SPD GETTING MORE SEVERE

by A.P.
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I'm concerned about my SPD getting more severe.

When I was younger my SPD was mild to moderate and it had less impairment in my life but as I got older it got much worse. Here is my list.

BABY (0-2)

When I was a baby my SPD was moderate and it was noticeable for most people but they thought I was being a naughty baby or that it was a normal behaviour in babies. I had many problems eating and sucking. I was also very sensitive to noise and light and sometimes hated being touched.

TODDLER (3-5)

When I was a toddler my SPD was moderate too and I had the same issues, at that time the other senses were more noticeable for most people but they thought I was having meltdowns purposely so they punished me. My meltdowns were viewed as temper tantrums. I also was a sensory seeker with some senses and that made them think I was doing it to annoy them, when I avoided sensory situations I was told to be stronger and stop crying. I had many social and behavioral issues and I got in many trouble. I was unable to self regulate properly.

CHILD (6-8)

When I was a child my SPD was milder. I started to hide all my issues from my parents and teachers and I tried to be a "good child". Sometimes I was unable to hide them and they were viewed as bad behaviour. I also did lots of effort to keep up. I participated in very sensory overwhelming activities and I liked the activity but I hot overwhelmed easily and I got frustrated. I used to cry almost every night and that was the only moment I could take a rest. When I was in amusement parks I was overloaded by noises and lights but I kept up because of the vestibular input I was going to receive so that was a way to compensate. I had many issues with other children at school, and school was a nightmare.

[PRE TEEN (9-12)

When I was a pre teen my SPD started to get severe. I had much more behavioral issues. My SPD started to inpact a lot in my mental health. I got depression and a burnout. My SPD was much more severe and I couldn't mask it anymore. My sensory issues were more severe and my aversion and seeking were much more visible for other people. My parents started to see that I was not having a bad behaviour or being dramatic, it was SPD.

TEEN (13+)

When I was a teen my SPD was severe. When I was 13 I got diagnosed with autism and SPD, my parents started to treat me better but they didn't get me any help for my SPD. They ignores most of my problems and I couldn't anymore. Here is when I found this site, I saw the checklists and I had many sympptoms of SPD, this site has helped me a lot to understand myself and all my issues,thanks.

So here are my questions:

1. Can you be both over sensitive and under sensitive to the same sense?

2. Why was my SPD moderate, then mild but then severe?

3. Why or how did my SPD got much worse as I got older?

4. Why is often SPD mistaken with bad behaviour?

5. Can your sensory issues fluctuate over time? (eg. When you are young you are over sensitive to X but as you get older you start being under sensitive to X).

6. How can I tell my parents I need OT, even if they know I have SPD?

7. Why were my symptoms milder before?

8. Does OT help older children/teens?

Thank you.