Sensory seeking.

[Lillipop87]

Hi there I'm new here so sorry if this post is long and ranty I'm just at the end of my tether..I'm worried about my son he's 2 and a half and I also have 3 girls youngest is 5months.. ok so my son is such a little dude he's funny clever so lovely but he's also very very hyper .the average day consists of jumping on and off furniture in and out of cupboard, lights on and off in and out of fridge running off jumping on people and running threw them, throwing toys and other heavy things around . He has no interest in playing with toys or engaging in calm activities it's go go go I've been told by an ot he is a sensory seeker. We've only seen her once cos I was referred after expressing concerns about my son to hv. He's now on waiting list and waiting list for salt as he has only a few words. He also doesn't answer when u say his name it's like he doesn't hear but he responds to other sounds.. he is unaware of other peoples feelings and seems completely oblivious to people crying, being upset angry ECT he tipped his baby sister out of her chair we all reacted instantly and she was obviously crying tho unhurt and he just kept on what he was doing , he's impulsive like will just randomly throw a toy at someone or hit for no reason. He bites and pinches but not always in an agressive way..I don't know I just can't put my finger on it but it seems more then sensory seeking to me. I'm just so worn out by the end of the day trying to keep him safe and the baby and the days are just all blending together I don't know what I expect from this post really just maybe to know I'm not imagining things /expecting too much from him .

[AladdinMum]

He does sound a little hyper, but boys at this age tend to be (some more than others), so that would not been too unusual. However, and like you suggest, there could be an element of constant sensory seeking where he has the the need to do these things in order to get that sensory "hit". How is his non-verbal communication with you and other carers? for example, does he point to things that he wants (and hence asking you to get them for him), and does he point to interesting things like a plane in the sky (so sharing his interests with you)?

[Jannt86]

I don't think being 'hyper' is at all uncommon at this age. My almost 2YO can be bouncing off the walls sometimes and needs 'running' twice a day just like a border collie However she will also focus for a good length of time if she's interested and at quiet points of the day (pre-naps and bedtime and snack times) will happily snuggle up with me and read a few books. Is he ever still? Could he be persuaded to play a simple game with you and take turns? Is he aggressive? Is he socially motivated? (Pointing at things of interest/initiating pretend play/talking) Most people would tell you that their 2YO is full of energy and they're meant to be as they're learning at an exponential rate and most of their learning is done physically and playfully. However if there's additional concerns then this changes things a bit. I hope I'm not being condescending saying this too but is he given plenty of opportunity to practice physical skills? (soft play/parks/outdoor walks/ride-on toys and bikes/kicking and throwing a ball) I say this because I was only half joking about my above joke about my LO needing running twice a day haha. If she hasn't had chance to do at least one of the above then it does show and she gets more hyper, especially at bedtime.

[Lillipop87]

Hi thanks for your reply..urm he does kind of, like if he sees a cat for example he will get my attention and gesture towards the cat, but if I try to engage him in something he won't take any notice. his non verbal communication is fairly good act he will usually bring me to whatever it is he wants or bring me his bottle for juice he also seems to understand more then he says such as if I say get your shoes please he will go and find them. It is difficult to get his attention though he doesn't answer his name and his eye contact isn't great he will look at me if we're doing something fun but it's very fleeting iyswim. The sensory seeking stuff I've only seen ot once and she gave lots of exercises games to play (Alot of them we do already ) but haven't seen much difference yet. I don't know what to do about the biting,hitting ect time out doesn't work and he's oblivious to most things anyway.

[Lillipop87]

Hi Janet thanks for your reply. Yeah I know what you mean about having to go out for a run lol my lb is like that too and he is better once we get out tho weather has been awful so not as much lately . We go to soft play Alot but even then he prefers to run into the cafeteria bit and try and unplug the bouncy castles ECT! Lol he can be very agressive but not always can also be very affectionate . He is rarely still only to watch a bit of tv but even then he's really fidgity.

[Lillipop87]

My issue isn't so much with him being hyper cos I know that is typical of toddlers and esp boys it's more that he finds it so hard to sit still to eat, read ECT it takes ages for him to drift of to sleep too.

[Jannt86]

I think if he's not fairly conversant at 2.5 along with the other things you're describing I'd ask your GP or HV for him to be assessed to see if he needs any kindof early intervention. He might well just need a bit of time but there could be something underlying. Good luck xxx

[Lillipop87]

Yeah he's been referred just on lots of waiting lists atm hopefully we get some answers soon. Thanks for your replies xx