Sensory Processing and motor planning difficulties. Tclanger?? or anyone??

[mumgoingcrazy]

I started this thread to avoid hijacking another, I've got a lot I want to know so thought that would be mean to the other mn'er.

DD2 has sensory processing issues and motor planning difficulties. She has weekly Physio/SALT/OT/Portage and is on a sensory diet. Her main sensory issue is that she is severely tactile defensive, however we are about to undergo a full sensory assessment as we believe she also has auditory problems too. We are also waiting for results of a blood test

Tclanger, I noticed on another thread your DC has the same and wondered if you would mind sharing your story. DD2 is only 17 months so early days. DD2 is very loud and I've been told this is because she has no awareness of her 'self' in space. I've researched this so much and it just gets so technical I wondered if you could explain this to me and also exactly what 'motor planning' is and why DD2 finds this so difficult.

Thanks very much in advance.

Devie, we have had the vibrating toothbrush for a few days now and it's not going very well, she just freaks out. We're still using the silicone finger brush. I find with DD2 though (and I don't know if this is SPD or just her) but everything takes time, she does not react well to new activities, sounds or things generally and over time, sometimes weeks we start to make progress with it.

I know we are very lucky with our OT (the face massage is the only useful thing we've had from our SALT, most of the time she's not that great).

I'm not sure what you can do, if you can't get close to do the deep pressure, DD2 is only 18 months and isn't moving that much so it's easy to do it. She doesn't actually protest when I do it if I sing and make a general pratt of myself. I don't know if that's any help.

If you wanted to try the facial massage to get them used to having their faces touched and then progress onto the mouth we had to:

Start at the forehead with both hands them massage down the sides of the face (always ending up at the mouth). After doing this 10 times with your finger acropss the chin massage up the chin to end up at the mouth again. Do this 10 times. Then pat the lips gently to "this is the way we pat your lips, pat your lips, pat your lips" etc etc. Whilst doing this if you have an opportunity slip your finger into the mouth then out again really quickly and make it into a game. I always look surprised and laughed, and as it was done so quickly DD2 didn't get a chance to protest. It just goes on from here, once you are in the mouth we use our finger brush to brush her gums (back to front) and brush the inside of her cheeks, all to try and resensitise her mouth.

Hope this helps
xx

I meant De-sensitise her mouth, not resensitise!! :-) oops!

I'm going to try and get a silicone finger brush to do your facial therapy. Hi MGC wher did you get yours from? Also does it stop your child biting through your finger if you manage to get that far? By the sounds of it your DD is very similar to my DS. His dysfunction covers all areas, vestibular, auditory etc. I just think there is so much going on profs don't know where or how to start. T clanger I used to recieve info from the sound learning centre but don't anymore. I would just like to thank you both and anyone i have forgot for your advice and support. Merry Christmas.

I was told Waitrose did the finger brushes but I never found them. We ended up getting them on ebay (new and boxed).

It won't protect you much from being bitten I'm afraid. DD2 doesn't bite as she's never put anything into her mouth and won't take a bite of any food. This is one of our (many) issues with her.

This therapeutic listening we are about to do in January is meant to concentrate on the vestibular and auditory systems and get them working together which will in turn get all the senses working appropriately together. May be worth mentioning to your OT. I'll let you know how DD2 gets on when we start it, but it sounds like it could benefit your LO.

Hi, happy new year everyone. Just a quick update. I have managed to buy a teething ring with toothbrush on (think its made my mam got it in boots) will still look out for the silicone finger. I have just had DS visual processing side of the disorder assessed by Ian Jordan at Jordans opticians (google webbie)This was fantastic and have a lot of advice and help for some of DS problems. Although he can't help with the tactile defensivness. I think he's worth a visit from anyone with a processing disorder although OH thinks otherwise. DD also had an assessment while we were there to find she also has problems, although hers with his help will rectify altogether for her not to need glassess. She did wear glassess before her assessment. Cheers.

Happy new year to you too.

What kind of advise and tips did you get? Also, how is the teething ring with toothbrush going? Have you got into DS's mouth with it?

Hi Riven, My DS is also down syndrome, although he is nearly 8 he is functioning at an 18 month. I really can't help much with CP but my friends DD is CP with ADHD and sensory processing disorder. She has a fantastic OT who I am goung to be getting in touch with re DS. My DS SPD was diagnosed at 2 year old so don't let them fob you off with developmental delay. Having said that this was kind of through a back door and profs involved didn't accept this until 18 month ago. I def would bullet point all your concerns. Anything else just ask. There is a few on here who defo know what they are talking about. I know what you mean when you a feel a loner as I also do when it comes to down syndrome, comments such as yours is different to ours. We can't help our's being unique. I suppose it's still no consellation either, hence why we read boards. Good luck.

Hi mumgoingcrazy, the teething ring is being chewed although the brush end doesn't get put in his mouth, I have tried a few times. The best tip I got yesterday was to change my OT. He just told me what was going on from the eyes and how it affects DS on the sensory side. He just told me what my OT was doing wrong. If I can get my son to wear them he is getting a pair of glassess with blue lens and by magic (complicated how it works) DS should function better. They kind of help him know where he is (proprioception) which will then help his vestibular. Easch one having a knock on effect on each other. He told me from the eyes down over DS doesn't see anything. His eyes don't work together which helps make outside quite scary which is why he always sits down. When things keep coming back to me I will let you know. He is well worth a visit. It's free if you are willing to travel and see him and appointments are always there. If you want to see him in England there is about a six month wait and costs £400+. Although you can get this on NHS but unsure how to do it. Take care, keep in touch.

That's interesting about the glasses with the blue lens as DD2 also has problems with proprioception. Will ask our OT about that.

Where is this guy based? Do you know where in England he goes?

Riven, Our SALT deals with DD2's oral defensivness (OT deals with the rest) and she has some good ideas (not worked yet but definate improvements). Do you have a SALT?

That's shit service, does she just make excuses when you do manage to see her?

That's appauling!

www.jordanseyes.com/

i googled this and came up with this website which i guess has to be the right one. sounds really intresting.

Mumgoingcrazy - Not sure if this is of any help to you, but my ds 4.5 years old is still awaiting an official DX (it has taken almost 3 years to get this far). He has modulation disorder (which is a branch off of SPD).

He is extremely tactile defensive and doesnt eat and is now in the process of having help from OT.

At about 1 year old, it was thought that he had trouble hearing, i even started to learn sign language. It was then diagnosed as fluid in his ear, which stayed for about a year and then just cleared up.

He also had some speech problems (caused by fluid in his ears) He was also diagnosed with Browns syndrome in his left eye and has to have regular eye tests. Although this now appears to have cleared up too (which is unheard of, Brown syndrome, doesnt just get better!!)

Very confusing times, just thought i would share

Thanks Claw3. At 6 months I was told DD2 was completely deaf and would need hearing aids, however it turned out she had severe glue ear and got it cleared using cranial osteopathy. She has been under opthalmology since she was 5 months as she squints a lot. It's almost as if the left eye sometimes has to catch up with the right, however with all of our appointments the eye dr has never acually seen her squint, they are very much going on what I say. I hope though with all her eye appointments they would have picked up something like Browns syndrome.

Improving slowly, that website looks good, I'll have a proper look tonight when the kids are in bed.

mumgoingcrazy - Morning, they didnt pick up on ds's eye problems straight away despite eye appointments every 3 months! In fact they orginally were looking for a squint.

Once Dr suggested it might be Brown Syndrome (which apparently is extremely rare) i looked on internet and found this
www.mrcophth.com/ocularmotility/brown.html and this was exactly it!!

Hi Claw3, I'll definately bring this up at our next appointment then.

I looked on the site, does the eye with browns syndrome always go up?? DD2's occasional squint is a side to side problem, like the left sometimes forgets to catch up with the right.

No the eye with Browns is the one that stays looking straight ahead when trying to look up or to the side. The one going up over compensates and looks like the one with the problem.

With Browns if you look down at the floor, then look up without moving your head, one eye cant and the other goes far to high.

oh sorry i didn't know there was thread already....i will just bookmark my place and lurk if thats ok

DD2 does often lift her head up and look down so it looks like she's looking down her nose at everyone in a snooty way. Is this a classic sign?

There's a few sensory threads at the mo, but all seem to be slightly different.

No, sorry i think im confusing you now!

The looking down at the floor thing and trying to elevate the eye is when you would see that the eyes are not moving together. More of a test, than a sign.

Oh I see, I think I'll definately bring this up at our next appintment though. Looking at that website it is a possibility.