My Son Was Just Diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder. Now What?

My daughter is almost 4 and was diagnosed with a mild case of it around 15-18 months old. Some days I can still notice traces of it, but most days she seems like any other preschooler--and every child has his/her own quirks. It was rough-going, though, in the beginning, but fortunately that is now mostly all behind us. Miranda O summed it up well, especially the "powers of observation" comment. Good luck!!

www.spdfoundation.net is the best online resource about SPD. My daughter is 16 1/2 and was diagnosed at 18 months, so we've been living with this for a long time. SPD does not affect cognitive ability, so your son will be as smart as he would be without it. It is a neurological disorder, so there is no cure, but excellent therapies and coping strategies are available. My daughter has had lots of OT and also uses medication to control her sensory seeking needs. She is very successful in school and her SPD rarely interferes with her life. She uses deep breathing and relaxation techniques as well.
I recommend The Out of Sync Child by Carol Kranowitz, Sensational Kids by Lucy Miller and I am co-author of a book for parents called Parenting a Child with Sensory Processing Disorder: A Family Guide to Understanding & Supporting Your Sensory-Sensitive Child by Christopher R. Auer and S. L. Blumberg. Our book focuses on how to live with children like ours. take care, S.

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It is still a work in progress...but is set up as a place for moms, dad or any other person who has or knows some one who has a Special needs Child.

And SPD does fall under ''Special needs'' .

dont let the label determine how or what he will be able to accomplish in life.

Get him into Therapies. OT has been the most important tool I could have been given.

I have great relationship with his teacher and she has been my saving grace.

This is only added excitement in your life..Yes there will be hard days and maybe more labels to come...but understand you are not alone out there.

Support is the biggest thing to get you through the day to day.

My youngest has SPD, ODD and will be tested on Friday for High function Autism and some other underlying things.

I wish I could tell you now what but wanted to let you know you are not alone! My son just turned 4 and we have known about his sensory issues for a long time! We have 3 therapists for him! But he is imrpoving and things get better all the time with the occasional set back! Good luck, keep going to OT and I wish you luck!

My son was diagnosed with sensory processing difficulties at about 2 1/2. Although SPD is a much more significant diagnosis, chances are pretty good that your son will be fine. I am not sure how severe he is but since you caught it young your son will definetly make significant progress. My son is 3 1/2 and you would never know he ever had any issues at all. He does continue to get support from an OT and I am aware of what I need to do but it really is not a big deal anymore. With time and therapy yourson will improve dramatically and there is a good chance he will fully recover.

My son had a mild case of SPD at 2. He has now just about outgrown it. AND, at just-turned-five, he is reading at a 2nd- or 3rd-grade level. He can add and subtract with great confidence in the single digits, and he has a basic concept of multiplication. He can tell you more than you ever wanted to know about volcanoes, the solar system, the human digestive system, all sorts of things. He does have some issues with small motor coordination and overall muscle tone, and he's on the shy side (but plays well with other kids once he decides he likes them). He's still got a few lingering sensory issues, but he is in no way behind.

Now, this is just one kid. Your son will have a completely different trajectory and life story -- we all do. But if anything, SPD is associated with giftedness. I totally understand and empathize with your concerns, but I also think it's important to try to avoid comparing children with each other, or thinking that we all travel to the same point along the same pathway. The other side of the SPD coin is that your son probably has amazing powers of observation. He's just too young to know when to turn them off, so to speak.

P.S. My son was slow to hit many milestones, to the point where the What to Expect books made me cry. Then, I swear, when I wasn't looking, he taught himself how to read and has never looked back.

It is wonderful that you found this out this early. My son was diagnose with ADHD and SPD in Jan 2011 at 5 yo. Although I had an idea something was up at about 3yo but the pediatrician would not give me a referral until I complained that I was afraid he would not be successful in kindergarten. He was IQ tested and scored a 171, so intelligence is not a factor. He was early on all of his infant milestones expect the pincer grasp, so that really should have been my first clue, but again the pediatrician said some children take a while to master that, he was over a year once he could. As for now, he is in OT once a week at school. Also I did have an IEP put in place since loud noises and bright lights can "set him off", so the teacher has him at a very quite table near the corner where there are less distractions. He also has a lap mat to provide the necessary pressure to enable him to sit at his chair or in circle for the necessary 15 minute duration (which as of earlier this year was virtually impossible for him). He gets messages daily in the morning when he wakes and before he goes to sleep. We are use the "listening program" to retrain his ears/brain with regards to high frequency sounds. He is not medicated, but we have added Omega 3 fish oil to his diet and I have seen an improvement in his ability to cope with what may have been "off-setting" experiences. As someone mentioned below, please check with your school district many districts offer free pre-school to special needs children where they can learn to integrate into the class room setting and get additional therapy. Hoping this helps and please feel free to reach out to me should you have any thing you would like to talk about.

One of my daycare boys has SPD. He has 2 therapists for the summer and is in a special school during the year which he just started with. He's a sweet loving little guy. He doesn't talk. But he does get his needs across.

His father is silly, way too playful, speaks with what sounds like an accent, but is otherwise just as smart as any guy. He just got out of the military after serving in Africa for 9 months. He seems normal in every way. But his wife says he had the same issues as their son.

It is a social thing not an intelligence thing. He should not be behind anything, usually kids with this are extremely ahead of others and that plays into the being bored and getting into trouble.

Early Intervention is a good start and when he is three you can enroll him for your school district Preschool Handicap class. Call the district's Special Services and ask what services are available to children under three. They should be able to direct you to the various organizations that can help your son! Good Luck!

My step sis had this as a child but she is now 17, perfectly well adjusted and did very well in school as well as sports.