Is my son to old to help?

To summarize:




My son is 18 yrs. old. Diagnosed with processing disability in first grade, Not a high IQ. In resource classes thru out his schooling. At 17, diagnosed with Schizophrenia, put on Abilify. The med has helped with the illness, put we think harmed him otherwise. Very lazy now, no motivation, etc.

Found a place call "Brain Balance". They tested him & indicated that his sensory motor skills are very, very weak, on top of the academic testing (Wyatt). They feel the sensory motor skills are the root of the academic. Finally, to my question. Can his sensory motor skills be majorly improved at this age? Are we too late?
thanks,
Helen T.



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starstarstarstarstar 		it's never too late!
by: Jessica, OTR

Hi Helen!

A young child is more likely to make more significant changes because they naturally progressively developing at this age. I believe (and there is research to support) that the brain has plasticity (meaning it is always changing and able to adapt to new information), so a person at any age can learn new things. It is never too late for your son to benefit from services to address his sensory processing difficulties. It is common for individuals with schizophrenia to have sensory processing issues that affect their motor skills and ability to function in their everyday lives.

There is an assessment (which a health care provider could administer) called the Schroeder Block Campbell evaluation and it specifically assesses sensory integration in adults with psychiatric diagnoses. It is a good starting place to help identify specific areas of difficulty. I would then strongly recommend occupational therapy (OT) services.

Not only can an OT help your son with sensory issues, but they also will help your son to develop life skills to function more successfully in work, school, self-care, leisure/exercise, cooking/money management/cleaning/etc. because OTs specialize in these life areas. Many settings have OT services available, such as hospitals, inpatient or outpatient psychiatric clinics, adult day centers, transitional living centers, etc. OTs can be very helpful for providing your family with additional information and resources for your son to function more fully and successfully. I wish the best for you and your son on your endeavors!!

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