Sensory Integration Disorder

[Stitch1404]

My nephew was just diagnosed with senory integration disorder. At least I think that is what my sister said it was called, maybe it was sensory input disorder. Anyway, he is 4. I was just wondering if anyone knew anything about it or had experienced it firsthand. Whenever we have big family gatherings and it gets too loud my nephew will go stick his head in the couch and begin screaming "It's too much!" and then my sister has to calm him down. He is also very aggressive as well as being EXTREMELY attached to his mother. My sister told me she thinks it is something like autism, really any insight into this or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[ca mom to 2]

Run, don't walk, and buy both of you a copy of "Sensational Kids" by Lucy Jane Miller. It's new, and it's really a wonderful explanation. The other book that everyone always recommends is "The Out of Sync Child" - I can't remember the author.

My oldest whose five has this, and we've had a devil of a time getting help. Right now she's in a hippotherapy program - physical therapy/stunt riding (just kidding) on horses, and also a program called Big Fun Gymnastics. This has all helped, but we're still looking for more help.

There are little suggestions in both books of things that she can do at home that will make her life a little easier until she can find more help.

I wish her luck in her search!

Cathy

 

[Stitch1404]

Run, don't walk, and buy both of you a copy of "Sensational Kids" by Lucy Jane Miller. It's new, and it's really a wonderful explanation. The other book that everyone always recommends is "The Out of Sync Child" - I can't remember the author.

My oldest whose five has this, and we've had a devil of a time getting help. Right now she's in a hippotherapy program - physical therapy/stunt riding (just kidding) on horses, and also a program called Big Fun Gymnastics. This has all helped, but we're still looking for more help.

There are little suggestions in both books of things that she can do at home that will make her life a little easier until she can find more help.

I wish her luck in her search!

Cathy

So am I getting the name right-sensory integration disorder?

 

[Poohgirl]

My DS(8) who is High functioning Autistic has SID. He is MUCH better now with years of therapy, but I tell you it was the most difficult thing to go through at the time. Going through it is very tough on the whole family. We rarely were able to bring him out of the house before he was 4. If we walked into a supermarket or store the buzzing of the lights, people etc would send him over the edge. He would just cover his ears and scream bloody murder! Couldn't walk bare foot on grass, sand etc. Hated the feel of clothes on his body. The texture of certain foods. Sounds of all kinds.

Part of his therapy included using his hands with many different textures (sand, macaroni, play-doh, feathers, etc. ) so he would get used to the different feelings. Massage, if he likes the harder pressure was very good too. and the best clothes inventions yet, tagless t-shirts and comfort seam socks! Best of luck to her.

ETA: yes the name is sensory integration disorder

 

[HalfDozen]

One of mine has it, too - Sensory Integration Disorder or SID. They treat it, typically, with occupational therapy. It can be a symptom of autism, but it doesn't necessarily mean that a child with SID has autism, if that makes sense?

What I wanted to throw in here is some rides that did or would have really upset my child. We plan one-on-one time during those attractions and get a face painting or special snack.
Animal Kingdom:
Dinosaur
It's Tough To Be A Bug (hysterics - won't go into shows at all now)
(Festival of the Lion King was amazing to our kiddo - nothing too loud there, but the colors and waving streams were captivating. Some rides just weren't "safe" for a child that age, so we skipped things like the safari and really jerky/bumpy rides)

MGM
Muppets Vision 3D (shaking in fear - really horrifying)
Sounds Dangerous (haven't done it, but won't)
Star Tours, Rock N Rollercoaster, Tower of Terror - the obvious ones that aren't 'safe' for a small child.
(Fantasmic was surprisingly not too scary - I think it was far enough away that it didn't get too loud or overwhelming, same with Indiana Jones. The Little Mermaid was overwhelming when Ursula comes out and the whole theater gets cold/misty, swirls, and her face appears everywhere, laughing maniacally. We know it's coming now, so it isn't too scary - but it might be too much for an unsuspecting 4 year old).

Epcot
Obvious unsafe/jerky rides (Body Wars, Mission Space, Soarin, Test Track)
Honey, I shrunk the audience (another that was SO sensory involved that it was horrifying and took time to calm down)
Journey Into Imagination with Figment
O Canada

Magic Kingdom
Buzz Lightyear
Tiki Room
Haunted Mansion
PhilharMagic (awful, awful, awful for our kiddo)
Peter Pan's Flight (too turny, sensation of flying wasn't fun)
Pirates of the Caribbean (I think it was the smells and sights all around)
Stitch's Escape (wouldn't do - won't do)
Snow White (just generally scary)

 

[ca mom to 2]

Depends who you talk to. Sensory integration disorder or sensory processing disorder. Dr. Miller, who wrote the first book, is calling it sensory processing disorder, and feels that it is a seperate condition, and is trying to get it recognized as such.

My understanding is that the older school of thought was that it was more of a symptom of something else. Kids who are autistic or have ADD had sensory problems or sensory integration disorder in addition to something else.

Some of the kids really need sensory input, but kind of on their terms. If my daughter has been to horse therapy or bouncing on her trampoline, we'll have a much better time later in the day, even somewhere noisy like a family gathering.

I'm not a doctor at all, but I think you or your sister can decide if you seen your nephew in the books. My daughter was very weak on top of everything else, and this led us on all sorts of goose chase diagnoses.

Hope that helps!

Cathy

 

[Stitch1404]

Thanks for all the information. I googled "sensory integration disorder" so I think I am starting to understand it a lot better. Just today my nephew was at my house and he and my daughter (6 yrs. old) were making chocolate chip cookies with my sister and I. Everything was going well and then all of a sudden my nephew starting freaking out saying "please don't put anything yucky in them!" meaning the chocolate chips. He will only eat very smooth foods. He won't eat vanilla ice cream if it has any hint of vanilla bean with the little black dots and my sister has pretty much given up getting him to eat hard foods.

Are speech problems generally associated with this disorder? My nephew talks really strange. He doesn't use any contractions and his speech is very broken, he sounds almost robotic. He has a 2 year old brother who talks WAY better than him and I think my DD6 was more advanced in speech than him when she was 4.

I am just glad to hear that this is something that others can relate to. My mother thought that he just needed some discipline and that he was spoiled. I could always tell there was something a little off. He is a great kid but it sounds like my sister has a long road ahead of her, I just hope she has the patience to deal with this!

 

[Snow Brite]

My kids have sensory issues, but they have not been diagnosed with SID. They all have ADD/ADHD. The second youngest is the most extreme. He wears only elastic waist pants, boxer shorts, tagless tee shirts, no socks, etc. He cannot deal with loud sounds or bright lights. One of the moments when I went...something is not right....was during Kindergarten graduation. The whole class was on risers in front of of the parents to sing some cute songs. Ryan was placed in the middle of the group to "help" him sing the song since he had not participated well during practices. He ended up surrounded by kids singing at the top of their lungs and he crouched down with his hands over his ears. I went and rescued him after the second song and I would have gotten there sooner, but I was in the back of the room and didn't get there before they started the second one.

I have been told by his OT that his is kinetic. He doesn't make good eye contact with me because he is constantly looking around the room. He is a klutz, an unbelievable klutz, but that is related.

I have been told another son has an auditory aspect to his sensory issues. He truly does not get verbal instruction very well. He does better with a demonstration or written instructions.

Very interesting stuff. But once you understand it better, you have all these "Ah Ha!" moments.

 

[belle&beast]

Are speech problems generally associated with this disorder? My nephew talks really strange. He doesn't use any contractions and his speech is very broken, he sounds almost robotic. He has a 2 year old brother who talks WAY better than him and I think my DD6 was more advanced in speech than him when she was 4.

I am a preschool speech therapist and very often we find that children with oral sensory defensiveness- not wanting to eat chunky foods or certain types of textures- do have speech delays as well. If your sister has not had his speech and language evaluated I would highly recommend that she do so and soon! If he needs therapy, it will only help the SID to have it ASAP. That being said, there is a wide range of typical speech and language skills and girls tend to develop more quickly than boys in language, but it would be best to have an evaluation to rule out a speech/language delay.

 

[hookedup]

If you did a Google search then you have probably gotten some good info on it.
My nearly 6 yr old ds is an SID kid. Depending on what senses are dsyfunctional then there are different symptoms, issues, and treatments.
My son was not diagnosed until he was 5 and although I knew in my gut that something was not quite "normal" with him, I knew nothing about sensory processing disorders so the past few months have been an incredible emotional rollercoaster as I quest to find answers to help my sweet little boy. I knew about the 5 senses but I had never heard of vestibular or proprioceptive senses. I did not understand how sensory disfunction explained why my son could not walk up stairs or catch and throw a ball. None of it made sense to me.

I wish more than anything I could walk around in my child's shoes for a few hours so I could understand how he experiences the world.

Some of the things that have helped me the most are these books that I highly (and I mean highly) recommend:
The Out of Sync Child by Carol Stock Kranowitz
Raising a Sensory Smart Child by Lindsey Biel
I also recommend the book Quirky Kids by Perri Klass MD.

My son has an "official" diagnosis of "Developmental Coordination Disorder" or Developmental Dsypraxia, once upon a time is was also know as "Clumsy Child Syndrome" his issues are mainly motor based sensory processing but he totally has other issues and like sensory dsyfunctional kids there are a lot of common threads regarding tolerance, sensitivity/defensiveness to noises, variability, social issues, etc. My son also has some poor speech and language issues mainly due to poor motor control and articulation. He constantly walks around on his tip toes. On the other hand he is very, very bright and has tested at nearly a 12 yr old age equiv. on some cognitive tests. He is very loving and has an incredible imagination. He is one quirky little dude.

There is so much that can be done to help kids with these issues - the first step is to understand the condition (which is a lot to understand) and then to narrow down the issues that are specific to the individual and then to work to help them. Early intervention is key and can make a world of difference! Best wishes to you and your family! sorry for such a long post!

 

[HalfDozen]

The robotic speech makes me thing Asperger's - high functioning autism.

Has he been evaluated through the school district yet (it's free there, and they will refer you to a pediatric neuropsych office)

 

[DVCLiz]

If you did a Google search then you have probably gotten some good info on it.
My nearly 6 yr old ds is an SID kid. Depending on what senses are dsyfunctional then there are different symptoms, issues, and treatments.
My son was not diagnosed until he was 5 and although I knew in my gut that something was not quite "normal" with him, I knew nothing about sensory processing disorders so the past few months have been an incredible emotional rollercoaster as I quest to find answers to help my sweet little boy. I knew about the 5 senses but I had never heard of vestibular or proprioceptive senses. I did not understand how sensory disfunction explained why my son could not walk up stairs or catch and throw a ball. None of it made sense to me.

I wish more than anything I could walk around in my child's shoes for a few hours so I could understand how he experiences the world.

Some of the things that have helped me the most are these books that I highly (and I mean highly) recommend:
The Out of Sync Child by Carol Stock Kranowitz
Raising a Sensory Smart Child by Lindsey Biel
I also recommend the book Quirky Kids by Perri Klass MD.

My son has an "official" diagnosis of "Developmental Coordination Disorder" or Developmental Dsypraxia, once upon a time is was also know as "Clumsy Child Syndrome" his issues are mainly motor based sensory processing but he totally has other issues and like sensory dsyfunctional kids there are a lot of common threads regarding tolerance, sensitivity/defensiveness to noises, variability, social issues, etc. My son also has some poor speech and language issues mainly due to poor motor control and articulation. He constantly walks around on his tip toes. On the other hand he is very, very bright and has tested at nearly a 12 yr old age equiv. on some cognitive tests. He is very loving and has an incredible imagination. He is one quirky little dude.

There is so much that can be done to help kids with these issues - the first step is to understand the condition (which is a lot to understand) and then to narrow down the issues that are specific to the individual and then to work to help them. Early intervention is key and can make a world of difference! Best wishes to you and your family! sorry for such a long post!

Hi, hookedup - Is the child you are referring to in this post the same on in the picture, with the Buzz shirt on? He is just the most adorable child ever - I always notice your posts because I am so drawn to that picture!!!! Best wishes to you and him - just wanted you to know that from a perfect stranger, all I can see is the loving heart part!

 

[hookedup]

Hi, hookedup - Is the child you are referring to in this post the same on in the picture, with the Buzz shirt on? He is just the most adorable child ever - I always notice your posts because I am so drawn to that picture!!!! Best wishes to you and him - just wanted you to know that from a perfect stranger, all I can see is the loving heart part!

Yep, that's him. He is my only child and I sure think he is wonderful - quirks and all.
Thanks for the kind words! You made my day.

 

[Stitch1404]

The robotic speech makes me thing Asperger's - high functioning autism.

Has he been evaluated through the school district yet (it's free there, and they will refer you to a pediatric neuropsych office)

OMG I JUST HAD A REVELATION!!!! That has to be it!! I googled Asperger's, that is Caleb--dead on! It is all becoming clear. So many people told my sister her kid was just spoiled, not disciplined, just a bad kid, etc. It feels good to finally have a name for Caleb's behavior. My sister has contacted her school district and testing should be taking place soon. I would bet money that it's Asperger's though. Thanks so much for the info!

 

[brettgirl]

I have a 5.5 DS with PDD-NOS, Anxiety State too. He was diagnosed around 2.5. He had major sensory integration issues as a tot, no verbal skills till very late (talked a few words at 2). I was immediately sent for an evaluation the moment he was not meeting the usual baby goals. He has been in early intervention since he was 18months (home visists of physical, speech and occupational therapy), went to a special needs nursery school that worked on a lot of sensory issues (payed by the state) and is in Title ONe pre-K now. It took at least a year of nursery school before my son stopped screaming when I left-separation anxiety

Like the other children described my son had and has all of those characteristics but he is learning to live with them and practice on those that need help. We deal with the added pervasiveness to spinning objects and obsessive behavior. I remember vividly the day at over two when he first kissed and hugged me and finally then let me hold his hand (all of these things hurt for SID kids).

I am surprised though that Aspergers is already in the cards for your child as I was told it is very hard to diagnos at young ages-my son does not have this diagnosis yet. This is what my Neurodevelopmental Pediatric Doctor told us.

Quirks and all my son is a gem and I would not trade him for anything. What I have learned is to be so thankful for the small things in life and not to judge other people's children until you have stepped in their shoes.

My son has a TSS (theraputic staff support person) with him while he is in title one because there are so many kids and it is too overwhelming, he is a smart kid but can't focus, pay attention, socialize, try new things, stay on task, etc. this person really is a godsend. (Youth Advocacy, MHMR I contacted to get these services-free in our state because my son has a diagnosis and is under the state medical insurance as well as our families).

 

[HalfDozen]

Our neuropsychologist was able to diagnose my daughter at 4 - almost 5.
He said he's been able to diagnose children as young as 2.

I hope she gets some answers soon. It's very difficult when you don't know what you're up against, but once you find out it's a little easier because you can be more proactive.

 

[minkydog]

My kids have sensory issues, but they have not been diagnosed with SID. They all have ADD/ADHD. The second youngest is the most extreme. He wears only elastic waist pants, boxer shorts, tagless tee shirts, no socks, etc. He cannot deal with loud sounds or bright lights. .

My oldest son(who has severe ADD) was exactly like this--very set in his ways, to the untrained eye. The truth is, he was overwhelmed by the amount of information this brain was processing, with no way to control it. He wore sweat pants until he was 13, underwear had to be turned backwards(?),no chunky foods, no clothes that go over his head, lights dimmed. The vacuum cleaner would send him into orbit.He learned to swing or run when things got too unmanageable. He's 19 now and has learned to deal with it, but he needs a lot of 'alone" time to regroup and regather his energy. He's a good kid with good character and a lot of compassion for kids who struggle with disabilities.

Now Christian, my 11yo autistic one had "issues" from day one--we couldn't even raise the shade without him going into a shrill scream.Even the presence of his siblings in the room set him off--you can imagine how thrilled they were Everything was too much. OT helped tremendously. We have done hippotherapy, which was a real breakthrough for him, and now he's in aquatic therapy. He is much calmer after swimming. The water pressure gives him all over input in just the right amount.When he started it 6yrs ago he could not even tell where he was in the water--up equalled down. Now he not only can swim, but his sensory issues have improved.

Read lots and educate yourself so you can help educate your family. It's very frustrating to be the parent of such a child and not have the support of your greater family. They may or may not ever get on board--we still have some family who truly believes that Christian will eventually "snap out of it."

 

[Stitch1404]

There sure is a wealth of information here! My sister's pediatrician told her that diagnoses for Asperger's are difficult at this age. He is 4, but he is going to get tested or evaluated or whatever it's called.

Caleb was deprived of oxygen for an extended period of time during his birth. Does anyone know if this could in any way be the cause of this disorder?

 

[Poohgirl]

There sure is a wealth of information here! My sister's pediatrician told her that diagnoses for Asperger's are difficult at this age. He is 4, but he is going to get tested or evaluated or whatever it's called.

Caleb was deprived of oxygen for an extended period of time during his birth. Does anyone know if this could in any way be the cause of this disorder?

I don't think that link has been made at all. There are so many theories about what causes Autism spectum out there. But for what it's worth my high functioning autistic son, call it Asperger's if you'd like, was oxygen deprived at birth. He was a very quick birth but had the cord wrapped around his neck. Interesting...

 

[rhiannonwales]

My son who is 7 has SID and ADHD.I just wanted to say that there is more than one kind of SID.Many folks here are referring to "hypersensitive" SID, which is where the child is OVERLY sensitve to sound, taste touch, etc.
My son however has the less common "hyposensitve" SID.He is oblivious to many kinds of stimulus, sometimes dangerously so.He sometimes oblivious to his bodily functions which lead to embarrassing accidents.He can get his skin pinched and not realise.He doesnt always recognise hunger, so you have to tell him when to eat.He can wear his shoes on the wrong feet for hours and not know.Combines with his impulsive nature and inabilty to sit still its a tough life.I'm always afraid he will hurt himself and not realise it.

My daughter who is 2 is showing signs of SID but the hypersensitive kind.She cannot stand the feel of water on her skin, and tags, and has a hard time adjusting to seasonal clothing changes... when the weather gets warm and short sleeves/pants come out she is always pulling them to make them the "right" length.
Between o ne and the other it is very hard to make everyone happy!
Sherrie