SPD is a story in progress

by Ed Clark
(Norwood Pa USA)

Our now 14 year old son is hopefully turning the corner on his life dealing with SPD. I posted his physical and emotional problems last year. Diagnosed in preK with fine and gross motor delay by school officials but because he was also found to be gifted, high IQ, they focused on his intelligence and he received cursory PT and OT. Couldn't get his peditrician group to come up with anything positive to help which left it to us to research and come up with answers, which my wife took upon herself to argue with school officials and doctors. He lived a life of always being the slowest, smallest,and the one who wouldn't take chances doing things for fear of failure.

As he got older he used the internet to look things up and came away with a negative attitude about himself. The MD's would never have an answer for anything only more questions. They always would buy more time by saying he would outgrow his problems. Sensory issues, night terrors, asthma,allergies,growth delays and every childhood illness that no one hears about like fifths disease and all of the rest. Bouts with depression.We had a home invasion,random act,which is still working its way through court with a bench warrant issued. That caused his short lived independent side to come to an abrupt end. Went to counseling to help him and the family deal with being violated. Therapist was helpful in rationalizing things related to the crime but put her spin on the sensory issues which was more of giving the body more time to sort out the wiring.They've been saying this since he was 4.

Recently his OT and PT therapists who work with him and not tell him what to do suggested we have his thyroid checked because they read something that thyroid problems in child and teens are not the same as adults. We had to push to get the bloodwork done but low and behold "Hypothroidism". Saw an endocrinologist who put him on thyroid replacement med and sent us to see a dermatologist who after evaluating him believes alot of his touch issues are a result of the thyroid. He's been on meds for three weeks and the results are amazing. Maybe the doctors were right and he needed to outgrow it or maybe its been a culmination of many things but for the first time in his life he feels good. we say normal but he says he doesn't know what that is. Hes been doing cyber school since mid 4th grade and now wants to go to traditional high school next year. We know its too soon to make a call on his SPD but his Endo seems to think alot of his problems will fad as the meds do there job. Time will tell. Thanks for listening. Kathy and Ed