My 6 year old son SPD???

by Lea Anne
(Kentucky)

My 6 year old son has been having severe problems for the last few months. He gets angry or upset over nothing & throws these awful tantrums. He has very obnoxious behavior at times then he's extremely fatigued. As soon as he gets home the first thing he does is take off all of his clothes, he doesn't want to wear anything but his underwear. He has trouble going to sleep and staying asleep.




His appetite goes up and down, sometimes he cannot get enough to eat then other times I cannot get him to eat anything. He had a spell at school where he shook all over for 35 minutes, we don't know if it was a seizure or not his EEG was normal. He constantly plays with the top of his ear. He doesn't talk to other kids, he's not very social, he's withdraw. He doesn't communicate well with anyone. He has to sleep with me, he has accidents in his pants, he watches other people and looks to other people for direction. It's almost like he is unsure of how he is supposed to act. He is afraid of everything. He will not walk in the store he has to ride in the buggy, he's afraid people are going to break into our house at night.

When he was smaller noise would bother him he would cover his ears, but he doesn't do that anymore. He used to would throw a tantrum when he had to get his hair cut, but he doesn't do that anymore either. But he doesn't like having his hair washed. He says I'm hollering when I'm not. If you grab anyone of his arms or legs, he says it hurts. He always wants to rough house and wrestle with people. He didn't start talking until he was 2, he was late walking, he still cannot tie his shoes, he's always asking me what? or huh? He isn't very coordinated, he couldn't pedal a bike or tricycle until he was about 5. He has always been very slow to pick up on things and to do things. I'm really worried about him. He does just fine in school with his behavior problems, he only exhibits them at home. And I am usually the one on the receiving end of his tantrums and aggravation and anger. I'm not sure if he has SPD or something else. Please let me know what you think, I'm desperate for answers so I can help my son.



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Nov 06, 2014
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Spd is curable
by: Anonymous

Hi
My son was diagnosed spd at the age of 3..he had all those symptoms..his speech was not clear.. Jibrish language was there.. He had vocabluary but didnt know how to construct a sentence..He should tantrums and moods..he was anti social.. After having 15 sessions with the psychologist he improved.. Jibrish language disappeared.. By the grace of god my son is six now and an above average student..
Apr 03, 2012
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starstarstarstarstar 		SPD
by: Anonymous

It all sounds SPD related, to me. Occupational therapy should help. If he's not getting that already, check with the school about getting him evaluated and adding OT. My son was very scared of things, too. I think their dysregulation causes things to scare them more. (sounds are much louder to them, etc.) Also, social stories helped us a lot. If you're not sure what those are, google it and you will find examples. He could have an auditory processing disorder, too. It's a part of SPD. It's hard for my son to process directions, especially if they're more than 1-2 steps.
Good luck:) I hope things have gotten better since this is actually an older post.
Mar 10, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		love
by: Anonymous

What a wonderful parent you are! It's so hard to watch your child go through all of this and wonder what it is and how to help them.
Did all of this just start 6 months ago? Was there a life change, a move, divorce, something, that increased his stress?
So much of what your wrote sounded like SPD but you need a doctor who understands to direct you to OT and to people who can help.
Glad to know I'm not the only one with a boy who is happy without clothes after school.
The "accidents" are common with some types of SPD, too. SOme children when overwhelmed can't feel the need to go. Some children won't use the bathroom at school or forget later when they are so tired.
I hope your son does well and I hope you do, too.
Mar 01, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		Anxiety
by: Anonymous

Hi there, my son also has the same issues and I worry about Sensory issues with him. He has ups and downs constantly we can never tell when he will be happy or explosively angry, we walk on egg shells alot around here. My sons appetite is always going up and down to extreme, he constantly says he feels sick to his stomach and tired...all the time.

My concern is mostly depression or very high anxiety, we also have problems with him being afraid of the dark, people breaking in, someone dieing, or getting hurt, and he too has trouble socially and he doesn't understand why the kids treat him the way they do. I feel your pain too, it's so hard to watch your children go through things like this, especially when they are so little.

I am taking my son to a behavioral counselor since we've had blood work done him a few times and nothing came of that so, sow its off to the counselor, who said that it sounds like he has ADHD tendencies and anxiety and maybe depression, so you might try taking him to a behaviorist and address your concerns to them, I called my sons pediatric doc office and they referred me to the lady he is seeing now. Good luck to you and your son!
Feb 28, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		Cardinal Hill
by: Anonymous

Your son sounds a lot like my daughter. I see that you are in Kentucky. If you are within 1-2 hours of Lexington, I highly recommend that you contact Cardinal Hill Pediatric Center and have your son evaluated by an occupational therapist. Even if you are not close, they can point you to an occupational therapist in your area. For insurance purposes, you may need a referral for the evaluation by a pediatrician or psychiatrist. We had one from a child psychiatrist because our family doc sent us there when he didn't understand her behavior himself. The phone number for Cardinal Hill is 800-233-3260. I hope I'm allowed to post that. If not, I guess it can be edited out of my post.)

We were on a waiting list for about 4 months so expect that. My daughter has been going there since last summer. They have made an amazing difference. I hope you get get some help soon.

The shaking is a little worrisome. Not sure exactly what you mean, but you may want to see a neurologist at possibly UK. ?
Feb 25, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		help help for children
by: Anonymous

HI Anne almost all the symptoms of your child are equal in my experience it is very difficult for children is inhuman SPD that not there is greater attention on these problems.They make the lives of these children full of obstacles. I can only share your pain. And appeal to doctors. to do all it can to help these children and their parents.
Feb 25, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		My son has similiar issues...
by: Mandy

I feel your concern and worry. This is my son almost to a T. My son was diagnosed with SPD at 4 he had OT for about 2 yrs. He is now 7. He also had OCD and possibly ADHD? I am still having issues with him. His emotions with anger are very strong, and he is very strong willed. My son as well will only wear underwear in the house. He used to have problems with noise as well but not anymore. My son sleeps with us as well because he is scared of everything. Some things have gotten better and some have gotten worse. I can tell you that you are being a great mom because you are seeking out information to help your son! That is the most important thing- you care! Keep doing what you are doing- seek information , talk to your doctors and specialists, but most important go with your gut feeling- if you think there is something keep looking! You have to be an advocate for yourself and your son. Good luck to you!
Feb 25, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		hAVE COURAGE!
by: Anonymous

The thing that worried me in the post was the fear that he has that someone would break in the house at night and the shaking spell at school. If you have insurance, take him to your doctor first, don't talk to the doctor in front of your son (maybe you can print the post and give it to the doctor to read it before he comes in the examining room). Maybe the doctor will try to rule out a problem by tests, including an MRI of the brain. After, it is up to you and your luck and money to take him and have him tested for developmental disability (through psychologists). The fear of being broke in the house at night is some kind of PTSD as a result of something he saw? Not necessary in the house?

I wish you good luck, I can see how much you love him and how much you care. Just do whatever you can, don't take any answers if they don't make sense. It might be just a mild autism or something of that sort, which is not the end of the world, by no means.

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