Issue with the rain....and associating a place with a saying/game?

[pucca]

Has anyone else had this with their dc? ds (4yo) has recently developed a real issue with the rain, he is obsessed with it, won't go out incase it rains...talks about it while we are out, infact today he actually walked around with his hood up as "it will rain in a minute"....

Anyone else had this before?

Another strange thing he did today...I had to go the local hospital to collect Melatonin, ds hasn't been with me the last 2 times (go once a month) so it is 3 months since he last went, on the visit 3 months ago we played a little game to pass the time (can wait up to an hour)..

The game was having a bit of paper and the other one guessing which hand...even though we only played this once....here....as soon as we sat down he found a bit of paper and insisted on playing it...

Strange? He does this quite often though, I can think of 2 other examples immediately which i won't bore you with, where he associated a place with a saying, or action....

BTW after seeing a private OT, she has said he has SPD...he also has GDD.

Oooops forgot to also add, ASD is still questionable, waiting on CAHMs referral for proper assessment (won't interact with Paed).

we have/have had variations on both these.

Rain: DS2 is also very interested in rain at the moment. Likes to stand outside with hood on and hand outstretched. I think he's learning to "integrate" the sensation of it (he can't yet inhibit the sensation of gentle rain falling on his bare head - it makes him cry and get quite disoriented - for him it's still as if someone was drumming fingers hard all over his head I think).

Same place same game: I guess that's our little insight into how the world must be for them - they haven't internalised the age-appropriate rules as to what to do when, so they go for a "if in doubt, this must be the right time to do this because it was last time" approach. DS2 is nearly five and just "got" that hiding behind back game at Christmas so I play it as often as he wants - I think it's a real developmental leap when they start to understand hiding games.

Thanks Lingle...I must admit I am really intrigued by the way my ds reacts/thinks....I find it sad but mesmerizing at the same time.

He hates the rain and has a major meltdown if it rains on him, he gets hysterical...That is a really interesting way of seeing it (fingers drumming on head) it makes ALOT of sense. (ds is tactile defensive).

I just couldn't believe that he remembered that we played that game there, amazing memory and how he linked it to that place, as i said he also has done it with certain things that have been said at a certain time/place and has repeated over and over.

The private OT we saw gave us a book called "Sensory Integration and the Child" and I am finding it helpful. It talked about how we need to learn to "disregard" certain quite strong sensations like rain on our heads - but "our" kids struggle to do so. The author (Ayr) recommends giving the child control over this kind of thing (ie let him have a raincoat available)

My Dd3 is a lot like that with games and routines in particular places, we have to be careful because it is easy to end up with loads of set routines for particular places. She also takes the same stories on holiday everytime.
She has a phenominal memry and can even remember what we all wore for events which happened ages ago.

Yes to both those things here as soon as it rains if he hasn't got a hood... and the game thing.

Wow its madness isn't it? that all our dc have similar issues...

Can I be really nosey and ask what the diagnosis is for your children? What do you think these things are linked to? Is it a SPD thing? a ASD thing?

Thanks everyone

Mines just got a very recent diagnosis of ASD, ADHD traits and dyspraxia.

Another thing i have noticed with ds, is that he doesn't seem to understand personal space iykwim? I had a private speech therapist here today (he seems to interact better within his own enviroment) but on a few occasions he was "in her face" like really in her face, pushing toys in her face to the point of hurting her almost.

My dd hates rain too and closes all the curtains if there are grey clouds, repeating 'theres no thunder mummy, no thunder'.

Personal space thing too,in kids faces, kissing them and grabbing other their hands even when they squirm, played a game making a toy jump along the fence as we walked...it then ran up someones drive to jump over the elderly man...who we do not know.

She also has an amazing memory, people dont get why i get anxious when they introduce a new treat/game etc...can take me months to work it back out of her routine. She also memorised everyones door numbers, car colours and normally has an association memory for everyone...Pappy - number game, Grandma - broken arm, Daddy - gone to work in the red car, Cousin - bit her 6 months ago! She plays pretending games but they are usually her repeating an entire film/tv show.

We dont have a diagnosis yet.

DS1 becomes highly distressed by rain. We had a thunderstorm, last week and I couldn't actually hear the thunder for his yelling. There's been countless times I've had to drag him home from school with him yelling at me to make the rain (or wind) stop, even when it's just a bit drizzly.

As for associating things with places, we probably visit the community paed 2 or 3 times a year and very quickly, DS2 learnt his way around the hospital and as soon as we've signed in, runs through the correct doors to the waiting area and goes to inspect a particular fire extinguisher.

Oh, and DS1 has ASD and ADHD and DS2 has ASD - he actually thinks wind and rain are hilarious, but used to hate wind as a toddler.

Dd3 loves the rain too and will get absolutly soaked in every puddle on the way to school. When she was at preschool I used to put her in an all in one and wellies, but somehow I don't think I would get away with that now she is going into year 3. Most days I am lucky to get a coat on her. She used to hate bright sunshine though.
She is being assessed for possible aspergers.

The silly thing with DS1 is that, while he hates being rained on, he thinks nothing of ruining brand new shoes in deep muddy puddles (which he's rather adept at finding). Then again, he usually enjoys a bath, but hates showers enough for us to use the threat of one as a deterrent to bad bathtime behaviour.

Lingle - if you are still reading this thread could you explain a bit more about the hiding behind back game.
DD (4.2 ASD) seemed to have a problem with it a few weeks back. Her nursery teacher said that the children took it in turns to hide a bone behind their back and children had to take it in turns to say who had the bone. I think DD just kept saying "I haven't got the bone" . I was just wondering exactly how the game worked as to be honest I did not really take in what her teacher was saying at the time - maybe it is something I could work on with DD.