SPD and PICA

by Jessica
(Puyallup, WA )

My 22 month old daughter was diagnosed earlier this month with SPD (Auditory, Tactile and Vestibular). And now we are waiting for the insurance company to approve her OT. She has also been suffering from PICA since she was 14 months old. (She absolutely loves lotions, shampoo, baby powder, etc.) All her blood work came back normal so she is not suffering from any deficiencies. I have discussed this with her SLP (she might have childhood apraxia of speech as well), her pediatrician and her OT, but none of them are really addressing her PICA. I am just curious if anyone else has had any experiences with SPD and PICA and what worked.



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Nov 06, 2015
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by: Brenda

My little one was licking and attempting to eat non edible items before she could walk. She would lick floors and walls, chew on them etc. Here is what helped us tremendously. Chewy tubes, ( you can find them on this website),and a nuke brush,which you can find in baby section at most stores.

Once my daughter started moving around we removed anything and everything that could be potentially harmful. For her, spices and rocks and my glass dining table were her target. The meltdowns she would have when we would not allow her access to these things were incredible! Once our OT and Speech therapist told us about these chewy tubes, and we started to use them , she started to not be so interested in the harmful items. Along with making sure she has access to her chewy tube, I dipped a small amount of lemon on her nuk brush and gently massage the inside of her cheeks with them. (She now seeks out the nuk brush and lemon when she feels the need for it).

We also provided some zesty foods. Italian dressing on her salads, barbecue sauce with chicken and her speech therapist utilizes honey mustard pretzels during her speech sessions.(she does not eat the food but does lick the sauces off it).

On the door of the freezer, I keep fresh spinach leaves and broccoli in small containers. She will go get them daily and chew on them. Yes, she will eat frozen veggies all day long. But once I cook them she is no longer interested. When first beginning to offer the chewy tube, keep it with her and each time she goes for something she shouldn't, offer the chewy tube. It took awhile but my little one now wears them as a necklace and simply puts it in her mouth when she feels the need.

One thing I have learned with having a child with SPD is that incorporating several therapies simultaneously seems to work the best for my daughter. Chewy tubes, nuk brush, zesty foods and frozen veggies for the need to chew, weight blanket and white noise for sleep, weighted lap pad for helping her to sit long enough to eat at the table , and heavy shoes,(I use converse hightops) has helped her over all tremendously.

Good luck with your little one and I hope this helps!
Oct 13, 2015
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by: Anonymous

Hi, I have no idea how old this post is but my daughter who is 5 and a half has had pica since being a baby and has been diagnosed with SPD tactile, vestibular, proprioceptive. The paediatrician does not know how to deal with this and we have tried lots of oral sensory input to no effect. She has eaten a multitude of non edible items at school and in the past week has been absent from school twice due to vomiting paper and play dough. Just wondered if you had any luck? The OT has given us strategies that have helped her concentrate but not lessened the eating.

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