Sensitive for light, noise and crowd. Is it normal or should I worry?

[rrbrigi]

Hi,

My son is nearly 5 in Reception. We discovered that he is sensitive with light, noise and crowd.

He does not like dark. When we had a ride in Disneyland in a dark place, he did not want to go at all. He needs a night light in his room to be able to sleep. He also does not like very bright light. He closes his eyes if the sun shine is so bright.

He does not like noise. They have a sing assembly once a week and the teacher noticed that my son has a very bad mood on those days when he knows he needs to go to the sing assembly. Once the sing assembly was cancelled and when the teacher told it to the kids my son mood changed completely (he was nice and happy). He does not like music lessons in school. When I ask him why, he is telling me that the teacher shouting the whole lesson (when the teacher only singing).

He also does not like crowd. When we go somewhere where is a crowd he either refuse to go there or if I force him to go there he feels very stressed, his mood starts to be bad and sometimes he started to cry and ask me to leave the crowd.

He is a very popular child in his class, but he only plays with one or two children at a time.
Learning side we do not have any problem with him.

Any advice please? Is it normal or is it sounds that he has any disorder?

From what you have said it's hard to tell, my reception age dd won't sleep without a light on just outside the room and refused to go on a dark fairground ride getting very upset, she also hates loud noise, eg she asks me to cover her ears when drying her hands in public toilet dryers... Crowds don't seem to concern her although she would stay v close and tends to look stunned when there is a lot happening, from her height i can understand that it looks more scary...
I would discuss it with his teacher first or the senco as schools are noisy crowded places and they should know whether his reaction is within the normal range. You could ask whether he needs a referral to have it checked if they think he is hypersensitive - it'll put your mind at rest i'm sure.

When my son needs to go to the toilet in public place, he begging me not to dry his hand. If someone else turn on the hand dryer he start to cry.

It could be SPD, sensory processing disorder. Lots if people have it - myself included (sounds, touch and smells). It is possible to have it on its own without any other 'disorders'.

My son has it - sounds and touch - and he has suspected Aspergers as well.

It can become less troublesome over time - my son used to be terrified of handdriers and hoovers, but is OK with them now.

Was going to also say it could be spd but he would need assessment from an occupational therapist to decide if it is and it depends on how much of an effect its having on daily life, my little girl is suspected of having it mainly in the tactile form, she has extreme meltdowns over things not feeling right

We saw a paediatrician and she acknowledged he had sensory problems, but it was just part of him, and not something "wrong". No diagnosis or help given....
I have since read the "Out of Sync Child" and made him a weighted sensory blanket which really calms hims if he is having a meltdown.

He does not have meltdowns. I mean if he is in an uncomfortable situation he either will leave the situation, start to cry (but not loudly, or not putting him onto the ground, nothing like this) or if we are there ask us to hold him.
Also I was thinking about it yesterday, and first I thought that is a great idea to have him assessed by a paediatrician so we can use a statement in the school (for example removes him from the sing assembly or from any uncomfortable situation). And second I thought what the point is to do this, he never will learn how to cope in uncomfortable situation if I let him move out from these situations. I rather would like a kind of help when someone tells him how to cope with things he finds it difficult.

Now I do not know where to go from here. I am a bit afraid of ?labelling? him. And I also thought he might have Asperger?s syndrome (he does not look our eyes when he speaks, sometimes he asks me if I am angry or not, so I think he cannot decide by himself, also he always was a bit of ?different? from other children). Anyway even if he has any disorder, I think it is mild, it causing him little problems, nothing major and he can grow out of it can?t he?

Are there any advantages to label him?

In my son's experience school have made zero accomodations for his sensory needs. They say it is impossible :( So personally I don't think there is any point getting a SPD dx. But I think we have been rather unlucky there....

However, if you think it could be Aspergers, then DO persue a dx. There is MUCH more they can do to help with that and school NEED to be aware.

Have you been on the "Special Needs:Children" board? Look through some of the posts about "labelling". Why not post on there too?...