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.

Its just the brown syndrome went totally unnoticed for years with my ds because they were looking for a squint, which they never saw (because he didnt have one).

Total change of subject has is your DD with food?

How is your DD with food rather? is she orally defensive too?

Hello, bit of a strange one but yes she is orally defensive as in she has never mouthed a toy and doesn't self feed at all, it's taken about 2 months to get into her mouth to brush her teeth although we can do do it (very quickly) without crying. However, the odd thing is she eats absolutely everything and lots of it. She's not overly keen on raspberries and peaches but I can deal with that. She drinks all her milk too although we are really struggling to get her off a bottle and onto a cup or beaker, all to do with sensations again.

Why do you ask?

Hi MGC, The glassess with the blue lens were specific to my DS. He does a load of tests to find which coloured lens works. At the conference I met him at, my mam done one of his tests to find red was her colour. I thought this strange as when he met my 2 kids he made a judgement that OH had similar problems, and both kids were tested and both needed blue lens opposite to my mam. You can email him to find where he goes in England. The google link by IS will be the right link. Take care everyone.

Mumgoingcrazy - You stated in your OP that she has sensory processing issues and is very tactile defensive. My ds is is also tactile defensive, but this also extends to his mouth too, in fact he is extremely orally defensive. He has real problems with food etc.

Just comparing, i suppose, still trying to make sense of it all to be honest.

Claw3, have you seen my posts further up about what our SALT told us to do to de-sensitise DD2's mouth? It is taking time but it is working. She never used to eat yoghurts or porridge or anything that was smooth, it all had to be pieces of food so that she could control where it was in her mouth (it seems much of DD2's problems is that she has to be in control, a SPD thing). The smooth food would just spread everywhere in her mouth and she hated it. Since doing the de-sensitising in her mouth she now eats all smooth food happily and we can also brush her teeth (with a soft silicone finger brush and very quickly).

How is your DS with teeth brushing? The facial massage and singing is a pain and takes ages but it is working. I also brush the inside of her cheeks with the finger brush too (still hates that though).

Sorry i cant seem to find that post. Teeth brushing is a nightmare!! about 3 seconds before mouth closes and screaming starts. OT suggested an eletric toothbrush, he let me do it once, but he says it hurts him.

Ds was the opposite at that age, no lumps and there was only one jar of baby food that he would eat.

He has only had 7 OT appointments and she hasnt suggested anything for me to do at home yet.

It's on this thread just further up, around Dec 21st I think. We got the slow vibrating toothbrush from Jojo maman bebe and she absolutely hates it so we're still on the finger brush.

Our SALT deals with DD2's oral defensivness, but the OT deals with the other sensory processing issues. We're very lucky as we see them every week in a sn therapy group, can you try and get your OT to do a full sensory assessment so then she can put a sensory diet or activities in place for him? Do you have a SALT that can help with the oral defensivness?

Yep found it, thanks.

SALT ds was supposed to have had speech therapy from the age of 2, but he hasnt received any! Its been one excuse after another, maternity leave, no one to cover your area etc, etc. SALT was supposed to visit him nursery, which she did, but he has never had any sessions, just assesments.

His only speech problem is sounds ie tar instead of car etc. In the meantime i got fed up of waiting, they were kind enough (sarky tone) to send me some things to work on at home with him. I also got a friend of mine who is a teacher to photocopy the jolly phonic cards and worked on these at home with him. So they basically havent bothered with him, other than assesments because he is making excellent progress!

Has she done anything about your DS's oral defensivness at all?

I'm no SALT so I can only tell you about our experience but yes she deals with the speech but she is also dealing with the oral defensivness and all her self feeding issues.

It may be worth asking Moondog as she's a SALT on here or someone else who knows more than me.

Morning mumgoingcrazy - No SALT have had no involvement at all, other than assessments. The OT is pretty much dealing with it on her own. Although my ds does see a paed once every 6 months for assessments again!

Sorry i have taken over your thread

Hello Claw, my understanding is that the SALT deals with anything in the mouth eg DD2 doesn't self feed, and does not take a bite of anything. The OT and SALT visit her at mealtimes and the OT deals with DD2 holding the spoon/fork/fingers and moving them towards her mouth, the SALT then deals with the fact that she won't take a bite of anything and the general goings on inside her mouth. Our OT openly admits inside the mouth isn't her field and she's a highly qualified sensory OT!

Don't worry about the hijack, I've forgotten what I even started this one for anyway. It's always good to swap notes and pick up tips. I've learnt loads from the mums on here!

The SALT was supposed to come along to an OT appointment before Christmas and cancelled. I have another OT appointment this Friday, i will most certainly ask her about this. Ive scribbled myself a note too to remind me.

MN is a real life line and fountain of knowledge

Mumgoingcrazy - Just back from OT appointment and did ask about SALT dealing with the oral defensiveness.

Apparently it literally depends on who has had what training. Very few OT's have had the training. In my case the OT has had the training, but the SALT hasnt. If your case, its the opposite.

Claw3 were they any help to you?

Well, I don't want to speak too soon, but I'm thinking DD2 is no longer orally defensive!!!! Literally on Saturday, she picked up some food and put it into her mouth (she's 19 months and never put anything to her mouth). Later that day, she bit into something (again never ever bitten into anything). At bathtime that day we brushed her teeth THOROUGHLY, including her gums and insides of her cheeks and she didn't cry!!! I'm absolutely gobsmacked. 2 days on, she is now feeding herself a whole meal and I've fished out a sweet wrapper from her mouth and caught her mouthing a stone from the fireplace. She is also now very happy to have her face touched and have cream on (again, a first). We have been doing the facial massage, lip tapping and games for a couple of months now and I think it's done the trick. I just wanted to share, so that if you are trying these techniques I think it does work.