Hi everyone, I never really considered any sensory issues before and DS is bright, intelligent, doing well at school etc etc. Happy, well behaved, sociable, writes and reads well, understands maths.
However he never stops moving and when he was a baby and young child was constantly on the go and I have realised that that is still the case often. I always put it down to him being a kid or wanting attention or just being young. And put the stress I suffered down to being a single parent with no family or ex support, and also trying to manage my own work in the process. That in itself is incredibly stressful. I do find his constant moving a real trigger for me though, making me wonder if the problem is me (i do suffer some anxiety) or if it's the behaviour I find unsettling. Or if it could just be the fact we've been cooped up for weeks without seeing anyone (it has been a bit worse lately). I do find that I get less stressed when I have some support, for example when school is on or whatever. He is also quite clumsy and is "all arms and legs" but aren't all 8 year olds? This has improved considerably in recent years so this could just be a kid thing...?!
Since lockdown started again I have noticed that his constant movement and standing on his head or awkwardly sitting leaning to the side or whatever is part of his way of coping with learning. it seems to be some sort of sensory way of learning, as he seems to learn better this way! It makes trying to teach him very difficult as he won't sit still through a video and launches himself onto my lap, nuzzling his head or pushing himself into me, or standing on his head on the sofa. I find it all very stressful and now I wonder if it's something more than just me not coping as a single parent.
I was reading up a bit on SPD and it sounds like it could be a mild form of this although there aren't really many other indicative factors other than the constant moving (he is a bit fussy with food but not with clothes or anything else). I absolutely do not want to over medicalise this, I have no issues with him as a kid and I don't necessarily think labels are helpful (SPD or ADHD or whatever). I do not want him medicated or anything else should it turn out to be a mild form of either of these type things.
The teacher has not mentioned it - only a few years ago when he was younger she noted when she was teaching he would be fidgety whilst teaching and that it might help him to learn to do so and be a sensory thing. I do think the teachers would have mentioned it again in the intervening years if they thought it was a real issue.
In any case I wondered if anyone had words of wisdom on how to cope with it, your experiences etc of similar and tips for getting through. Particularly as a parent I am stressed out at the best of times but this seems to be the thing that gets me more than anything - the frequent interruption.
We are cooped up in a small flat without a garden and with lockdown this is going to make any kid go more fidgety and I get that. But my stress levels are pretty high and I would like to find better ways of managing or tips and advice on it. Many thanks