Claustrophobia?

Sounds normal to me. My daughter used to fight when we swaddled, but was fine when we were done and she was all wrapped up. Untill lately she hated hats, the begining of winter was a struggle but she's gotten better. The whole not wanting to go down the alley seems like normal toddler behavior to me, she's probably testing what she can get away with.

Hi D.,

okay, i think before you skip to the claustrophobia theory, you should definitely look into sensory processing disorder. my son has this and it's something that requires occupational therapy. i can't tell you much more because it's all pretty new to me. i can tell you that SPD is a disorder that affects the senses and not necessarily all of them. it sounds like her touch senses are being affected. my son has this as well as his hearing and taste. although he has these issues, he is not a mess. he is above average intellectually. he has space issues. he has a difficult time focusing in large groups or when there is a lot of stimulation around him. he cannot filter out background noise so this makes it hard for him to concentrate. he is not picky with his clothes but rather does not like to be hugged or touched too much. he also does not like blankets and used to have issues with his socks and tags when he was younger. you should also know that these issues are not consistent. One day he will be fine and the next he's out of control because his senses are out of whack.
this is a good place for you to start...i also bought a book called, "the out of sync child" but haven't had a chance to read too much lately. you can google this disorder because there is a lot of information on it.
i hope this helps. feel free to contact me if you have more questions.

Have you heard of sensory processing disorder? Might be something you'd like to check out. I wish you all the best.

http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/sensory-integr...

Sounds more like a tactile defensiveness (sensitivity to touch). My 4yo was the same way w/ clothes, blankets seatbelts. She still has issues w/ wearing jeans, hats, tight clothes, turtlenecks..anything restrictive. All winter she refused to wear this great down-filled Ralph Lauren coat I got. Instead she insisted on a jean jacket w/ fur on the collar & cuffs. She also never buttons her coat. For some reason she just never felt the cold. She would also only wear black leggings. We have a shoe problem too. Hates dressy shoes or boots, wears only one type of sneaker, and loves her furry flip flops. She is very strong-willed & stubborn....a TAURUS! She is also a bit social phobic & shy. Turns her head away, looks at the floor when people talk to her. Won't answer questions. Shes better with her seatbelt now. She used to flip out for no reason. One day the belt was tight, the next fine, the next choking her neck.....drove me nuts!
As far as clothes go, I buy only 100% cotton, comfy, loose clothes. She loves the prairie skirts b/c they are elastic & sit below her belly.
I've learned to pick my battles & the small stuff will just pass. Don't force any clothes you know she hates wearing. If you're looking for a diagnosis or treatment try going to a pediatric occupational therapist for evaluation. Could be a processing disorder that can be treated thru desensitization. If u know her triggers then you can effectively address them & she will get better in time. My daughter responds well to gentle touch during her tantrum episodes....lightly scratching her back, holding her, soothing voice, stroking her hair. Good luck & I absolutely feel for you!!!

Your instincts are probably right. Mother of 1 or 10, mom's gut is almost always right. It may not be as severe as claustrophobia, because she doesnt have a felly devoloped depth perception. She may have a disorder of not wanting to be touched. I am not sure of the disorder, but definately talk to her doc about this. She may need meds to help her. It is not a disablement to need meds, sometimes connections are plugged into the wrong receptors, and the body reacts differently to different stimuli. Proper meds, if at all needed, will help the nerves work around the improper connections and re route the signals per say. I would definately deal with this ASAP so your family can all learn how to deal with this situation. The sooner she gets the help (therapy, special blankets, meds.. any type of treatment)the less stress she and you will be under, and when mama is happy, the whole world gets to be happy. Please let us know what happens, I am very cusrious to see what the doc has to say, if you are comfortable to share it. Good luck, and KUDOS to you for noticing this, and knowing she is distressed.

Hi D.,
I am an Occupational Therapist and have worked with young children for many years (I am currently at home with my toddler and infant). The first thing that came to mind when I read your question is that your daughter may have a mild case of Sensory Integration Disorder, primarily Tactile Defensiveness. You have probably never heard of this, as many parents havn't, but basically your daughter is not processing touch input the same way as other people, so she has a hypersensitivity to the way some things feel on her skin. If this were the case, the alley incident could be explained by her fear of rubbing agains the walls. On the other hand, this may not be the problem at all. It is very hard to know if this could be the problem without seeing a child and how it really effects them. In some cases children may have difficulty processing input from the other senses, including hearing, taste, sight, smell and even motion.
If your daughter continues to have similar issues that severely limit her from participating in day to day activities, you may want to mention it to your pediatrician and she could refer you to Early Intervention Services in your area who could possibly help assess the situation better. If it is just that these things annoy her, you might try by exposing her to various textures, ie. walk barefoot in sand or grass, play in a bin of dry rice or past, play with play dough etc. As she gets older she may be able to start to "grow out of" her sensitivities.

I hope this helps!
Good Luck.

Hi D., My baby daughter is adopted from China and I belong to a number of online parent groups and have heard others describe things like this and talk about what they think is wrong or treatmnent their children (both bio and adopted are recieving for stuff like this) . It sounds possible that your daughter may have what they call "sensory integration" issues. Your Mom intuition is almost always correct- you should talk to your doctor about this so he can help you find out whatever it is and about referrals/treatment. If its the sensory integration issues there are play "therapies" and stuff you can do to help her with this and they say the sooner you start the better, but I think you usually see a child development therapist for an evaluation to help you figure out what it is and what she needs. Good luck :)
Best,
M.

Hi D.,

I see that you've already gotten a few opinions that coincide with mine, I was thinking Sensory Integration Disorder as well. I'd suggest speaking with your pediatrician who can refer you for the proper testing/evaluation. I do not know if it can be done on such a young child, but it could help to at least consult with the correct professional. Good luck!

M.

It could also be a sensory issue. Some children are hyper-sensitive to certain external stimuli. I think you should make an appointment with the pediatrician & talk about it with her/him.

A.

Hello D.
I am not speaking of experience I had with my own children but from my personal experience. Your daughter seems to display the same symptoms I did. It's not claustrophobia that I have but anxiety. I am assuming she is a bright child, articulate, and independent. This anxiety is a control issue. I feel in situations that you described as not being in control. I cant sleep with blankets because something is holding ME down, same in airplanes, trains, bridges, tunnels and walking in narrow alleys. The advice I will give you is to have your baby tested, not for developmental problems but emotional. I wish my parents did this for me it would have saved me years of worrying about nothing. I am fine now due to wonderful doctors and a supportive family. I hardly ever think of those days but your letter tugged at my heart. I do hope you don't just let it go and hope she will outgrow it. She might, I admit, but why in the world would you take a chance? God bless

Hi D.. I would definitely have her evaluated by an occupational therapist. She may have sensory integration issues. Not liking tight clothes, belts, etc. is a classic symptom of touch sensitivity. You can find a lot of books on this. A good one is "My out of sync child." We had issues with sensory function and OT was the only thing that helped. Good luck.
S.

sounds like a touch or sound sensitivity. have you heard of it?

this could also be something- not to scare you- my son was having strange breath holding spells when we would drive in the car going up hill. They were like panic attacks.... so interestly we found out he had lymes disease. I don't know where you live but all these things are symptoms.

My son also has the sensory processing disorder. Definitely check it out. Might be hard to diagnose at such a young age though. I could only start see the signs around 3 years old.

i'd consult with an occupational therapist. i think some form of sensory issue is more likey (very common in toddlers) than claustrophobia. good luck!
--S.