sensory processing disorder

[MrsStark1]

If you have a child with sensory processing disorder could you tell me a bit on how they behave?

Im currently waiting for an appointment with paediatrician but has been and still is a long wait so im trying to find out various information myself as things are difficult with my dd at the min and i need to find better ways to help her and deal with things and to narrow things down (she has other issues). She ticks off a lot on the list and has been like it since she was a baby so i wanted to see if what she is like is similar to others.

Hmm.. I agree with polter that the SPD thread might help, in the meantime, Dd3 gets very upset by clothes rubbing her, by slimy food, by smells such as public toilets, by loud unexpected noises eg, sirens or noisy motorbikes, by bright sunlight [more when she was younger].

Her senses are well and truly disordered though because she will jump into a lake and swim but she cant open the car door when it is wet
she can play a very loud brass instrument but freaks out at the sound of rain on our tent!

She has proprioception issues, is never ever still and likes to lie on top on me, which is fun now she is massive!

High stress levels make her sensory issues worse, at bedtime she sleeps under a heavy weighted blanket and still asks me to lie on her when she is settling down.

It is a very complex problem that is very much misunderstood!!

Good luck with your Dd's appointment

Sorry on phone so will be all over the place i only seem to have a small box and lots to write.

Hi Poltergoose. Thanks i will take a look :). She is 5 and she is also having difficulty with learning at school she has very little memory and is behind in her learning. She fidgets and is easily distracted in school and also usually watches everyone else. she finds it hard to join in but she doesnt have problems making friends and can play alone or alongside others.

Thank you Ineedmorepatience. At the minute my dd gets upset (crying,screaming, anger,freezing and ripping) by clothes, shes constantly on the go cant sit down and has to touch everything. Noises such as handryers or loud places such as parties or crowds. Shes funny about foods and would eat a packed lunch daily if i let her, she wont talk to some people even family members at all just freezes, she used to be distressed with hair cutting, washing and brushing but now tolerates it bit better same with messy play. Has to wear long trousers and top to bed no nightie,shorts or nothing even in summer plus duvet. Has her special huggle buddy pillow wont sleep on normal pillow, over reacts to small things like pin prick of blood or small cut but bangs and knocks she doesnt feel as much, cant be outside at night, clingy to me at times even though she doesnt cuddle, she has never played with toys apart from fiddle toys or bits of paper or bits of random treasures yet she has a very good imagination teddies are real people or she will pretend or rather thinks shes an adult and says things about work and her boss very spot on and can remember odd things like the milking process but not learning. Chews clothes, constantly talks, moods constantly change and shes mostly angry or upset. She had other things when she was a baby such as fussy baby couldnt ever soothe her, no cuddles at all back then or kisses, drooling and speech problems etc prob bits ive missed shes just very cross or upset and it can be over the smallest thing.

She certainly sounds like she has sensory issues mrsstark . There is a sensory checklist online somewhere, I found it via google. See if you can find it and work through it. I cant do it on the tablet but if you cant find it pm me and I will link it later when I put the laptop on

Ive had a look at that and want to print it off to take to appointment.

Im just so unsure of everything at the minute and noone to talk to. Some areas were really bad before she could talk full on meltdowns now some things are less of a reaction but still not a normal one and sometimes it can be worse like a full on meltdown sometimes more tolerable such as being stroppy and aggitated and cross pulling or jerking, so i wasnt sure if that 'fit' as it were. Shes just got so much anxiety and is cross, stroppy or irritated at the min as well as always on the go so feeling a bit worn down at the minute with no help. Just getting dressed for school is bad enough we are late everyday because of the battle to get her dressed and thats with already only wearing what she has deemed as ok. Although this morning knicker that were ok for last two wears are not right this morning. They dont sell her safe knickers anymore.

Just an update
Finally been given a paed appointment in 5 weeks time for inital assessment. Have also looked into a private ot service who could see her sooner and sound like they deal with it in a quicker time frame?

You do need an OT and you may be able to get the paed to refer you to an nhs one but that would mean waiting until the appointment and then waiting again to be seen. If you can afford to go private it would be a quicker route to some real help.
IME OT's are really good and switched on about the difficulties we face everyday with our children.

The anxiety around getting ready for school is probably making her sensory issues much worse. School is really hard for our kids, can you imagine the noise, the smells, the awful lighting, having to sit still, just being with all the other people all day is enough to send them into meltdown!!

Knowing that she has to change the type of pants she has to wear on top of all that is going to make life very hard for her, bless her

Thank you its really helped to talk with someone who understands it has been hard lately.

I have spoken to the private ot therapist earlier who was wonderful and i feel like i should go down that route as they were actually willing to help and understood. Also after a previous conversation where i was brushed off when asking for help elsewhere, ot said they would fully back me up and support dd if required.

Good luck, it sounds like you're on the right track

My DD is similar in quite a few ways, as you say some of the sensory stuff comes and goes, they grow out of / learn to cope with some aspects of it, also being distressed makes it worse, definitely.

It does sound like a mix of sensory stuff and selective mutism which I think can often go together.

The selective mutism is an issue in itself if she really isn't speaking to anyone apart from very familiar people. If you haven't read up on this already then you can find a lot of info just by googling, eg:

SMIRA is the Selective Mutism Information and Research Association - their website is a bit tricky to navigate, worth persisting though. The SMIRA Facebook group is very helpful and active:
smira.org.uk/
www.facebook.com/groups/SMIRASelectiveMutism/?fref=nf

General sources of info:
www.gosh.nhs.uk/medical-information/search-for-medical-conditions/selective-mutism/selective-mutism-information/
Wikipedia 'selective mutism' info also not bad.

Thanks clothespegpeople.

I had looked at selective mutism before once but as she was ok in school (small school sent her there for that reason) that it may not have been that, but had a look at the link and does seem to go with sensory so would be worth looking into.

She will speak to me, my partner and ds. Shes fine at school and some family members. We see various family at the same time in the holidays so not frequent contact but see them all the same amou t of time if that makes sense yet she will talk to some but not others she is just so unsure and freezes. With people we see around like her friends parents she is ok with some but not others. And total strangers are a no go. She either likes someone or doesnt and freezes and gets upset it is very difficult.