My 4 year old son was just diagnosed with SPD

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My 4 year old son was just diagnosed with SPD

by Melissa Copestake
(Philadelphia, PA)

For the past three years I have had a very hard time understanding why my son does some of the things that he does. The daycare he attends has been wanting me to get help for him for the past few years.

As a mother, I had a very hard time accepting the fact that maybe something was wrong and was just in denial. I regret that, because i wish i could have gotten him help sooner. I feel like we just keep getting pushed to the next person and that is even more frustrating.

My son is very intelligent and started speaking very well at a young age. My son is very hyper, aggressive and angry for no reason. He is touchy, constantly touching everything and everyone.

Everything I try to do for him is extremely hard whether it is making sure he eats, bathing him, brushing his teeth and especially bed time. He gets frustrated very easily and acts out in anyway he can.

I don't think he realizes how strong he is but at least once a day he is in the office at the daycare for getting physical with another child. He doesn't sit still for long and prefers rough play almost all the time. He even tends to try to hurt himself whether it is throwing himself into someone or smacking himself in the face. In the past month, he started putting everything in his mouth, eats his shirt and tends to lick everything that he can.

I think he understands something is not right. He tells me his brain is stupid and says sometimes that he can not control himself. He sometimes get depressed for no reason and will begin crying out of nowhere and sometimes he will begin to laugh for no apparent reason.

He tends to be very loud and will scream or shout out things at inappropriate times for no apparent reason.

He is a very loving child and enjoys playing with other kids but sometimes, well most of the time kids have a hard time being around him because of the way he acts and they can not understand that.

He now hates to go to school and begs me everyday not to send him. He thinks about it all the time by asking me over and over again "Do I have school tomorrow?" to the point where it makes him very anxious. I have been with this center for over 11 years with my older son and I know his teachers and they care a lot about my child. He just doesn't want to be there anymore.

His teachers tell me even though he is very intelligent, he will have a hard time because he will not sit still for story time or learning time and he is constantly getting into things.

I just want to get help for my son but unfortunately is seems like everywhere I go I am getting sent somewhere else. I took him to ELWYN for an evaluation where he was diagnosed with SPD they sent me to SPIN (Special People in the Northeast) where they send an occupational therapist to the daycare for 40 mins once a week. My son needs more than this.

Tomorrow night I have a appt. with a therapist at the Growth Opportunity Center but this has been ongoing for the past year and i don't seem to be getting anywhere.

My biggest fear is next year he will go to kindergarten and will be "labeled" by both teachers and peers and I only want the best for my son. If i can get him help now, maybe the struggle won't be so bad.

If anyone has any information that can help me - my e-mail address is melissa.copestake@courts.phila.gov.

Thanks so much.

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My 4 year old son was just diagnosed with SPD

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Oct 23, 2011
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Back Again!
by: Cyndi

My son was FINALLY diagnosed with SPD and mild ADHD this Thursday. I was relieved to find people who noticed and realized his challenges. I have not started OT yet because it is so expensive and we are on state funded medicaid. I have been having a hard time with his new school. It is a great school but is geared toward strictness and has a staunch approach towards "problem children". I live with my sister now in a very high end neighborhood and it seems no one has any children with developmental delays or any kind of problems...... Many treat me like I am a bad parent and make me feel like I am coddling my son. His doctor says he has acute gross motor skill delays with his legs and feet and that that is why he can't do what the other kids do in gym class. His gym teacher has been repeatedly putting him in time outs for not listening or doing what he is told, but the bottom line is that he CAN'T do it. I am worried he is getting treated unfairly. I am hoping to find some support groups here in Georgia and maybe a new school that is sensitive to his needs. My heart goes out to everyone who is dealing with the negatives of the unforgiving public. You are not alone and don't give up.

Oct 23, 2011
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SPD and my 4 year old
by: Anonymous

I am responding to the post "Lost in the System" and to the couple of questions she/he posed. To quickly answer the question are these signs of SPD or autism I would have to say yes. Many SPD children exhibit the same behaviors and traits of those with autism or aspergers. However, autism is a social disease and children with this disorder have a very clear lack/desire for social interaction. Children with SPD may have a harder time socializing as other children do not understand their behavior, however, the desire to socialize is there.

I am by no means am an expert, however, I am in a very similar situation with my 4 year old son. I have always felt that my son was different than other children and for many years made myself believe that he was a sensitive child and that this sensitivity would by no means have any adverse affects on his life. However, I am truly beginning to question that theory. My son's sensitivities showed up as fear in many cases. Fear of playground equipment, haircuts, public washrooms, doctors, dentists, showers, hair brushes and getting his hair washed. He also was a picky eater and disliked the way socks and tags felt. Getting him to sleep was also tricky and we had to adapt to his needs in this area. In fact he still sleeps with us and we have just grown to accept this. He functioned ok for the most part at the day care center in which he was in from the time he was 2. However, he did have a period where he was having regular tantrums in which were very difficult for the staff to deal with. As a 4 year old he has learned to cope with many of these things, however, new things are replacing those things and I have committed to finding him the support needed at any cost. The 2cnd week into Junior Kindergarten I got a call from the teacher concerned that he was having a difficult time figuring out what to concentrate on, he was not able to listen, his gross motor skills were delayed and he was falling a lot and walking into other kids and furniture. He was not dealing well with the noise and chaos of a junior kindergarten atmosphere and she was worried for him. So I took him to a pediatrician who said leave him be he is presenting here in my office as a well adjusted 4 year old boy. He also stated that all 4 year old boys present with signs of ADD and processing disorders as they have not yet acquired the skills needed to concentrate and cope. I left the office feeling optimistic for 4 minutes and then reality hit me in the face as soon as we walked into our front door and the behaviors resumed. We have since met with an OT whom indicated she believes that there is some sensory things going on with him and we have scheduled a full sensory analysis for this Tuesday. I would love to hear about other families success with this disorder and I will let you know what comes of his sensory analysis.

Oct 19, 2011
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Loving a beautiful child is easy, it is loving a not-so-beautiful child that is hard.
by: Jim

Loving a beautiful child is easy, it is loving a not-so-beautiful child that is hard.

Oct 18, 2011
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Response to anonymous
by: Megan

Hi. Wow, do we have identical children! My son is also 6, and if I didn't know any better I would have SWORN you were talking about my child! He is very critical of others, meticulous, a perfectionist, and doesn't respond to positive reinforcement. It doesn't matter how much I try to tell him to relax, that life should be enjoyed for a 6 year old, and not to take everything so seriously, it doesn't matter. He won't hear it. As a mother I am so worried for him! I want to see him happy, but he just refuses to be happy. He socialized well, until the criticism kicks in. However, because of his extreme anger issues, he too has been labeled a problem child. I've been referred to some psychologists, but I just recently lost my job and therefore my insurance, so now we are facing a major dilemma. Let me know if you find some answers, and I'll keep you updated as well. Good luck.

Sep 26, 2011
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SPD Update
by: Jim

I posted in Dec 2008 about my four year old. I just thought I'd give you all an update. Read my earlier post to see where we were at then.

We went to see an OT who specialized in SPD for 6 months. It is expensive and not covered by Medical Insurance. The OT had a gym specifically for SPD and Autistic kids. He identified that our child had an inner ear balance issue. That if you spin him around very fast and then stop, he would not get dizzy or feel sick. Most peoples eyes, when they stop, should shift frm side-to-side while they re-orient themselves. My son's eys remained fixed, straight ahead. He would never get car sick. Could watch a movie on the busiest roads.

The OT suggested a few exercises, a trapeze, trampoline, push-ups, sit-ups and some balance exercises. We would do these every morning for an hour. One exercise was to put him in a trapeze the hung from the ceiling. Wind it up as tight as it would go and let it spin and swing as it unwound. The goal was to try to get his inner ear to "engage" (sorry I amy not have the exact terminology. He would then do push-ups, sit-ups, some balance work and then jump on the trampoline for 10 minutes. He loved his exercise routine and I explained to him why we did it.

He is now 7 years old. He still has issues with clothes and shoes, but well within what I would consider normal. He would wear shorts and flip-flops everyday if I let him, but today he wore jeans and runners. When he wears runners, they are so tight that I think the circulation must be cut-off, and same with his belt on his pants. But he wears them, and he now dresses "normal". Hs shoes are a zap-strap lace so he doesn't have to tie his shoes. He can tie his shoes, but it takes 10 minutes because they have to be exactly the same tightness, and the length of the laces not too long, or two short. This does not work if he's going to be in and out of his shoes at school.

But, having said all this, he is now inside the normal range, and we feel we are over the hump. He seems to do his growing in the spring (2 inches in 2 months) and then the sensitivity creeps back in, but it only lasts a month or two and then he's good again. It's like it takes a while for his nerve endings to catch up. This is when we find the deep massage helps. The brush or comb never worked.

One more thing. I had a bout of Shingles in the spring. Shingles makes your skin, particularly around your torso EXTREMELY SENSITIVE! Wearing any kind of shirt with seams or not the right texture was VERY PAINFUL. Only a light, tight cotton shirt felt goo. If the shirt had any movement, it would over stimulate the heightened nerve endings. I think I finally felt what my son feels when his clothes do not fit right!

Anyway, good luck to you all!

Sep 25, 2011
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lost in the system
by: Anonymous

wow, where do i start ? My 5 y/old son has always been quirky as i call it. He didnt sleep more than a couple of hrs per night till he was just a little past 4. Has always smelled everything & has a meltdown if he does not like the smell, he used to smell my arm when i collected him from daycare, very poor diet,hates tags & the way clothes shoes feel on him to the point of meltdown,hates change,hates people touching him & hates people looking at him in the eyes,only plays with same toy all the time.

if people buy him gifts & gets upset if we buy new furniture for the house or move his room around, scrunches up pictures he draws because he said there not perfect he will play with other kids but he will freak out if they dont play tig & chase thats all he plays constantly throwing himself on the ground & bouncing all over the furniture & climbing is weary of some noise too,the list is endless i dont know what to do , i have a meeting at school next month so i feel like im gonna need to push to get some help as he is on staged intervention just now but i feel like i am getting nowhere as most of these quirks he does outside of school ,is this common in spd or autism ? They school pschy did mention she suspected he has highly autism then she's not too sure im totally at a loss i need some advice all comments welcome thanks x

Apr 12, 2011
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I need advice for my son he's so angry and stressed all the time
by: Anonymous

My son just turned 6 and life seems so hard for him. He gets mad if does anything wrong. In school he can do the work but for some reason he doesn't think he can do it, he will shut down and get angry. Most of his anger is directed at himself. When you're telling him it's OK don't stress or any positive reinforcement he will not listen. It makes me feel bad for him kindergarten is supposed to be fun but he is always unhappy at the end of the day and doesn't want to go back. His teacher is sweet and kind. she gives him a lot of her time when she needs to be with other kids. one thing that happened was in a game we were playing with other kids, one person in The middle and the team runs by with flags on. The person in the middle tries to pull your flags off. If you get your flags pulled then your in the middle trying to pull the flags as the team runs by tell everyone's flags are pulled. Well he was the last one to get his flags pulled you would think good but he doesn't he was still very mad when his got pulled. It's like this with every thing you can't tell him good job you did what you were supposed to, it's like he can't hear you when he feels defeated. I don't know what to do I really want my son to be happy and enjoy life.

Now hes not listening to me more and more every day. I need help and don't have any answers. I have spent a lot of time with children my hole life and never seen one this angry or such a perfectionist. His teacher said the same thing. he can't keep his hands to himself and is very critical of other people.It's stress stress stress with everything. Even things that are fun where the outcome shouldn't matter, he will find a way to make it matter in a negative way towards himself. Now people see him as a trouble kid and they will always be first to believe the other kid in any situation. What do I do?

Mar 13, 2011
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Im an Occupational Therapist
by: Anonymous

Dear All,

I am an Occupational Therapist who works with children with Autism and has post grad training in Sensory integration.

Sensory modulation disorder (over or under responsive to sensory stimuli)is hypothesised to be a life long disorder.A sensory Diet is a wonderful tool to implement to enable your child to remain in the "just right" arousal level, i.e not hyper or hypo-active (high or low or fluctuating between the two).

For the sensory diet to work, all environments where your child functions (home, school, family, friends etc) will need to know how to implement the same strategies to enable your child to function and facilitate appropriate sensory choices.

Sensory diets are programmes specifically designed for your childs sensory needs to give them the correct level of sensory input in the day to help them remain in the optimal level of arousal.

They only work if they are completed!

Proprioceptive (deep pressure/ heavy work) activities only last in the nervous system for up to two hours so need to be done at regular intervals (1-2 hourly) and vestibular (movement) based activities can last up to 7 hours so would be best places in the morning and mid afternoon.

All activities will effect the nervous system so it is important to consult an OT trained in the theory of Sensory Integration to guide you in choosing the correct types of activities for your child. Some vestibular activities can actually be counter productive so its important to get professional advice.

I wish you all the very best with your children's progress.

Mar 09, 2011
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Reposting after a year and a half
by: Cyndi Moore

I still have similar problems with my son, as I had in 2009, in my last post. We have found that he has a severe Iron deficiency that has seriously affected him. Kindergarten has been tough and we are considering keeping him back. His grades are great but his immaturity is a hinderence for the entire class. I still get notes home daily and he is on a behavior program at school that seems to be slowly working. The high dose Iron supplements are really helping. I still have to correct him on NOT rubbing people, but he is better at taking direction. There is an answer out there for us and everyone here. Just keep searching and don't give up hope. There is no BAD kid, just bad parents...which none of us are :)

Mar 08, 2011
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sAME bOAT
by: Anonymous

guess what i am sailing in the same boat.We all need to get together and get heard.Our kids have these issues and there is no support for SPD. I feel my son has no where to go.

Feb 27, 2011
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i'm sailing in the sme boat
by: Anonymous

I have a 4yr old who is very bright and cute, but is very very energetic. He gets annoying to others and sometimes even to us.He acts so funny and in the process forgets that some things are not appropriate.:He also gets physical with other children and wants rough play.He sometimes gets so irritable that you just want him around.Other kids also want to stay away from him and dont like him , but he does not listen.I don't know if he has any issues or will grow out of it.We even get complains from school about physical and hurting others.

Jan 25, 2011
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only way to help your children.
by: you are what you eat

I send you all my prayers, but you must consider incorporating nature in it's most natural state as much as possible (raw vegan/ raw foodist) There are books for meals with kids, etc. Your are what you eat and kids are exposed to way too much toxic..air, food, water, t.v. (mind,)..their kidneys and livers can't detox fast enough. Pray about this and dive into the net of research. xoxo.

Jan 18, 2011
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Im at the end of my rope
by: ash

MY son... My son has always been different, i dont know what to do anymore. Hes always been difficult, he would never sleep, barely eat anything but one food, just everything you can imagine. Every year got worse, and at first i thought ok hes going through terrible twos, then ok hes changing into a little man at three, now were at four and it seems like were going backwards, my son was a late talker, and still has not perfected it which is very frustrating, since hes turned four its been terrible. Before we were able to play around and have fun color watch movies just enjoy each other now its like i dont even want to talk to him. he just started pre k, he doesn't follow directions which we expected for someone coming to school for the first time, i have to tell him everyday to keep his hands to himself, he doesn't talk to the kids, hes literally in his own world, ill give him a cup of water and hell just go pore it out in the stink, h slams doors and locks them, and will even throw himself into the door, if me oe his father tell him no hell no hell go to the other and say daddy or mommy so and so said this, you cant have a normal conversation with him because he acts like he doesnt hear you, he still will not sleep through the night and just wakes up for no reason in the middle of the night, hes loud, and now is starting to lie and cry all the time! hell cry if i tell him to put his clothes, or take a bath just anything, if you cry in front of him he wont even notice, hes just obsessed with trains thats all he talks about from morning to night since he was two and its driving me crazy!

i know somethings wrong and i think its asperger syndrome but in a couple of weeks well e paying his physician a visit, and getting that going, he also acts like he cant hear i ask him are his ears and everything ok and he says yes but you have to repeat everything like ten times, hes going for a full check up and were going to get rolling with everything to figure out whats going on because im concerned when he starts kindergarten because he cant follow directions, i dont know what to do and im depressed im miserable, im now seeing a psychiatrist, its horrible, i was so excited to take him to school every morning but now when i drop him off i get asked questions about home or i get the thirty min talk of everything he did the day before and it always ends with but itll get better and i hope it does i really do, sometimes the days are so bad i just keep thinking to myself, is this really my life, is this real? but i realize i need to be patient because my son needs me and may need professional help, so all i can do is pray

Jun 06, 2010
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Prozac
by: Anonymous

Find a psycopharmacologist(modern term for psyciatrist)that can work with you and your son to find the right mix of medications to support his therapy with a psychologist.

Psycopharmacologists are medical doctors(MDs)who have special training in determining which medicines are available and how they work with helping to modify behavior that lowers the quality of someones life.

Dec 14, 2009
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help me!
by: Cyndi M

I used to think my son was just very affectionate, but now he is 4 and his constant need to touch/hold/rub/pet me is driving me crazy. He is intelligent and funny and just a joy to be around, but he won't focus on direction or correction at all. I hate that his need to touch me has made me so irritable and it's gotten to the point where I have put him in time out for doing it. He has a type of obsession with the feel of skin. I had to take him out of pre K because once he likes a kid he does the same thing to them, and if it's a girl I get a note home. God forbid a foot be exposed... he will rub his face all over them, no joke. What can I do?

Aug 29, 2009
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you are me last year
by: Anonymous

Seriously! My son just started kindergarten. Day one, he wouldn't stay in the classroom. Day two, wouldn't stop talking in a screaming voice. Day three, kept trying to take his clothes off. Day four, kept hitting others and himself. Day five, blissfully uneventful. Get your child prepared to be labeled. Its okay to be weird. It is not okay to be mean, disrespectful. Its okay to be different. It is not okay to be dirty. Dont forget to label other kids too ie. Robbie is Hoodie boy, or Kevin is long hair boy, or Stacey is laughing girl. Labels can be an okay thing.

When we went to kindergarten orientation I took a copy of this checklist to her and explained the best I could to the teacher. We got real lucky. This teacher looked it over and said, "you know... I could probably use this for a few other kids in my class." My little man has labeled his teacher "Fuzzy hair smart lady".

Aug 28, 2009
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Your son and mine too
by: stephanie

I have read many message boards an stories from exhausted parents your story is a carbon copy of my own. In fact,If my hubby were here to read this I think his jaw would drop.

My four yr old is completely irrational. angry,difficult and sometimes destructive. Every single morning is a battle.From eating breakfast to going to using the bathroom it's constant turmoil in my home.

I had him evaluated at 3 as Fl. Dept of Ed. has a life saving program for difficult toddlers. The school psychologist will not make the official Dx because in the long run, they try to place the least severe children in basic ed by 1st or second grade. We as parents want that but what we don't know can hurt our children. I have been through this with my 12 yr old.I know all of their tricks. I have also realized that my children have many issues that my own troubled siblings have.

This is a life long situation.I have done counseling,medication,social skills groups,OT I also tried helping my son make and keep friends. It's exhausting and overwhelming.

I want you to know that early intervention is the key but my two boys will always need some type of support or help. Children that are angry are usually frustrated and that's what causes their anger. I have had different DX from different Docs but the truth is my sons have genetic behavioral problems. It's very clear to us now and I am trying everything to nip things in the bud but believe me your child may still need support long after his early intervention. Don't deny him help from the school cause later down the road he may struggle like mine and it's harder to get the help once they are older and already in basic ed.

Many parents must hire lawyers to fight for their children to get the support they need.It doesn't mean they must be in a special ed class either,they can still have an IEP and attend regular basic ed. I wish someone told me all of this tears ago but you have the info now so get the ball rolling with your schools district about their early intervention plans. Sometimes they will not inform you so you will have to be your child advocate. Their budgets are being cut alot so they aren't exactly screening kids like they used to back in the 90s.

My sons are very intelligent and my four yr old began speaking very well at 2 so It's not that they can;t learn but their emotional problems get in the way and that is why people grow up to be dysfunctional and many end up in jail and on drugs. This happened to my brothers and one has an IQ of 142. Don't let another day go by...Schools are required to help even if it's not a learning disorder.

Jan 20, 2009
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PLEASE try brushing
by: Amanda

Please anyone who is at the end of their rope, find a doctor to write you a order for you to a have a sensory evaluation by a Occupational Therapist. The gentlemen who comented on here with the 4 year old, by Jim. That was my story word for word, it's unreal to hear how other parents are going through the same situations.

But so true, I encourage Jim and anyone else to continue with the therapy to set up the right sensory diet or to go get an evaluation done. I am a Occupational Therapy Assistant, but mostly work with the elder population so I know of sensory issues, but not enough.

I took my 4 year old to get a evaluation and we started the deep brushing.. oh my, such a change, not cured, but it has just helped enough to get through the mornings.

She has tried on clothes that she never would have dreamed of, she never used to button her pants because she said they were too loose (when in fact it surely didn't seem that way), now she is buttoning them at least 50-75% of the time. She has worn a couple of sweaters which she NEVER would before, it has just really helped enough so far to make our mornings less stressful and I haven't went to work crying for about a month.

I let her pick out her own clothes, we were down to only 4 shirts she would wear, now she is trying others, some days she's ok with some and other days she may go back to the 4 shirts. We are still working on shoes, socks have become much easier, shoes she has only one pair she likes but she won't fasten the velcro straps... but it's so much easier to deal with some rather than all that was going on.

So please give OT a try, they can help you find things that will help your child so that the little things don't interfere with their daily routine.

Jan 14, 2009
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Fight response
by: Sara

Hello-

My four year old son was recently diagnosed with SPD, Anxiety Disorder with Panic Attacks, Distorted Eating Behavior, and now probable ADHD (which to be quite honest after reading all the stories on this website appear to be SPD.) He too is a very angry, aggressive little boy. We started noticing something was very different about him in early infancy.

Now as a little boy who can communicate, my son begs us to eat whenever he is frustrated or upset (which in his world is nearly all the time.) When I would bring up the topic of an eating disorder to his pediatrician I would simply get "we don't diagnose eating disorders in children so young." Denying him the ability to "cope" (my son's only self soothing or coping skill) often sends him into a fight response that will result in physical aggression. The frustrations escalate so quickly I find it hard to believe he consciously makes a choice to become aggressive. He has no coping skills, no way to self soothe other than eating and at 76 pounds it has to stop.

We attend weekly appointments with a psychologist who tries to teach him coping and self soothing skills. I don't know if it's his age or the SPD but when he spends 85% of his day frustrated and angry he won't grasp onto what we're teaching. It seems to make him more frustrated when we try to talk to him when he's escalating. He is so out of control he just lashes out at anyone who nears him.

We started OT and when doing the Heavy Work program my sweet boy is there with that smile that used to light up the room. For 20 minutes a week my eyes are filled with tears of joy and my heart which normally aches for his frustration and aggression feels the day it did when he came into this world.

He has many sensitivities, and is often consumed with anger. We're just getting started ourselves in his diagnoses, treatment and making transformations in our life to lessen his frustration level.

What I have learned is he has two responses to his inability to cope with anything... fight or flight. When the fight response comes into factor normally you would use your coping skills to work your way through it and because he can't grasp those skills we're left with him to fight, even those who love him immensely. I hope I was able to help but as I said we're just starting out. Please keep in touch or e-mail me with any questions.
sara.dickmann@yahoo.com

Dec 16, 2008
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Our 4 year old shows signs of SPD too
by: Jim

Our 4 year old son has been showing signs of SPD since about the age of 3. It first started with the need for his shoes to be excessively tight-his feet sometimes go numb. He also likes his pants tight. I recently bought a belt for his pants - he tightens it so tight I think he's going to cut off the circulation in his legs.

He has difficulty wearing long sleeve shirts, but will if we force him to. He has only 3 shirts (all short sleeve) and 3 pairs of pants that he will wear. Once we find a pair he'll wear, we buy every color. Getting ready for school can take 1-2 hours.

What's odd is, in the right circumstance he will wear clothing that I think (if he had SPD), would be unbearable. When we play hockey, he insists on wearing a hockey jersey (which is not a soft comfortable shirt) - but when we stop playing, off it comes. We were skiing, and he had no problem wearing ski pants, jacket and boots - although the base layer is a tight pair of long underwear, so that may help.

Summer is our best time of year as he will wear shorts, t-shirt and flip-flops from May-Sep. but come Fall, we start to stress.

For food, he is a very basic eater. Bland is the word - no party in your mouth food. He eats, carrots, broccoli, coli-flower, peas and corn-on the cob; chicken fingers, fish sticks, pizza (cheese only); apples, raspberries, water melon. He will only eat dry cereal (honey nut cheerios), so I give him a glass of milk with them. We also give him a nutritional shake each morning (Nutrimeal from www.usana.com).

He loves loud music, particularly "awesome guitar music" - his words. I imagine him as an adult wearing those tight jeans with pencil thin legs - Mick Jagger like.

We seem to be managing. I've lost my temper on several occasions, and felt like crap for several days. I realize that he is suffering, but it sometimes feels like just a control issue, and I'm determined to win! The days I have most success is when I have the time and patience to sit down and talk to him. I noticed one person said that their child told them their "brain wasn't working right". My son told me once "my brain is making me do things I don't want to do" - very insightful for a 4 year old, but a schock to hear! We try to tell him, when things are getting very irrational, that he needs to listen to his heart and do what it tells him - this works with moderate success.

We've taken him to an OT once, but don't believe he officially diagnosed him. When we go through the SPD checklist, there are 11 items we can check off.

We are hopeful that once he is old enough, he will be able to rationalize his sensory issues and either ignore or avoid them.

I'm not sure if he has SPD - he certainly has symptoms. Are there any adults out there with SPD? How are they coping? What is life like as an adult? Are they able to wear normal clothes, eat Indian, Thai, or Japanese food?

Dec 15, 2008
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John Heinz???
by: Gina

Is there a John Heinz or Allied Rehabilitation Center in your area? My son is 3 and 1/2 and shares many of your son's behaviors. He goes to John Heinz in Hazleton, PA and they are very good with him. Is there also an Early Intervention agency you can contact?

Dec 15, 2008
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Don't give up!
by: Anonymous

Your totally right, your son needs for occupational therapy with someone knowledgeable with sensory disorder. Seek out and EasterSeals near your area, I am sure they can help you... In the mean time don't stop trying, you will eventually find the right help.

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My 4 year old son was just diagnosed with SPD

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My 4 year old son was just diagnosed with SPD