Sensory Processing Disorder

I just want to talk a little about Sensory Processing Disorder, or SPD. My two year old has this, and it's a little hard to explain, just because I don't know a whole lot about it. I've been doing research to better explain what goes on with my son.

One article said that SPD is usually noticable in the preschool years. The toddler can have an unusual aversion to noise or light. They can be clumsy and have difficulty with fine motor skills. They can also be very picky about things, like shoes being too tight or clothing being too itchy. The hardest thing, is when they have meltdowns over things like getting water splashed on their face or even getting dressed. Another thing is them crashing into people or objects, and putting inedible things, like rocks, dirt, etc in their mouth. A child who has SPD has difficulty integrating information with their senses. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/10/children-sensory-issues_n_1506341.html)

The article then talks about the meltdowns. This is what they said, "What parents often notice first is odd behavior and wild, inexplicable mood swings. For instance, a first-grader may do fine in a quiet setting with a calm adult. But place that child in a grocery store filled with an overload of visual and auditory stimulation and you might have the makings of an extreme meltdown. These kids' tantrums are so intense, so prolonged, so impossible to stop once they've started, you just can't ignore it."

Another response to being overwhelmed is to flee. If a child dashes out across the playground or parking lot, oblivious to the danger, that's a big red flag that he may be heading away from something upsetting, which may not be apparent to the rest of us, or toward an environment or sensation that will calm his system. This "fight-or-flight response is why someone with SPD will shut down, escape the situation quickly, or become aggressive when in sensory overload," she says. "They're actually having a neurological 'panic' response to everyday sensations the rest of us take for granted."

 I found this interesting while reading the article. Did you know that there are more than just the five senses that we know about? There are actually seven. Along with touch, taste, hearing, smell, and sight, there are two internal senses that help us, proprioceptive (body awareness) and vestibular, (movement.) With kids with sensory disorders, it's like a traffic jam inside their head with conflicting signals coming from all angles, that you just can't make sense of it.

You see, Damien has always been a completely normal child. It wasn't until recently that I noticed things about him, like why would he continually eat rocks, dirt, dog food, when he knows that he's not supposed to? Why would he have a meltdown over going to an indoor trampoline play area? Why would he run from the room and go hide behind the rocking chair in his brother's room?  It was difficult and I truly felt like no one understood. Luckily, my sister-in-law, who has 2 kids that have SPD, has been a huge lifesaver and finally said that she thought he has a sensory disorder.

Most parents don't want to hear, "Hey! Yeah, somethings wrong with your kid...." or get a look from other parents while you kid has a meltdown that you can't stop. Because most of the time, she's about ready to have a meltdown too.

But what I've learned from all this is, there is help. If you have the slightest worry about whether or not your child could have a sensory disorder, go to an occupational therapist and ask for a sensory profile to fill out. That's all it takes. Then the OT will evaluate your child. I had someone come to my house to evaluate Damien and they shrugged it off as the terrible twos. Honestly, that upset me so much! It's like they didn't listen to a word I said! But after I took matters into my own hands was I satisfied. Luckily, the day the OT came was the day that Damien was having meltdown galore! I was so happy that he was able to witness what I have been dealing with for months.

Some of the things that help my child:

A baby brush. The therapist said to use that and brush his arms, legs, and back. (Do NOT brush the tummy/chest area. It can cause internal problems!) This simple technique calms him down pretty fast, and there have been a few times where I see him brushing himself. ** I usually have to start this right away when I notice he is on the verge of a meltdown, otherwise the sensation will just make it worse**

A bean bucket. I was told to buy a tub and just dump a bunch of pinto beans in it. I bought 12 pounds of beans. :) Some won't like the sensation, but D loves it. I hid stuff in ours to help him dig deep and play around in it more.

Another thing to watch for is if they are picky eaters. Damien has always loved food, but when all the changes started taking place, his appetite went down. So the OT gave me a sensory food chart. The items range from things that need to be sucked to chewed, hot or cold, etc. There are things like ice cubes, jolly ranchers, gum, different types of candy like lemon heads, hot tamales, atomic fireballs, warheads, etc.

I about died when I saw the list! Come on, who would give their kid a fireball?? I don't even like them! But I had one in the house and the OT was there and persuaded me to give it to Damien to see how he would handle it. That day he was pretty sensitive. But the kid loved it. He licked that ball clean of the cinnamon taste and was in such a better mood. However, hot tamales didn't work, in fact, he got bad diarrhea from them.

There are all sorts of little things to do to help kids with SPD. But my only advice to you is, don't judge the parents or the child. If you see someone standing in the hall at church while their child is having a major meltdown, just leave them alone or offer to help if they have other kids, because frankly, I bet that mom is on the verge of tears herself.

**I'm still learning about sensory disorders. So please be patient with Damien and me. **