How and Where to Get Help

by Nicole Smith
(Columbus, OH)

I have a 3.5 year old daughter who is developmentally on target and very, very bright. She has absolutely no delays. But she has been unofficially and officially diagnosed as a sensory seeker by 3 different OT's. She went to a few weeks of OT therapy before we moved to Ohio. She is doing very well in preschool, no issues. But behaviorally, life with her can be a challenge. She can usually keep it together in public. She didn't used to be able to, but she has learned to, I think. But with me or anybody she knows well, everything changes. It all depends on her mood.

Just yesterday, she went to the bathroom and was gone for too long. I went to check on her and she had painted her whole body, the walls, the sink, the toilet, everything with soap! I flipped out, got her changed, and we left. After nap, she did EXACTLY the same thing. She can be totally out of control, usually once or twice a day, mostly when she's tired.

She moves from one activity to the next so quickly, and loves art and stuff, but uses everything, literally. I don't know if it's related, but she also pees in her pants at least once every day. She can go weeks with no accidents, and then she has them again. She has been potty trained for 1.5 years. Where can I go to get help? She is not developmentally delayed, so nobody will pay any attention to me. We went to her check-up, along with her 2 year old brother, and both kids were literally bouncing off the walls, rolling on the floor, opening every drawer as quickly as possible and putting everything in their mouths, bumping into each other, unable to make eye contact, spinning in circles, etc, at 100 miles an hour. And the doctor proceeded to tell me that this was NORMAL behavior for a 3-year-old who was over-tired!!!!!!! He then said that all kids are sensory seeking and he didn't even think an OT would be the person to deal with this, and he also said that toe walking was not a sign of an SPD.

What do I do? Do I continue to just try to deal with it the best I can or seek help, and from whom?