Am I overreacting or is there a prob??!?!

by Kim
(TEXAS)

LONG story short - we had our son evaluated by ECI for some concerns we had when he was 11 mts old. (he is now 13 mts), they came and he scored age appropriate for EVERYTHING. Lacking in gross motor (scored 11 mts) bc he couldn't yet walk (still can't). He scored between 11 and 14 mts.




The biggest issue that wasn't addressed then was his eating and sensory issues. So they gave us tips, we tried them all and none have really worked. So we called back and they said after describing his sensory aversions, that they can qualify him for the program based on 'tactile defensiveness'. Now, I feel like I am going to lose my mind because the more I google and read, the more I get linked to Autism and Aspbergers and I just don't know when to STOP. His problems are: won't touch or eat anything mushy like fruit or anything wet. He loves crunchy things. VERY picky eater. Hates having his hands sticky or messy.. hates things like dried leaves. So, ECI said they'll start him on the Brushing program (which I have just read up on)..... and of course I've also read how sensory issues are often co morbid (hate that word!) with other things, and I have to be diligent down the road w/noticing developmental delays.

He is a smart sweet boy.. can clap, knows 'where's your belly?' (a new cute thing!), says 'car', can kiss, drinks from a sippy great, cruises everything, crawls like mad, wants our attention, has awesome amaaaazing eye contact, listens very well.. and on and on. Am I overreacting to thinking he's up for a long hard journey ahead???? I need help, me thinks.



Comments for Am I overreacting or is there a prob??!?!

Average Rating starstarstarstarstar

Click here to add your own comments

Apr 06, 2009
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Hi
by: Anonymous

Hi! I agree with Sarah! I didn't know about SPD until my daughter started 2nd grade! She didn't walk until she was 18 months and her doctor said she was still in that normal range. Once we talked to an OT we knew immediately that little quirky things were always there about her especially how she reacted to noise. On this long journey and all of the specialists you will talk to and all the books ect. are gonna make you nuts!

In trying to qualify my daughter for services through her school she went through a battery of testing and the school psych. diagnosed her with Aspergers. Well she doesn't have Aspergers, we've seen many specialists, pediatricians, ect. and just my gut feeling.

Every 3 years though my daughter has the same psych. doing her evaluation. It makes me angry she says absurd things like my daughter has robotic speech (my daughter is just bored!). You are going to hear many points of view because this SPD is so hard to pin down so stick to your gut. What does you heart tell you about your son? Do you have the courage to tackle and fix the hard things? Obviously you do because you've found this web-site. Our kids change everyday and your son may out grow somethings and need challenging for others... don't panic! Your a good parent enjoy it!
Apr 05, 2009
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Take a breath...it's okay.
by: Sarah M

Hi! I can understand where you are coming from. It's a good thing I didn't know anything about SPD when my daughter was an infant and toddler. She developed normally, but she hated having water dumped over her head and getting her nailed clipped. And a few other little things, but those were the big ones.

As much as I think Google is one of the greatest inventions of man, it is a major downfall for the medical community. A little information and knowledge is great, but it is so easy to get overwhelmed with the sheer volume of it! My advice would be just to step away from the computer for a few days and not look at the stuff you're reading there. When I was researching autism for my son (who was eventually diagnosed with autism), I drove myself nuts with checking and crosschecking autism with anything else that it could be.

While sensory issues can coexist with autism, having sensory issues doesn't mean that the child will be diagnosed with autism. As long as you aren't seeing any developmental delays or red flags for autism (firstsigns.org and autismspeaks.org are great informational sites), don't worry about it. Be aware of what to look for, but don't drive yourself nuts. I do understand what you're going through though. Oh, and with my daughter, she has some sensory issues. There are no other issues that we are dealing with. So it's entirely possible to have a child with SPD only.

Sorry about my rambling. Good luck!

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to The SPD Q & A.