Sensory Issues - Denver,CO

My daughter was just the same and she has sensory processing disorder. Intensive occupational therapy will be very useful. I see someone already recommended Kari Hall and I would also recommend Becky Wright of A Step Ahead Pediatric Therapy, and most of all I'd recommend The Star Center, which is an internationally known research and treatment center in the Tech Center. Their website is www.starcenter.us .
someone already recommended The Out-of-Sync Child - I'd also recommend Sensational Kids, by Dr. Lucy Miller, who is the director of the Star Center. I am co-author of a book called Parenting a Child with Sensory Processing Disorder: a guide for parents with a sensory sensitive child by Chris Auer & S. Blumberg (me) that is more about how to live with this child rather than diagnosis and treatment.
take care, S.

I have a son with Autism and those sort of things are part of what we deal with every day. You can take him to an occupational therapist. They help you and him deal with his sensory issues. It is really helpful!
The first thing that I would do would be to take him to his doctor and tell him what you have seen and ask if he knows and occupational therapists that he would recommend.
I also found this web site that has clothes for kids with sensory issues... http://www.softclothing.net/
Good luck!

You should be concerned, but not in a panic. I would make two appointments. The first is with a Developmental pediatrican. You find these at the nearest children's hospital and they will do a full evaluation so that you are sure that you are not overlooking something that you are not yet aware to look for (happens a lot with kids with one issue, they often have more.) You want to catch everything there is at the earliest possible moment, and if there is nothing else, you have nothing to loose by being sure. This appointment will be many months in the future, but it is worth the wait.

Next, call a nearby occupational therapist and get the next available appointment for an evaluation and beging therapy.

The auditory issues are quite difficult, and we had to get a handicaped parking sticker for a few years so that we could make it more likely that if our child with aditory defensiveness spooked and ran (like if someone starts up a lawn mower and you don't have a good grip...you can park where they are just as likely to run to safety as they would to run to the street. It was one helpful thing for us until she was better able to handle the sudden and unpredictable sounds. Ask your doctor, they will understand.

I get the subtile idea that you have been doing some research to try and rule out autism. You should not be jumping that far ahead, let the developmental pediatrician do that for you. Beware, autism is not the kind of issue that you can say "if he can do such and such, he CAN'T have autsim." Nothing could be further from the truth. I am not saying he does, just that it is a common thing I hear, and it does not work that way.

Make these appointments, find out what you are dealing with and start some therapy. It is very helpful

M.

PS: Child find is a clause of IDEA that obligates school districts to identify and serve all eligible children with disablities who live with in their boundaries. Child find does not provide services, prior to age three, all states have an early intervention service and after age three, IDEA kicks in and children are served through public schools. A sensory issue alone is not going to be something that qualifies your son for school district services. He must have a qualifying diagnosis under IDEA and need special education services because of it. Sensory processing issues are quite often included in school services by Occupational therapists, but, OT is a realted service to IDEA, and if you don't qualify for IDEA, you cannot get OT through a school district. You can through EI, and you can get speech without an IDEA elegible diagnosis, because speech is an instructional service and not a related service. It is complicated.

You should not brush your child without getting the instruction to do so from a qualified Occupational therapist. Ditto for weighted clothing. These are not "do it yourself" kinds of therapies, although you should do all the homework involved once you get an evaluation and start therapy. Only do these things under the direction of your therapist.

I think this might just be who he is. My girlfriend is this way as an adult and we have talked a lot about how she was as a kid and this sounds exactly like her. In short, she was deemed Gifted at a very early age and now is in charge of the Gifted and Talented program at her school where she teaches. It is hard for her sometimes as she cannot let things go, things have to be in perfect order or she feels overwhelmed by things the rest of us are not bothered by. Overall though, she is very together and floats through life quite easily and smartly I might add.

Your son will be fine, just let him be who he is and love him for it. You may find that you get some advice and direction from teachers and doctors as to how to help him deal with some of his little quirks. You may or may not agree with what people offer as solutions (even from the professionals), just remember, he is who he is and you are there to teach him to be the best person he can be.

Good luck and enjoy!

I do know there is therapy for this. My friend is looking into services for her daughter for sensory. You should be able to find a place through your dr about services and may even be state/federally funded.

hypersensitivity of the nervous system.

Magnesium deficiency will cause extreme sensitivity to noise. Low magnesium will increase adrenaline- causing an "irritation" to the nervous system.You may also see some tantrums, not sleeping well, recurrent ear /lung/throat/or sinus infections , hiccups, ADHD, headaches, anxiety, and many other symptoms- symptoms can vary from person to person depending on many factors of health.

Giving any vitamins over the counter can cause overdoses and deficicncies.
Too much Calcium causes magnesium deficiency. (we have a high amount of calcium in our food, but hardly any magnesium) Too much vit D can pull calcium out of bones and into tissues, Zinc and iron supps can cause magnesium deficiencies. I think, after years of studying vitamins, that most of the common ones to be given should not be supplemented, while the most needed, like magnesium, are severely lacking.

Other things that can affect the nervous system is toxins (heavy metals), bacterias or parasites, or even food allergies- like allergies to cow dairy or to grains (gluten intolerance) Blood sugar problems can affect the nervous system.. Eat More protien, less carbs.

You can put magnesium oil on his skin- that will increase magnesium. Also kidcalm (found online) a product you drink. But ingestible kinds can cause loose stool, which is remedied by reducing the dose.

Having a nervous system that is not totally wired yet is the wackiest thing I've heard. This is illogical, and flies in the face of those who are 10, 20 or even 50 year old who have sensory issues. It is not a lack of completed wiring. It is a matter of something aggitating the nervous system. Period.

Yes, you should have enough concern to talk to some professionals and have your son tested because yes there are things you can do (and the younger you start the better) and yes, this is probably the way he is.......just as you described him....smart, caring and sensitive. Now step in and help him be as happy as he can be.

My son is 4 and is the same way. Last year we had him evaluated by an occupational therapist and found out he has sensory integration issues. After working on it for a year, you can hardly tell now. I would encourage you to seek an evaluation, but also know that it is going to be okay. Sometimes as moms we get all this information thrown at us and we tend to get nervous and wonder, "What's wrong with my kid?" Sensory integration disorder is something that can be dealt with and is not a "life sentence". You can get a free evaluation through your local school district--although do request that an occupational therapist be present. This usually takes place through Child Find. All kids ages 3 and up can also get free therapy through your school district. It doesn't sound like anything more than some sensory issues, which have great coping strategies.
Also, even though I don't know you, it is obvious you love your son and want what is best for him, so give yourself a pat on the back. Although it is hard, try not to be overwhelmed, but know that each child is unique--some are just more sensitive than others. I am sure you know this too, but sometimes it just helps to hear it.

Oh my, yes! He can be evaluated and recommended for some services. Occupational Therapy can help him a great deal with his sensory issues as well as give you support on how to help him as well! Talk to your pediatrician right away. Good luck.

Hi K. - yes, sounds like sensory issues. I would recommend a consult with an OT.

Kari S. Hall, MA, OTR - Pediatric Occupational Therapist
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www.spd4kids.com

An eval would be a fantastic thing, especially if it's not something you've dealt with in the past.

We're an adhd household... so we're totally familiar with OUR kind of sensory issues (adhd always comes along with sensory "schtuff" because of how our brains process information, much positive along with the neg... which it why I'm raising my eyebrow and laughing to myself at the current trend of dual diagnosing adhd with spd). But adhd-sensory schtuff is different from autism sensory, different from agoraphobia sensory, different from SPD, and different from Sensory Integration, etc.. Which is an IMPORTANT series of distinctions... because while the actual expressions overlap (like my son can't wear wool... he says it's like wearing eyelashes... or shirts with scratchy tags cause meltdowns... or or or) the TREATMENTS are vastly different. Something that helps an autistic child will drive an adhd child lunatic crazy in some cases or be perfect in another case. Ditto Sensory Integration, ditto, ditto, ditto.

Same token MOST toddlers have some sensory quirks. Their nervous systems aren't totally wired yet, are in the process of rewiring, AND their skin is still super sensitive, as are ears, as are eyes, as are their tastebuds, as are their __________. So most of these kids just grow out of their sensory things.

Adhd kids don't, ever. I mean... our skin toughens, our ear muscles strengthen (without strong ear muscles the body can't hold the bones apart to muffle noise), our nervous system finishes wiring... but our sensory schtuff is just part of how our brains work. What changes is our self control at reacting to stimuli, as well as our ability to process more info. ((As an adhd adult I not only still feel every single stitch of clothing ***at all times*** -like my socks on my feet inside my shoes to my lingerie, jeans, tee, etc... which I understand others only feel if they stop and think about them... but I also feel every beat of my heart, expansion of my intercostals while breathing, the feel of my lashes as they push through the air, bounce on the bottom lashes, ETC. It never stops... the CONSTANT flow of information, and that's only one tiny area, I also hear everything at once, feel the air temp, movement, humidity, changes and constants in light, the list goes on. I once wrote out everything that I'm aware of and have to block out for a therapist, and the list was over 100 items long. As kids it's overwhelming... but the time we reach adulthood we've learned to shove it into the background MOST of the time. LOL... and quite frankly we have more power as adults. We buy clothes that feel good, can play loud music that downs out the world when we have to concentrate -so there's only one thing to ignore instead of 70-, cook food we like the taste/texture of, etc.))

But all that is JUST adhd sensory schtuff, and it's only the tip of the iceberg. Certain disorders can be trained to accommodate in ways that ours can't... and certain disorders can actually, with treatment, be all but eliminated. So knowing exactly what you're dealing with is very very helpful.

So as Martha said; concerned, yes. Panic, no.

:)

I strongly recommend you have this evaluated---the sooner the better. The things you are seeing now could develop into learning issues later on. His brain is still malleable at this age and if you wait too long the pathways are already fixed---it then becomes your son trying to accomodate rather than having a reversal of some of these issues.

STAR Center here in the Denver area is one of the leading areas of research on SPD in the nation, if not the world. You can learn more at starcenter.us. The founder Lucy Jane Miller is leading the way for research and advocacy. Another place is at lowryot.com---Cheryl Mock is one of the OTs there and used to be at STAR Center. Her no-nonsense approach and level of support are unsurpassed.

We waited to get private professional help and went through Child Find----I wish I would have had my son go through therapy when he was 3 and newly identified. Perhaps then I wouldn't be dealing with some of the social and educational hurdles we are having as he is coming up on middle school

Best wishes.

Contact your pediatrician and see if they can offer you numbers for physical or occupational therapy. If not, your local school district should be able to provide information. There are several kinds of therapy for sensory integration disorder (which sounds a lot like you are describing) that can help him become a little less sensitive. If you look on Amazon.com or use google to look up sensory integration toys you can find some of the materials used to help. Best of luck!

One of my best friends has 2 children with sensory integration issues. She highly recommends the book The Out-of-Sync Child.

I'm a mom to a girl with Asperger's, and one thing I've pretty much concluded through our path in life is that when there are sensory issues, there's a good chance there are other things going on as well. It may not be autism, but it could be something.

Like a lot of the other moms here, I recommend getting your son evaluated so that you can determine if there is anything else going on. I wish I had my daughter evaluated at 3. We waited until she was 4.5, and services didn't kick in until she was 5! She's doing great now though!

C.
www.littlebitquirky.blogspot.com

There are things you can do about it. My boys were the same way when younger they still have some of those issues but I didnt have a clue those behaviors werent normal. At age 10 they finally got a educational DX of autism. I figured it out at age 8. Take your son to his doc tell the doc what is going on. Even if its just a sensory disorder therapies can help him and the younger they start the better off they are.

There is so much that can be done for your little guy! I was this way, and have 3 kids who exhibit it in some way or another. My daughter got a lot of great help from Child Find. One of the things we do each day is brush her skin. She hated it at first, but loves it now, and if I forget, she reminds me. Brain Balance Centers or www.interactivemetronome.com are things we have done for our older kids. My oldest son seems better if we let him chew gum, but the biggest change came from IM. I like IM because the changes are permanent. I think Child Find is the only one that works with the younger kids, though. And it's free, so nice plus. It's been a while since I worked with Denver Child Find, but I really liked the people and they were very helpful. We used them for speech only, but you get a full evaluation when then come, OT, PT, etc. I think this falls under OT. Weighted clothes might also help, but I don't know a good resource for that. I could get one for you, if you're interested. GL! I hope you find some good resources and find the quiet, calm little guy that's trapped inside. I think once you meet the needs, you'll be amazed at what a different child you have. In good ways, of course. My daughter always was sweet, but now she's even more so, and so snuggly! Yay!