"Out-of-Sync" Child---diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)

Hi, (sorry this is so long)
I'm not very familiar with SPD, However very familiar with ADHD, I looked into SPD and it sounds similar, I'll share with you what I do with my son, one thing that has helped him learn is not to sit down and do text book study, but to be active, we'll find a rhythm and clap our hands to spelling, example F-A-M---I-L-Y. Then do a little gig, same thing with math, repeating it over and over again, even if its one math problem a week or two "six-times-six-is-thirty-six" While dancing, taping, clapping, singing, whatever is fun. Maybe that doesn’t work for you but my son sure remembers better when he's having fun, Another thing I remember doing was homework for hours just so my son could keep up, He now has an IEP program, but before that by the end of the day I was grouchy, he was grouchy, we were not friends, then the teacher specified that I only need to do 40 min of homework, not that it should take the average kid 40 min but us 3 hrs, but that we do only 40 min 4 days a week, sometimes my son would only comprehend 1 thing in that 40 min, or solve 1 math problem or read 1 page, but when his 40 min was up, I let him be done, we were both much happier that way and I talked with my sons teacher and resource teacher about what they can do to help him excel at his pace.
I'd suggest maybe to talk to your sons teacher's and ask exactly what they expect, then tell them what you feel and expect too. Its ok if your son doesn’t keep up with the class, that's what the IEP is for, (at least I think so in my case) my son learns more if he's enjoying it than if not, It has gotten easier for the both of us since I've quit expecting so much from him and pushing him so hard, I don’t know if it will be that way for you, I see other kids do so many things my son doesn’t do yet, but I've learned to be ok with that, my son has a disability, that’s our life, I'm at peace with it now, I just focus on him, not the kids his age, and slowly, one day at a time, we learn new things, like organization, good habits, coping skills, people skills, not giving up, I figure if I can teach my son how to learn, then when he's ready to learn something new, he'll know how to do that.
Another thing I do is try to sneak in some learning, I talk a lot about what I'm doing and why I'm doing it. I'll price shop at the store and figure differences in price and difference in quantity, he actually loves to get on the calculator and do figures for me now. At work, I'll print of funny jokes or inspiring stories I get from my e-mail, at first I was reading them to him, now he likes to read them to me, or find a funny short article in the news paper and have him read it to me while I do dishes, I'll laugh out loud and really enjoy what he's reading so he feels like he's making me laugh instead of practicing reading. I feel like that’s a tricky way of getting some extra learning and he doesn’t even know it.
Oh, another thing my sons teachers have told me, My reading to him is considered his homework reading time, that me reading to him, especially at such a young age, is almost as good as him reading. My son didn't always pay attention, but it was the daily habit he was learning, eventually he grew to a point where he now reads daily by him self (he's 11 now and finishing books).
One thing I'd really like to say is be patient with your little one, I think when I was frustrated with my son not paying attention and taking forever to do his homework, I sent a message that I believed he was dumb, or incapable of learning, things only went down hill for us, but when I changed my attitude toward my son and learned who he was, accepted it and welcomed it, things continually get better.
As for Sylvan, I checked into it, I would do it if I could afford it and had the time to take him, they teach on a schedule that conflicts with my work schedule and they are not flexible. They laid on the guilt trip that my son’s education is more important than money, but money talks. I've been a single mom making under Ten dollars an hr. with no child support. Figure that one out. So I (like you) just learned ways to teach him my self, at least the best I can. And to have fun with it.
One last recommendation that has worked miracles for our family is the program "Love & Logics". Which you can check out at http://www.loveandlogic.com/
Best of luck to you and your little angel.

my 7 year old was diagnosed as high functioning autistic,sensory integration dysfunction and asperger's..with the sensory issue, they just get overwhelmed..they notice and get aggitated by things,that most of us just block out...has anyone shown you the deep pressure exercises? nobody knows your child better than you...the egg timer idea is good,but with sid or spd,it'll likely aggitate your son even more..the ticking and the time constraint...you might ask your school district psychiatrist or psychologist for some suggestions or put you in touch with an occupational therapist for additional ideas...i wish i had some good advice to offer other than a "i've been there and feel your pain"...i won't start on the teacher stuff because i'm a child of two teachers and it's hard for me to be impartial when i know how little money goes into our education system, and how few quality teachers stick around for such little pay...but like other's said..you're the parent and by keeping on top of these things and communicating with the teacher, together i'm sure you'll figure something out to benefit your son...best of luck to you..

Here is a suggestion I offer my first grade parents; get a kitchen timer/egg timer put it where he can see it. Set it for ten minutes and tell him he has to work until the timer goes off, and he will get a reward. Something simple like ten minutes of free play, or you'll read him his favorite book. You also need to have a serious sit down with his teachers. What are they doing for him as part of his IEP? If his work is this difficult how are they modifying the curriculum to meet his needs? He prpobably should not be getting the same amount of homework as other students. But whatever they say you cannot and should not spend more than thirty minutes on homework. It is not healthy and you will burn him out. You need to tell the teacher what you are doing and what gets done gets done. Start out out with only five or ten minutes and when he can handle that lengthen the time. But make sure you reward him for any progress he makes. Good Luck.

I agree with Megan. I'm an elementary school teacher and I'm kind of surprised they're not modifying the amount of work for your child. Sometimes unfortunately, parents have to be on top of this for teachers to do it, especially if no IEP meeting has been done yet this year. You should demand less homework and modified work in class, so your child can feel successful, which is a huge part of learning. Usually, before an IEP meeting, parents are contacted several times and a plan of action is implemented (depending on the case). If that didn't happen yet, I would call the teacher and ask for a meeting right away. Ask about a plan for your child (what is she/he doing to accomodate your child's needs? how is she measuring success? what are the next steps?) Ignoring your child's needs until he has his IEP meeting is not only wrong, it's illegal. THere is a very detailed process, including lots of paperwork, that teachers have to follow. So ask the teacher, principal, special ed. teacher or counselor about it. You should be able to have all the help your child needs in school grounds, a good school would provide that. Good luck. And remember, you as a parent have the power and the right to have your child's needs met. Again, good luck.

Hi, sounds familiar...my son has has PDD-NOS (autistic spectrum disorder), ADHD and Sensory Integration Dysfunction as well as a whole bunch of other issues. He also has an IEP and sees a speech therapist, OT and others. He's been going to Sylvan since kindergarten and as much as I've loved his school teachers, I really believe he learned to read at Sylvan and not only at school. Yes, it's expensive, but for us, it's been a lifesaver. He's now in 3rd grade and is reading just slightly below grade level (considering where he was, this is pretty great). He finished their Reading program and has been doing their Math program for the last few months. We really see a difference! Also, the staff and teachers at Sylvan (we go to the one on Hampden near I-25 in Denver), are in touch with his school teachers, so there is a real coordination to what he's learning. It's hard to see your child struggling so early in school. When my son had that issue, I (along with his teachers) decided that he would do 15-30 minutes of homework. He promised to work really hard and stay on task during those minutes, then when the timer went off, he was done (regardless if he actually completed the assignment). Homework at this age shouldn't be to learn new things, just to reinforce what was learned at school during the day. It is also to set good study habits, and working diligently for a set amount of time is a good habit. I don't think it's worth burning yourself and your child out at such a young age just to complete your teacher's demands. The last thing you want is for your child to be turned off school for life. If you can afford it, definitely look into tutoring (like Sylvan), if not, don't beat yourself up because of the teacher...you want your child to love school, not dread it. Good luck!

Hi,
I'm a former SpEd teacher, I taught jr. high students with behavior disorders and communication/learning d.o.s. If your son's IEP doesn't already include it, you should remind the teachers that he should be eligible to receive compensations on his assignments, i.e. more time and/or shortened assignments. They should be able to adjust his assignments to ensure that he is doing enough work to understand the concepts they are teaching, without him (and you) having to spend such and enormous amount of time and effort simply doing repetetive things that most kids can do quickly to reinforce their learning. Good luck, V.

Hi,

It would be a good idea just to talk to Sylvan about this, and see if they can help him. Poor kid shouldn't have to do homework for that long. He is to young to sit there for that long doing homework.

Keep you chin up things will work out, and keep encouraging him. As far as the little ones while you are doing this, maybe have them color or something at the table with you during this. It might help depending on their ages.

Good luck!

Hello,
I am not familiar with SPD but I can relate to what you are saying. My son at 3 was diagnosed with Sensory Integration Dysfunction (SID). I recommend you get this book to read as it might help with your sons situation. Any books that you can read to help your child will be useful not only for him but for you as well. http://www.out-of-sync-child.com/

You might want to ask the teacher if your son can have a lighter load of homework, explain the situation to her- if it is frustrating for you imagine what it must be like for him. Alot of children are very visual learners, especially boys- incoporating hands on activities for learning would be to his advantage. These are things you will want to bring up when you have your iep. The other thing if you are having a IEP the teacher will know because normally they are involved in that process. So lightening the load on homework shouldn't be a problem.

I would look into seeing what an Occupational Therapist might be able to do to help him. You may want to check with your child's physician or whom gave him this diagnosis. With any diagnosis treatment it's necessary so your child can learn to handle it, adapt it into his life and environment so that it is not a label but a lifestyle.

Another thing depending on the homework you might want to break it up in time increments. That way you get a break between each subject- he gets a chance to get up and move around. When the work is done let there be an award- to go do something he enjoys??

I hope this imput has helped. Try to stay positive and focused, our attitudes can easily rubb off onto children.

Take care, C.

I don't know anything about SPD or SID, but my 7 yr old had tremendous difficulties in school in kindergarten and first grade. She wouldn't stay in her seat, wanted to play with the other kids instead of "doing work", expected lots of attention - and found ways to get it. Her teachers recommended that I have her checked for ADD or ADHD, I did some research on natural ways to keep her focused and tried some different things.
But, the best thing I tried was finding a Montessori School for her. This is her first year in the new school and she loves it. The teacher only gives her what she can handle, and makes learning fun.
Shortly before Halloween, she came home after school, and while we were outside she says to me "Mom, do you know what kind of tree this is (pointing to the one in the front yard)?" But before I could answer, she tells me "It's deciduous. Because it loses it's leaves, not like the Evergreen kind that keeps it's leaves." I had to go and Google "deciduous" only to find out that she was right! Now she thinks it's REALLY fun to teach Mommy new things, and I have fun letting her - whether I know the things she is "teaching" me or not!
We were very blessed when the Mapleton schools in Thornton added the Montessori to the public school system, otherwise I would still be looking for some "remedy" to help her with school and homework!
Good Luck!
L.