Sensory Disorders?

[MommyCracked]

Anyone have a child that deals with a sensory disorder?  If so, I'd love to learn from you!

[kristiemcnealy]

My daughter doesn't have a diagnosis at this point, but she definitely has sensory problems related to prematurity.  She is a mix of both hyper (doesn't like to be touched) and hyposensitive (must wear her shoes on the wrong feet) traits.

What about you?

[MommyCracked]

Hi Kristie!

Our son is 3.  He just got his diagnosis last month.  We've been going to OT once a week.  His issues are mild, but some days are really tough.  He's very sensitive to touch, sound, and can't seem to handle very many people around him at once.  He also has to play long and hard to settle down. 

So glad to meet you!

[Lynnae]

We haven't had any formal diagnosis, but all of the people who have worked with my kids agree that my daughter is hypersensitive and my son is hyposensitive.  It makes life interesting. 

[ThatCrazyMom]

Another one here who doesn't have an "official" diagnosis yet. My 5 year old is hypersensitive.

[greenresolutions]

What are the best books you've read about sensory issues?

My son is 22 months, and he has sensory issues that affect his eating. He will only eat crunchy foods, nothing mushy. He hates having his hands dirty (with mushy foods, pieces of grass, etc.). He's just recently started complaining about the tags in his shirts, so I think his sensory problems might affect more than his eating as he gets older. And he's been putting his fingers in his ears a lot. I don't know if that is related.

We went to OT for about 5 months, but we're taking a break. With this latest bout of teething and the streak of independence, we just weren't getting anywhere.

But his OT recommended the book called "Food Chaining" (helpful for all extremely picky eaters, regardless of the cause) and the approach is easier on both of us. He's started eating several new foods. I'm excited even though they are similar to the foods he already eats and aren't as big a step as we'd hoped when in OT. (And I'm sure we'll be back in OT before long.)

If it will help anyone out there to get ideas, here is a list of foods my son eats. (We get the dried fruits and veggies from www.justtomatoes.com, and they sell them at Whole Foods):

    * fresh fruits: Granny Smith apples
    * dried fruits: blueberries, strawberries, cherries, pineapple, banana, mango, apple, blackperries
    * cooked veggies: fries (must be fried, not baked), Chick-fil-A waffle fries, sweet potato fries, chips, veggie chips. (Can these be counted as veggies or should they be sweets?!)
    * dried veggies: corn, peas
    * meats: bacon, pepperoni (if cooked until crunchy). he ate chicken nuggets until this latest bout of teething; hopefully he'll start eating them again soon.
    * bread/cereals: muffins, Cheerios, cereal bars (Special K are his favorite), one brand of pre-made garlic bread, all kinds of crackers (the Kashi Mediterranean Bruschetta crackers are high in calories, so I'm excited he's started eating those!), and peanut butter crackers
    * sweets: smarties, skittles, sometimes he will eat a taste of brownie, there are several cookies he's eaten at one time or another, but he gets them so rarely that he may refuse it the next time it is offered.
    * drinks: all kinds of juices, milk, milkshakes, we add blueberry and strawberry yogurt squeezers to his milk, and he begs for a straw to share our sweet tea sometimes

[lonestar818]

All three of my guys are dx'd with both autism and sensory integration disorder.  They each have a little bit different "twist" to their sensory issues, with a mix of sensory-seeking and sensory-avoiding tendencies.  For my older two, their sensory-seeking leads them to be really hyperactive and people have thought they have ADHD but it's because of the sensory issues.  OT has been helpful.  My little guy is not so hyper but his tactile sensory-seeking drives me nuts b/c it usually takes the form of him rolling and pushing on me which is painful after a while.  He acts like he's trying to climb his way back into the womb, lol.

One book that I found really helpful when my older boys were first dx'd is "The Out of Sync Child" by Carol Kranowitz.  It gives examples of how sensory issues may manifest themselves and offers suggestions.  One of the things I found most helpful is it gave me some insight into why my kids did a lot of what they did.

[SassyMomma]

Hi MommyCracked,
My son has been diagnosed with sensory processing disorder.  There may be something else going on, but it hasn't been labelled.  He's a bit of a conudrum to the OT's and doctors we have visited and tested with.  I suspect he may be high functioning autistic - but whatever the label, he's just a tough kid! 

My blog was started as a partial diary of my son's struggles, progress and how it affects us as a family.  It's a way for me to cope and reach out to others who might be experiencing some of the same things as our family.

[Bloggymommy]

For all of you that have children with SPD or just sensory issues stop by my new blog and check it out. It's a SPD support blog for parents. We have helpful links, advice, news and are going to have Therapy Thursdays coming soon with advice, tips and answers to your questions, from a Developemental Therapist and a Speech Therapist!
Hope to see you all there! Mommy Cracked has even done an interview there for us!

http://thespdlife.blogspot.com/