Sensory Prcessing Disorder, Does My Daughter Have It?

I was told to give my daughter nightly massages and to brush her arms with a soft bristled baby brush.

Hi,
I too am a pediatric occupational therapist who works with numerous families who have children with sensory processing disorder. I feel that everyone means best and it’s wonderful that they are providing information about their experiences. But I did have some concerns about a couple of the well-meaning comments.

Toe walking is not in and of itself a sign of autism. That being said if she is constantly on her toes it should NOT be ignored. There are kids who toe walk for years and later on in life need a heel cord release surgery due to muscle shortening.

Second please do NOT just try to "brush" your child. The brushing protocol (Therapressure Protocol/Wilbarger Protocol or Protective Response Regimen) that was mentioned below should only be taught to you by a trained therapist ("Blessed M" gave a great synopsis - it is a very intense structured program). You cannot just read about it and do it - there is a very specific amount of pressure that you need to apply and important precautions to know about before implementing the protocol. Also before starting the protocol (IF it is needed), the trained therapist should develop a sensory diet for your child FIRST or in very rare cases at the same time. Again this should ONLY be done if after evaluating your child, the therapist feels that it would benefit your child (the program is not for everyone).

It sounds like your concerns would warrant an occupational therapy evaluation. I would encourage you too talk to the pediatrician for a referral. Good luck!

Hi A.!
We are dealing with sensory issues right now with my 14 month old. My son is the opposite with tactile touch and craves deep pressure touch. We are working with a therapist right now and have been doing a brushing technique for 2 weeks. It is a very structured program using a special brush. The protocol is every 2 waking hours for 1 month followed by a series of compressions. It has been difficult but I am hoping it will help with some of my son's issues. We did not find out about the sensory issues until we met with a occupational therapist and a physical therapist. The therapist said she thinks alot of these behaviors can be reversed with brushing. My 5 year old daughter is exactly like yours and will only wear cotton clothes, seamless undies,and socks with a very little seam. My daughter screams when having her hair brushed or washed or clipping her nails. My daughter also over reacts to certain sounds, such as public toilets flushing. I had never heard of sensory issues when she was younger and I am not sure if 5 is to late to address these issues? I might ask the therapist tomorrow. I would for sure ask for a OT eval from your doctor if concerned. Best wishes!

IT could be but it could also be who she is. I have one child on the autism spectrum who has sensory issues but my other kids all seem to have some sensory issues and they are not on the spectrum. I think every child has some things that are issues with them , it's just finding a way to manage them. I would not wait until the end to address this issue or this could put a negative spin on starting school. Start looking at clothes now and trying them on and make it fun for her. But please prepare her now.

Sure sounds like it, but you can't be sure without having an evaluation. Ask your doctor to arrange it. My son has SPD, was diagnosed at 3...he's now 10. He's nothing like he was then. Sure some things still bother him, but he knows how to deal with the things that do. Regarding uniforms, just see if the school Ceci goes to has a used uniform sale. That's the only way my son has made it through all his years in a uniform. Everything is really soft and broken in as much as possible. If they don't, get the uniform now and start washing it as much as you can.

The best thing to do is get her evaluated to find out for sure if she has it. If she does, then you'll have legal rights with the school and can get free therapy. Contact your local public school and put in a request for an evaluation. The school has 50 school days to complete it, and they get backed up in the fall (due to all the spring/summer requests) so you'll probably have to wait a couple months once school starts. But you'll have an answer.

If she has it, you're entitled to an IEP (therapy outside the classroom) and/or 504 (accomodations inside the classroom). I know a boy who does not have to wear the school uniform, just something similiar in a fabric he tolerates better -- it was a compromise his parents and the school worked out. She may also qualify for therapy to help her overcome/deal with it.

The evaluation and therapy is free so you have nothing to lose but it could help her alot.

Toe walking after the age of 3 is a red flag for autism. Contact your pediatrician immediately for a referral. Do not wait because it can take months to get in. I have been waiting for a year for answers for my son and they are leaning towards Asperger's. Good luck.

L. Etta, mother to a 7 year old girl and an 8 year old boy.

Yes, it does sound like a SPD situation to me. Fortunately there are a lot of short hair styles you can have for her that will stop the problem with the hair brushing nightmare up to a point. As for the other information and suggestions I am at a loss. There are some great web sites you can visit though!

Hi A.
Have you talked to your Doctor about your concerns? That would be my first stop. Toe walking can some times be an indicator of a growing issue associated with the spinal cord. Now the sensory issues with clothes is something my youngest has. He has been diagnossed with sensory integration and he also has a neurological problem associated with chiari malformation and brain stem compression. Not saying that nyou need to freak out but the sensory thing is horrible for the kid. He lives in his boxers. LOL Good luck
K.

My son has SPD. He also has some other disorders that I think are all related.
I've just learned to buy only comfortable clothing for him and to cut off tags.

Watch for other processing problems so you can intervene when necessary.

Get your school uniforms early and wash them several times so they have that broken in feel before she has to wear them.

I am a pediatric occupational therapist and deal with kids with sensory integration disorders. There are a multitude of factors to consider but if you are concerned I would ask your pediatrician for a script for an OT eval and see from there.

A.,

You have real reasons to seek out a diagnosis from a qualified profesional, but no one on this board can tell you for sure.

You could start with an Occupational therapist, but be sure to also take very good stock of every skill and if you have ever had any cause to wonder if she had typical development in any other area too, say speech, language, social, etc, then you might consider a visit to a Developmental Pediatrican just to be sure that you are not missing anything that you could seek early intervention for. The sooner you tackle these issues, the better!

BTW, she is not entitled to any service from a public school under IDEA if she has SPD, it is not a qualifying diagnosis on its own. If she has a qualifying comorbid diagnosis AND needs special educaition then she may qualify for the related service of occupational therapy to help her be functional in the classroom. Once she begins school, if you find that she is having issues with learning (and often very smart kids do) you may want to explore how to help her with special services, there are often parent mentors and advocates who can help you navigate the system and help you to negotiate the services she needs to be sucessful. That is what I do as a parent advocate.

I tend to always tell parents to err on the side of doing too much rather than too little, and even if she does qualify for school based services, as a parent you will want more for her than the school will provide, so if she has an issue you will likely always provide private therapy.

Most of all remember that you can't get time back, and that is one of the only free things you have in the journey to getting her the help she may need, so capitalize on it, find out for sure if you have an issue from qualified professionals, and don't "wait and see" because intervention is always more sucessful if done early!

Good luck with your evaluations!
M.