any suggestions for child with anxiety & sensory issues?

[MissionWDW]

Hi!

I feel so bad for your little girl -but hopefully with all you are doing for her, things will be pulling together!!

OTR/L is the correct letters for after a registered, liscened occupational therapist. I am an OT, and I work in the outpatient department of a childrens hospital. we see MANY kids with sensory processing/sensory integration disorders. I would take her to the local outpatient department of a childrens hospital or the local outpatient clinic in your area that your insurance will pay for. She really needs a very thorough evaluation and consistant treatment. I think the other programs suggested are good - Wilbarger Brushing Protocal, but if school wont help with this, I dont know how much impact it would have for you - you really need to do it every 2 hours for it to have a true effect. The listening program is also great - if the clinic near you loans/rents it - it can be pretty costly as well. Interactive Metronome is another great program that helps your brain to reoganize by building "super highways" in the brain making it easier to process sensory information - I have seen awesome results with this. But I really think she needs a good sensory diet for you to follow at home. This is all about giving the body sensory information in large doses throughout the day.

Here is a good explanation of what it feels like to be sensory defensive - imagine that you are in a scarey neighborhood, you are walking down a back alley, its midnight and someone taps you on the shoulder!!!! How do you feel??? How will you react??? It isnt going to be pretty, right? Our nervous system has that "fight, flight, fright" system built in to help us react in these situations. Well, with sensory processing disorders, you can feel like this all the time! That would be why she may yell out in the noisy classroom -it feels like an attack to her! Make sense? Same thing with the sock issues - it could be so irritating to her that it feels like someone is poking her all the time and she cant tune it out.

Until you can get to an OT, try doing some "heavy work" activities throughout the day. There should be some ideas in your out of sync child book. But deep pressure/heavy work are very very calming to the sensory system- think of how people feel after a massage. Swinging/rocking can also be very very calming. If you can try to do some of these types of things before school, hopefully it will help her to become more calm before the day of sensory events occurs. If you have any questions, I'd be happy to help!

Wendy

Wow..thanks for that! You described it SO well! Growing up, I was teased horribly by my sisters because of my "fits." Mostly over my clothing (specifically socks). I would cry/scream/throw. It was an absolutely horrible feeling and it seriously felt like torture. It is SO hard for people to understand this. Everyone just chalked it up that was I a little crazy...or dramatic. I started to believe that I was crazy. Now I have my children and two of them have SPD. For the longest time I just thought they were like me....but as time went on I just KNEW it wasn't normal and something was up. That was when I friend told me about SPD and forwarded me an article. Wow...so eye opening! Anyway..thanks for that explanation.

 

[Lisa0620]

My son won't take pills, so we buy the fish oil in a liquid: Nordic Naturals Children's DHA. He also won't take liquid medicine so we have to hide it, which is tricky since oil separates from everything and floats to the top. My DH came up with the brilliant idea of mixing it with ketchup. Works like a charm. I started with 1/4 tsp because the strawberry flavor is strong enough to come through and when he got used to it I gradually increased to 1 tsp. (He's 8.) Good luck.

 

[clori]

thanks for the explanation! It does seem like dd has that. Up to now I've been telling her things like relax, don't go crazy over small things etc. Actually in the evaluation meeting the ot was talking about letting dd leave the cafeteria if it got too noisy. The teacher said she didn't think it would help dd socially if she was allowed to leave but the ot explained that no matter how hard dd tried the fight/flight/fright would still automatically take over. Fortunately this year dd's class somehow lucked out and got a quiet time in the cafeteria (seems strange since her lunch is at noon) so it hasn't been an issue this year but was last year.

Okay I can understand the noise issue as a sensory issue but how do I respond for now when dd9 is yelling at dd5 for breathing too loud when they are playing together. A new anxiety issue is that dd is petrified of dying from the flu. I keep telling her that she had both the seasonal and the h1n1 vaccine already so she is safe but is there anything else I can do other than repeat myself.

DD has just started wearing socks again recently. We are having much better luck with the thin joe boxer socks from Kmart than the thicker Hanes socks. She still complains but I guess they are easier to pull up to her liking so at least the screaming in the morning has improved a lot.

Right now she is in bed and something fell from the way she cleaned her room and she screamed in panic. Dh is with her. I understand the startle response but it surprises me how scared she gets.

 

[billwendy]

thanks for the explanation! It does seem like dd has that. Up to now I've been telling her things like relax, don't go crazy over small things etc. Actually in the evaluation meeting the ot was talking about letting dd leave the cafeteria if it got too noisy. The teacher said she didn't think it would help dd socially if she was allowed to leave but the ot explained that no matter how hard dd tried the fight/flight/fright would still automatically take over. Fortunately this year dd's class somehow lucked out and got a quiet time in the cafeteria (seems strange since her lunch is at noon) so it hasn't been an issue this year but was last year.

Okay I can understand the noise issue as a sensory issue but how do I respond for now when dd9 is yelling at dd5 for breathing too loud when they are playing together. A new anxiety issue is that dd is petrified of dying from the flu. I keep telling her that she had both the seasonal and the h1n1 vaccine already so she is safe but is there anything else I can do other than repeat myself.

DD has just started wearing socks again recently. We are having much better luck with the thin joe boxer socks from Kmart than the thicker Hanes socks. She still complains but I guess they are easier to pull up to her liking so at least the screaming in the morning has improved a lot.

Right now she is in bed and something fell from the way she cleaned her room and she screamed in panic. Dh is with her. I understand the startle response but it surprises me how scared she gets.

It really sounds like there is some type of anxiety issue as well - Sensory integration disorders do not always stand alone. This is where a traines psychologist/psychiatrist could be very helpful. They could help you know what to do in those situations.

 

[kacaju]

It really sounds like there is some type of anxiety issue as well - Sensory integration disorders do not always stand alone. This is where a traines psychologist/psychiatrist could be very helpful. They could help you know what to do in those situations.

I agree, your dd is beyond just a sensory intergration disorder. My dd16 got to the point where she could not stand to be touched. God forbid if her sister brushed up against her, it would set her off. It is not her fault and it is the OCD and anxiety that sounds like the bigger problem with your dd. I see you said you have therapists in mind to call today. Good luck!! You really need to find someone who can help your dd ((hugs)) I have been there and it is not easy. But you will get through this once your dd has the help she needs.