Sensory Integration Dysfunction

[oscamaya]

What is it?

DS was just diagnosed with this today. I had a hard time really understanding what it is and I have never heard of it before. From the little research I have done online I have seen that it is associated with Austism and Asperger but they are not the same.

My son has a prominent speech delay and upon his 2nd evaluation they decided maybe he should be tested for this SID since he was showing some signs of it. Apparently his tactile or touch sense is hypersensitive and this also is why he is extremely picky about the foods that he eats.

I am really confused about what this whole thing is. Does anyone know any more about it or know of any resources that might help me. I am supposed to decide if I want to put him in therapy to treat this (which is what they recommend) or if I want to just deal with it on my own. He is already in speech therapy.

I feel really bad for yelling at him in the past for some stuff only to find out now that it was just his response to this hypersensitivity thing.

[CoffeeMom]

I'm sorry I really don't know anything about that diagnosis, just wanted to say I'm sorry your son and your family have to go through it. I just did a quick google search, but just in case you haven't found this site yet it looks like it's a really good/credible source of information.

SPD Foundation

[momof4inmi]

I am sorry that you have to go through this. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family as you decide the best course of action for you son.

KidPower Site- Sensory Integration Dysfunction

[crystal12605]

I'm super sorry that your family has to go through with this! :sad:
My son also has it. Ummm the best way to help you understand is to read the book Sensational Kids by Lucy Jane Miller. Its hard to understand because there are so many things that goes with it. My son is a sensory seeker. Which means he hurts himself on purpose to feel grounded. He used to bang his head on the walls and jump off furniture and land on his butt as hard as he could. He loves water. Its really hard to deal with, I look at it as just another characeristic of my precious boy! From the way i have been explanned to its "The worst part of autism." But its not autism. He just has a hard time dealing with his surroundings. I put my son in therapy. Its fun and he looks forward to it. They give you wonderful ideas about dealing with some of his issues. There is also a group of parents online that all have children that have SPD/SID. They really help me alot. My son is 2 1/2 and was diagnosed one year ago. He still can't talk well. Contact Me if you every need anything. Oh yeah, and SOME parents are really freaked put by it and probably wont let their kids play with yours. They don't understand. Thats just a warning and its sad but true. oh the autistic diet seems to help some kids with SID/SPD. Something to look into.

[crystal12605]

its also called Sensory Processing Disorder. That my help you look up some things it.

[oscamaya]

Thanks for your help guys! I really just need to do some reading to try and figure out what it is that HE is going through. They say that his sense of touch is hypersensitive and it is almost like certain textures trigger his fight or flight response (hence the tantrums and screaming we have endured for the last 2 years). I really just can't imagine how something like the texture of pudding can cause a toddler so much anxiety.

I agree that it was weird for them to take all of his little quirks and classify them as symptoms.

[Ames0508]

Many kids who have Autism have SID. However, there are plenty of kids who have SID and do NOT have any form of autism what so ever. My 3 year old son is one of these.

He has a speech delay which has since been diagnosed as Apraxia and he had to go to therapy to learn how to chew. He has sensory issues and is in Occupational therapy for those. He was 10 months old the first time we ever heard the term "sensory integration."

I highly recommend the book, "The Sensory-Sensitive Child" by Karen A Smith & Karen R Gouze. You can probably find it at your local library. There is great information that will give you a brand new outlook on how your son experiences this world.

I now find myself having to try to figure out every single day, "Is this a typical 3 yr old issue or is it something sensory?" Family gatherings are nuts for us and we joke that he has performance anxiety when it comes to eating in front of other people or with groups or people. Oh the list goes on for him.

Our brains are supposed to input, process, organize and filter information for us. When it doesn't do even one of those things properly it can be a major assault on the body.

If you have any questions, I'd be more than happy to chat with you. I can tell you that we have seen great improvements with our son with OT. Best of luck to you & your family!!

[meems]

Curious..someone I work for, she was telling me her DD is hyper sensitive to things like sheets, if she does not put a specific sheet on her DD's bed..meltdown..underwear completely melts her down..not sure what else she does, both those two things were specifically mentioned to me...it's to the point where it's causing big issues. She is around 7-8...would this fall into this category?

[puakinikini]

Originally Posted by meems Curious..someone I work for, she was telling me her DD is hyper sensitive to things like sheets, if she does not put a specific sheet on her DD's bed..meltdown..underwear completely melts her down..not sure what else she does, both those two things were specifically mentioned to me...it's to the point where it's causing big issues. She is around 7-8...would this fall into this category?

It may - hard to say without a comprehensive evaluation, but many kids with sensory issues have a very hard time with the "feel" of underwear and "socks".

[Ames0508]

Originally Posted by meems Curious..someone I work for, she was telling me her DD is hyper sensitive to things like sheets, if she does not put a specific sheet on her DD's bed..meltdown..underwear completely melts her down..not sure what else she does, both those two things were specifically mentioned to me...it's to the point where it's causing big issues. She is around 7-8...would this fall into this category?

Yes, that could absolutely be a sensory issue. When we transitioned DS into a bed at 16 mo he was sleeping on top of pillows in his crib. It started when he was like 10 mo old, with just one pillow that he would put his whole body on. We figured a real mattress with a nice mattress pad would be better and it is.

When we moved into our house a couple of years ago, DS would throw a fit if you put him on the grass; even with his shoes on. He loves trains but if he's alone in his room and hears one he freaks out. I'm actually up right now because I just put him back in his bed after he heard a train (which is so faint we rarely hear it!!). And food...oh don't get me started on that, lol.

Do her underwear have tags in them? That could be a problem.