Toddler with SPD? Need Help!

My friend Regina has a son with Sensory Integrative Disorder - similar to SPD. She got great results with a nutritional supplement made for kids, which has all the nutritional elements in the right balance (which is key) and also DHA/omega 3s for healthy brain function. He had dramatic results in behavior and a sense of wellbeing in a very short period of time. He's much happier, and so are his parents. I'd be happy to share more info, and she would be glad to talk to you directly. Sometimes the answer can be very simple - I'd like to give you hope.

Could be he is just testing his limits, sounds like it could be ADD/ADHD, whatever the acronym-du-jour is.
Can you take him to a playground or other place (those indoor playgrounds with the ballpits? A karate class?) where he can just let loose and get rid of his energy? Maybe you can give him tasks and direct his energy, like: " let's see how fast you can run around the outside of the house 3 times" or other energy-sappers.
You do not say what the results of the testing was but I am not familiar with Birth-to-Three. Have you discussed his behavior with your pediatrician? I recently had my daughter tested for ADD which presents itself as dreaminess in girls. It consisted of two questionnaires: one for parents and one for another caregiver (teacher usually). Then there is an hour long discussion with the pediatrician.
I hope the tests and doctor can give you some insights. Good luck.

Hi, you are describing my 4 year old! It was a long road, but I had him evaluated a few months before his 4th b-day and the diagnosis was ADHD and ODD. Early Intervention thought sensory processing disorder too (the nuerophychologist who evaluated him does not acknowledge SPD because it is such a broad spectrum). I try as much positive reinforcement as possible and to pick my battles. Keeping his days highly structured helps. Some of this he cannot help. I have him in an intengrated pre-school through our town and he's recieving OT services which I think helps but I don't think it is frequent enough. I'm finding at this age there doesn't seem to be many resources though. In addition to the Out of Sync Child book, I am currently getting some good ideas from a book called "From Chaos to Calm" by Janet E Heininger and Sharon K Weiss. It's not specific to toddlers but I can apply some of their concepts. It's great that you are in tune with this so early and taking action! Early intervention is the key.

Has your son ever been tested for Turrets Syndrome? My son had a lot of tics and we were told about Turrets. Most people think of vocal outburts or compulsive swearing when thinking of this didorder. In fact it is mostly tics and funny behaviour.
Just a thought. I wish u the best of luck and hope u get a diagnosis soon!

Hi, I'm a special education teacher and my first thought was a sensory issue. is he getting any therapy right now? there are lots of different types of input that may help. let me know if you could use any advice.
E.

I am a pediatric Occupational Therapist. If he does have sensory issues, you should seek the advice of an OT. I also recommend the "Out-of-Sync Child" books by Carol Stock Kranowitz. An OT can help you problem solve different activites that can help your son. Good luck.

Not sure if anyone else has suggested it, but I would have him evaluated by Project CHILLD in Beverly or OTA (offices in Wakefield and Watertown) ASAP - they specialize in sensory processing and have been fabulous with many families I have worked with!

First I highly recommend you read the out of sync child. Our 28 month old does the same things bumpbs into things, likes to climb, he is always jumping. We found w/ the help of an OT that the following activities really help: wheelbarrow walking, marching/parading around the house, pushing heavy objects/pushing against the wall, using the sit and spin, deep pressure hugs, and we recently started "brushing" and he loves it it really helps calm him. We started the brushing bc of tactile defensiveness but it has helped tremendously w/ his sensory seeking behaviors.

S., There is a really great book out there called The Out-of-Sync Child Has Fun and it gives lots of ideas about what to do at home to give your child the sensory diet he needs. Did the 0-3 program say he needed Occupational Therapy? If they say he didn't qualify due to not needing other therapy you may want to look into getting him OT on it's own through your insurance as a stand alone service. If you can afford to do it financially it's definitely worth looking into.

My child, also David is 7 and he is diagnosed with ADHD, Turrets, and possibly Sensory Processing Disorder. I found putting a TV in Davids room to give him sound stimulation helpful. His OT (occupational therapy) has a small trampoline for him to jump on. We have a reward system in place, WII time. We gave him an art table to allow him to cut and color to his heart content. We don't have any strict times except bedtime and we have, in the past, set up an alarm clock to keep him in bed in the morning. This is where award time came in handy. We scratch his back or give him a bath when his tics are over the top. We have used a stop sign to indicate when he is to loud or over the top, again rewards time. Lots or interactive toys (legos, color crayons, markers, swords) we also use a ball seat (similar to the exercise ball) at school to help with the ADHD. Take a look at this website, the have lots of info and a shop to buy helpful products http://www.spdfoundation.net/products.html.