Any one else have a High Need Baby?

[Brewster]

www.askdrsears.com/html/5/T050400.asp

Does any of this ring a bell with anyone else?

My 11 month old shows pretty much all of these signs and there are days I just cant cope.

If he is not being constantly amused in some way he just whines and moans. If he isnt fed exactly on time or when he wants then it is nightmare to feed him....often very hard to feed him anyway as it is hard to get hji to sit still as he is always off exploring things.

etc etc - - i could go on and on...

Just wondered if anyone else has experience of this with their kiddies and if they have any advice....will he calm down?

Thanks

High needs re hypermobility - from my point of view, the children have the following as part of their make-up:

• moving is tricky as the structures are weaker (eg collagen structure in muscles,ligaments, skin) so they need to exert more effort and also need to try to control their wide range of movement - in fact, they need to work harder than most. They can therefore tire easily and for some, they feel pain or achy. Some are floppy babies, some are not. My first was floppy and my second a bottom shuffler (not enough strength in the wrists to support normal crawling)

• poor proprioception ie the sense where your legs and arms are and other body parts may be affected as these feelings are partly lost in the weaker collagen in the joints hence they fidget or always seem on the go, to get the feelings, like to be cuddled to get the deep touch feeling (or could be the opposite! They could also dislike light touch eg hair combing, drying down with towels, playing with paint) and they bump into things easily and bruise easily. They can be very sensitive to where others are eg at school, they may sit on the floor with their hands supporting themselves at either side, and these can get stepped on - ouch! - and if you are feeling a bit unsure of where you are and if you are wobbly, you can get a bit worried about others getting too close. Other senses seem to be involved too - my two dislike loud sounds eg Hoover, and the vestibular awarenes affecting balance (as well as the bendy joints) so some like to swing and others no thank you! As you can see the world may seem as if it is quite a sensory challenging place - somewhere in Cider For Roise by L Lee - there is comment about the world seeming like a big buzzing place - that is how it must seem (and it did for me - I also have this syndrome).

So imagine all of this is going on, no wonder that the children crave more help than others. Anxiety is also linked to this syndrome - see the website for more info (in my previous message).

Things which help - physio, occupational therapy, and orthotics (once they wear boots with or without inserts, this can make then feel safer - fewer crash bang wallops!).

Adam Hart Davis spotted my son in the supermarket pushing the trolley - the brightness and loudness of big supermarkets makes my son feel uneasy so pushing the trolley helps as this addresses his need for more feedback with his propriception (and helps stop the stamping on the floor - again another tactic to take control of things and feel happy) as the trolley means he has to push a weight. However my sons sense of direction is not fab and Adam HD said he was "a hazard to shipping!". I think there is more to the sensory processing than we know about at the mo - an occupational therapist's assessment was very helpful to help us with his "sensory diet" (great websites on google on this!) eg wear a backpack for more proprioception however he is only now just doing this in Year 6 getting ready for Year 7, and I give 5 stars to the Hypermobility Clinic at Gt Ormond St who help our little ones get as strong as they can.

Watch how hypermobile your little ones's fingers are - again this can affect play - how frustrating etc for them if they are struggling to play with toys - I spent ages finding toys which would be easy to do and ones which would try to help build their strength. Another topic!

As it is hot , this may seem like a whole lot of waffle! Sorry!

Interesting I do think DS has poor proprioception, he bumps into things a lot (and is constantly covered in bruises) and he really dislikes loud sounds. But his strength seems pretty good (and he was an early crawler and walker), so I am guessing that if he is hypermobile (must try to check that out in a low-key way) he's not too badly affected. I'll read around the stuff you've mentioned, though the possible connections here are something I'd never thought of before.