OT on not?

[haven]

ds was evaled a while back for sensory problems and showed signs of moderate sensory issues..anyway..i decided to postpone the formal OT eval, because he was only 20 months at the time...the early intervention coordinator keeps asking if i am ready to have hime evaluated, but i keep saying to wait. mainly because he isn't quite two yet and his issues are not quite life altering...

head banging ( to put himself to sleep or sometimes just because, but mainly for confort )
although, he will do it in the car seat when he gets mad...
he still likes to put stuff in his mouth

i have to fuss him to chew his food, with out stuffing his mouth

smell everything...but i showed him that..candles..flowers..soap...ANYTHING he thinks smells...
soft stuff...oh man
very very touchy, my face, my hair..when we walk down the road..wood..metal...anything

tags or becoming more and more a problem..they only use to bother him sometimes now probably 75-85% of the time..

if stressed he tends to close up...shut down..
lately though...assuming terrible twos...temper tantrums for everything...

kids he can handle, but large groups of adults he shuts down..he pulls the corner eye thing..

he slaps himself in the face and crotch..

anyway...sorry to go on....curiosity is normal..
should i bother with all that if we can function together as a family with out it?

[Merlot]

I'd be interested to see what people have to say on this too

Having just come back from BIBIC we have a sensory programme to follow for ds2, but I'm not really sure what an OT does?

My ds2 wont finger feed or put anything in his mouth...our SALT has just decided to refer us for OT. How will an OT help?

Not trying to hijack this thread Haven (honest ), its more a case of asking a supplementary question

[coppertop]

Ds2 was assessed by the OT just after his 2nd birthday. The assessment was pretty straightforward and included filling in a questionnaire. I already had a good idea of what his problems were as we'd been through it already with ds1 but I found it helpful to have these things confirmed for me. The one thing that I hadn't realised was that a lot of his meltdowns were caused by him seeking sensory input to the point where he just overloaded and then exploded into a rage.

OT was much more of an eye-opener with ds1 as I had no idea about his sensory problems or how they were affecting him.

The OT has given us a lot of ideas for things to do to help with ds2's sensory issues. They also arranged for him to use a sensory room. Ds1 has benefitted a great deal from his (mainstream) school's sensory integration programme. It has really helped to calm him down so that he can get on with other things.

IME an OT assessment can be very useful, but obviously you need to do whatever suits your family best.

[coppertop]

Sorry Merlot. I missed your question. If your ds2 isn't putting anything into his mouth because it's too sensitive then an OT may be able to help with ways to de-sensitise it a bit. It could be something like brushing his teeth for a couple of seconds (literally) and gradually building up this time until he becomes used to the sensation of having things in there. Once he becomes less sensitive he is more likely to want to finger-feed etc. This is one of the things I'm doing with my ds2 at the moment as his mouth is hypersensitive.

[sis]

Haven, is there any particular reason why you don't want the OT evaluation other than your son's age? From our experience, the OT that ds had was amazing ( ds, who refused to ever do anything that got his hands dirty and hated the feel of sand, after two sessions, he was sitting in the sandpit without his sandals on and flinging the sand about!) So from our experience, the OT was a very positive thing but ds was five and a half when he had the assessment and OT.

[Fio2]

haven take the assessment! We were reffered for Ot when our daughter was 22 months and never saw one until we moved and she was almost 4!!!!! Cant say i found the Ot that useful but it was more of a fleeting visit for us

[haven]

merlot? what is hyjacking a question?
about the ot...guess i am just ready for everything to be o.k....and if we can live without outside professionals i think that is a better environment for my ds....but i don't want to deny him anything either....

[haven]

never mind about the hyjacking...when i re read the post....it was like duhhhhhh....sorry

[Davros]

Can't see any benefit in postponing. you will have to see outside professionals eventually anyway presumably and the sooner the better to make sure you are doing everything possible. They are nothing to be worried about, mostly wonderful.