So, Ethan has been diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder, sometimes known as Sensory Integration Disorder. As much as Garrett and I are sad about the diagnosis, we are also relieved because it means that Ethan will be getting the help that he needs. It is not be something that can just be “fixed”, so it will be a long road ahead.
He will be receiving Occupational Therapy at our house once a week for one hour. They may increase the amount of therapy based on his needs. Miss Lori is our current Occupational Therapist and she has been over three times so far. Basically, she comes over and does various activities with Ethan to help him. He seems to really enjoy her, even if the activities aren’t to his liking. Last time she was came over he was so excited. He even cried when she left.
I have known for quite some time that something was “off”. The Early Intervention team has been coming over for about 5 months now to evaluate him and try to figure out what can be done. People kept telling me to “not worry” and that I was just being an “over-protective mother”…. well, I knew that I was right. Once Early Intervention agreed with me, I felt like I was no longer “crazy”. Garrett has been home all summer and he has finally been able to see it first hand. Now, he understands what I have been talking about.
No matter what, Ethan is an extraordinary little boy and he is who he is. Garrett and I love every little detail about him, even the quirky details.
What is Sensory Processing Disorder?
Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD, formerly known as “sensory integration dysfunction”) is a condition that exists when sensory signals don’t get organized into appropriate responses. Pioneering occupational therapist and neuroscientist A. Jean Ayres, PhD, likened SPD to a neurological “traffic jam” that prevents certain parts of the brain from receiving the information needed to interpret sensory information correctly. A person with SPD finds it difficult to process and act upon information received through the senses, which creates challenges in performing countless everyday tasks. Motor clumsiness, behavioral problems, anxiety, depression, school failure, and other impacts may result if the disorder is not treated effectively.
What are Ethan’s symptoms?
The majority of Ethan’s issues revolve around his tactile defensiveness. This is hard to explain in written words, but essentially, he has a “fear” of touching lots of normal objects… sand, clay, rice, mashed potatoes, anything bumpy, rough things, etc. While most kids love to play in sandboxes, Ethan doesn’t. He doesn’t mind when his feet touch these things, it’s just his hands. He will retract his hands very quickly if there are any of these objects near him.
Ethan also has social issues. This is why places like Gymboree are very hard for him. There are too many lights, sounds, colors, and people and his brain cannot organize it all. The therapist explained to us that everything gets jumbled and is shooting at him all at once. Must be scary for him!
How is it treated?
Treatment depends on the child. For instance, Ethan will require Occupational Therapy for the most part because he has tactile defensiveness. The therapist starts out each session with a special brush that she uses to “brush” his body. She brushes his arms and back and legs. This is to help him organize his thoughts and senses. This is followed by joint compressions, which gives him the pressure on his bones that helps his mind react to things around him. Once the opening exercises are finished, we all do an activity together. For instance, his last appointment involved a bowl of dried beans. Miss Lori put small toys in the bowl to encourage Ethan to dig around in the beans. Most kids would have no problem with digging around in beans, but it took Ethan almost 30 minutes to get comfortable enough to touch them. He never got completely comfortable, but it was certainly improvement. In other sessions, we did the same thing as the beans, but we used dried rice. That did not go over well at all, probably because rice is pointy and rougher. We are hoping that after doing these kinds of activities over and over that he will eventually be able to do “normal kid things”, such as play in a sandbox.
Hayley
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In my “previous” life (aka pre-Evey life), I worked for BCIU and dealt with Early Interention and children with disorders quite a bit. I have every reason to believe that Ethan will get through this. Why? Because he has 2 very caring and observant parents who were so in tune with him and could admit something was “off” and saught help. That’s a big part of the battle! I’ve seen so many parents who didn’t want to admit that there was a problem and the children really suffered. You caught this early (hence early intervention) and now he has an excellent chance to get over this small hurdle before he starts kindergarten. I say- YAY you and YAY Ethan! Good luck!
I am glad that you have answers. There is nothing like being armed with knowledge. Good catch, Mama!
It is good to know the reasons and to be open to give him all the help you can.
You are an awesome mother for being able to get this on time… I also agree that he may be able to get over this before K.
GOOD LUCK!!!
I remember your many posts on bbc about your worries and I’m so glad to hear it is something that can be helped. Good for your for going with your gut and not giving up on it. I know a child whose parents don’t want to believe soemthing is “wrong” and he struggles everyday with textures and busy places. I’ve wished they would have gotten him help for so long now (he is 6). Good luck with it, I’m sure things will continue to improve every day 🙂
Why do doctors always insist we do not know our own children? Good for you for insisting they do something more and getting Ethan the help he needs at such an early age. You gave him the head start he needs 4 years before he even gets to K.