnt hurt to evaluate your daughter. Write a letter that the teacher feels that she need therapy. Go to an agency like step by step or yeled vyalda if you live in Brooklyn and ask them to get her eval. At most she will need a little OT. G luck!

amother

Navy

Tue, Dec 06 2016, 6:19 pm

I am sensory myself, and I have a daughter who is sensory.

Your child's behavior is totally within the range of normal for this age. It's actually a very common phase for toddlers to go through (an it is not learned, which is why it seems so strange), and it usually passes within a few months. If it persists longer than that, it would be worth evaluating. But I know plenty of kids (including one of mine) who behaved like this and never had any sensory issues. It really is one of the weird, but actually normal, toddler phases.

That being said, abnormal sensistivity in sensory kids can show up even in young babies, so your kid isn't too young. But, his behavior isn't abnormal (e.g., when my toddler was exposed to something that bothered her she would scream her head off and have a total meltdown, just because there was some motor running outside the house, not even in the room). Her reaction wasn't just strange, it was extreme. Obviously, not all reactions are going to be that extreme, and a more mild sensitivity doesn't mean it's not a sensory problem. But weird toddler behaviors overlap with every problem in the book - a lot of toddler behaviors look like ADHD or OCD or sensory problems. It doesn't mean much, unless it persists beyond a few months.

Also, despite the fact that I think it sounds normal, If you really feel like something is wrong, always trust your gut and talk to you pediatrician or get an evaluation. I strongly suspect they will tell you to wait, because it isn't abnormal, but always trust your instincts as a parent.

In my opinion (since you asked), it can wait until he's 2, it doesn't sound abnormal at this age. You probably don't need to do anything in the meantime, except try to ignore it (when you get involved in this behavior, it will make it worse). One suggestion is to introduce play-doh, so your child gets used to having 'stuff' on his hands. But he may resist, in which case just let it go.

Good luck!

amother

Lilac

Tue, Dec 06 2016, 6:40 pm

My son was evaluated and approved for services at 7 months. You can certainly get him evaluated and ask the OT who comes to test him to give you tips for dealing with the hangups.

Ruchel

Wed, Dec 07 2016, 4:17 am

Please don't label a child so very young. They are sometimes finicky at that age... and it passes bh.

nycgal

Wed, Dec 07 2016, 7:44 am

If you don't want to go the route of an agency, your insurance might cover OT.

amother

Lilac

Wed, Dec 07 2016, 11:22 am

Ruchel wrote:

Please don't label a child so very young. They are sometimes finicky at that age... and it passes bh.

Actually, my son was approved for services at a far younger age because it could go either way. It could pass on its own or it could be reinforced over time. As a sensory person myself who experienced the latter, I thought it important to help my son work through it as early as possible. He got other therapies, too, but he loved OT the most. There is absolutely no harm in getting a child evaluated. If he is approved, odds are are he will find OT fun and his behavior will improve.

amother

Lemon

Wed, Dec 07 2016, 1:25 pm

OP here.

Thanks for all the replies. I think I will take a wait and see approach until his 2 year old check up. If I'm still concerned I will bring it up then and see what the pediatrician suggests.

seeker

Wed, Dec 07 2016, 4:12 pm

Agree with the recommendation of Out of Sync Child. It's quite old (unless they updated it and I don't know) but it is still very helpful and practical. It includes some checklists as well as anecdotes to help you figure it out.

amother

Green

Wed, Dec 07 2016, 4:25 pm

amother wrote:

I absolutely agree with all of this.. and I'm a pediatric OT who treats children with SPD every day 😁

I had many sensory sensitivities as a child, still have a bunch that affect my life. I have kids with their own sensory concerns. But what you describe is completely within the norm for this stage of development.

That said, you can help your child by making him comfortable in a very matter of fact way. If something causes him discomfort, remove it or clean it without making a fuss. At the same time, introduce messy play via food, paint, play doh, chalk, etc. If he dislikes it, definitely don't force it. Just play in front of him so he can observe you enjoying it, and show him how you wash your hands afterwards and they become all clean.

If this persists for a while, or it interferes with daily life, you can pursue and evaluation.