Sensory overload at Disney - can it improve with age?

[RogueX]

That must have made for some memorable photos!

Indeed it did! She's 16 now and every trip to Disney since then I've asked if she's going to make the grumpy cat face again.

 

[DLgal]

I’m glad your family had success with the parks over time! I was super bummed after returning from our trip but after hearing some success stories, I find myself feeling positive about setting “small goals” for Disney. While we’re awaiting evaluation I have all these worries flooding my head… is this a sensory processing issue only or another neurodevelopmental difference (so many of the symptoms overlap… ADHD, ASD, NVLD, etc.)? Will my son reach his full potential in life? Make friends? Get bullied? Be happy? Being in the early stages is nerve wracking. It makes me feel better to think about smaller, hopefully achievable goals for Disney that make me truly happy to envision. My son choosing a treat at MK that he actually enjoys (I always pictured myself wagging a finger and saying “no” to ice cream and cookies as a parent, little did I know I’d one day be thrilled if my son would get excited about any new food that wasn’t the exact flavor and brand he’d learned to accept.) Having fun on a ride… even if it’s literally just one. Maybe just people watching or choosing a toy at a store. I’m starting to feel hopeful that those would be doable after some OT and it’s really a positive focal point. Also love the idea of Wilderness Lodge… my in-laws always do the conference rates which limits them pretty much to GF and Contemporary, so I hadn’t thought much about other resorts. A quiet cabin sounds awesome!

One. Day. At. A. Time.

Your son will be okay. You will figure out what he needs to be happy, successful, and comfortable in the world.

 

[UnderneathAMagicMoon]

One. Day. At. A. Time.

Your son will be okay. You will figure out what he needs to be happy, successful, and comfortable in the world.

Thank you! The uncertainty is killing me right now but I know it’s good to just breathe and have faith that I can navigate this successfully. I read so many stories about parents who felt similarly overwhelmed and then are in a different place 5, 10, 15 years down the road.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Thank you! The uncertainty is killing me right now but I know it’s good to just breathe and have faith that I can navigate this successfully. I read so many stories about parents who felt similarly overwhelmed and then are in a different place 5, 10, 15 years down the road.

you will do this. he is your first and you are learning as well as him as much as you love the parks you have to learn how to help him even enjoy even if it is not what you want but you will both learn from this

 

[UnderneathAMagicMoon]

you will do this. he is your first and you are learning as well as him as much as you love the parks you have to learn how to help him even enjoy even if it is not what you want but you will both learn from this

Thanks! I am hopeful that with some OT we’ll start to get a better idea of how to help him.

 

[Jmljasmine]

Thank you so much, I really appreciate it! I think having a first Disney trip - which is an emotionally loaded milestone for me - combined with a milestone birthday (3 marks the entry into “preschool age”) - just exacerbated so many worries about my son’s future and development. My in-laws were super generous and kind in paying for this trip for their grandkids and I think that pressure was a factor too - we wanted to show up at the parks, at the character meals, and so on with the rest of the family because we didn’t want to disappoint them when they’d been so sweet in inviting us, but it just caused more meltdowns.

Now that I have some distance from the trip I’m able to remember some of the good moments a little bit - riding the steamboat several times was actually a nice experience and a nostalgic throwback to the 1980s Disney I remember from my childhood. My son actually liked staying in a hotel, which is in and of itself a huge step. He still plays “monorail” with his toys. So there was some good stuff. I’m glad to hear that your daughter warmed to the parks over time! I’m feeling more hopeful that with some appropriate therapies and new strategies we might get there too.

Don't let turning 3 change anything. Our society has gotten so pushy with making kids grow up fast and for some it works (like my current 5 year old) and for some it doesn't (like my current almost 4 year old who is most definitely not preschool ready). Plenty of countries don't do the 3 year old preschool learning thing and even wait to 7 to start reading. In the end, the kids learn what they need to. What I've learned having 4 kids so far is every kid is 100% different from any other kid (yep, they break the math rules). Enjoy your kid the best you can, try to be patient (yep-I'm majorly still working on that) and follow your kids unique progress. You'll probably find several tips given help out, several don't, and you'll create some of your own to share later down the road.

 

[ttintagel]

I was going to write a comment all about how my problems with sensory overload almost completely went away with age, but then I was given a painful reminder yesterday that I can’t go to a grocery store between Thanksgiving and Christmas because the Salvation Army bells are just too loud. My skull still feels like it’s vibrating.

 

[UnderneathAMagicMoon]

Don't let turning 3 change anything. Our society has gotten so pushy with making kids grow up fast and for some it works (like my current 5 year old) and for some it doesn't (like my current almost 4 year old who is most definitely not preschool ready). Plenty of countries don't do the 3 year old preschool learning thing and even wait to 7 to start reading. In the end, the kids learn what they need to. What I've learned having 4 kids so far is every kid is 100% different from any other kid (yep, they break the math rules). Enjoy your kid the best you can, try to be patient (yep-I'm majorly still working on that) and follow your kids unique progress. You'll probably find several tips given help out, several don't, and you'll create some of your own to share later down the road.

Thank you! I think the reason I was focused on age is because in the first couple of years so many things are age dependent. Colic can be super difficult to deal with but babies outgrow it. Teething is a misery but they get past it. Babies are so frustrated when they want to walk but can’t, but then one day they get it and soon they’re running all over the place. That kind of thing. Early on it’s usually just a waiting game until the current phase passes. So I think when I was at Disney it really hit me hard that the sensory stuff (and a few other things I’m worried about) aren’t just a short phase that will soon disappear into the ether. I think he will need a little more help in certain areas. But, like you said, that’s part of being a parent - ultimately each child develops on their own timeline in their own way, and parents learn to support that.

 

[UnderneathAMagicMoon]

I was going to write a comment all about how my problems with sensory overload almost completely went away with age, but then I was given a painful reminder yesterday that I can’t go to a grocery store between Thanksgiving and Christmas because the Salvation Army bells are just too loud. My skull still feels like it’s vibrating.

Well, glad to hear things are generally much easier from a sensory standpoint now! It’s funny because now that you mention it, I haven’t seen any bell ringing Santas in my area! They all left during Covid and haven’t returned this year. I do remember those bells being jarring though!

 

[Madteaparty001]

Okay, so DD's first trip was about that age and it...did not go well. In fact I was so upset about how poorly it was going after all my planning and the money we spent that I broke down on a curb in Epcot and started crying. So I get it, trust me I get it. I had booked tons of fun restaurants and character meals only to have her barely nibble anything and hide under the table when they came around. We ended up doing an emergency Uber to Target so I could make her PB sandwiches and get her favorite snacks, goldfish and fresh fruit. That's what she ate the majority of the week. She loved the rides but had a really hard time transitioning from one to the other, after the third round on the carousel we tried to get her to move on to another ride and she threw a huge fit which ended up with time out in the middle of Fantasy Land. Basically we had some good moments but they were vastly overshadowed by the bad and I was pretty devastated.

The next trip, at 5, was better. I limited the amount of sit downs, we took breaks, I made sure to have a grocery order waiting at the hotel, and instead of the little travel stroller I brought the biggest one Disney would allow with the biggest pull down shade I could find. That stroller gave her a bubble to hide from the sun, the people, the noise, and the overwhelming smells. I utilized fast pass to make sure line wait time was limited and I let her help dictate the schedule. Having a sense of control helps a lot, yes we can only ride the carousel 3 times in a row but you get to choose the next ride as long as it's a different one.

There was another trip not to long after that where we followed the same formula and it also went mildly well, still hiccups but we managed. Then the pandemic hit and we finally got an ASD diagnosis (along with EoE, ARFID, Dysphagia, and just recently JIA). Her behavior finally made sense, she's considered 2E (twice exceptional) because of her high intelligence which was helping her mask for years. We were finally given resources to help with the sensory management we had cobbled together ourselves. Having a good OT is going to be the cornerstone of your child's care. Ours helped with desensitization, coping skills, and communicating feelings, needs, and thoughts. The most important, I feel, is that she introduced us to music therapy for mood regulation. DD's safe space is curled up in some place soft, warm, dimly lit, and wearing a pair of headphones playing her favorite playlist.

I tell you all of this because I want you to see what progress looks like over the years. It's going to take a lot of patience and testing out what works and doesn't work, then fiddling with the limits as they get older.

DD is 10 now, we took a recent trip in the spring that was 2 weeks at WDW. It was fantastic, the best trip we ever had. We got a DAS pass, a disability stroller (basically a regular stroller that can handle a larger/older kid), a tag for the stroller to act as a wheelchair so we could take it through lines, did late morning starts with midday breaks, and we managed through mostly QS/grocery order for her meals. She had headphones, access to books, games, music, and youtube videos for when she needed to 'check out' and kind of block out the world. There were times where we would take a break at a restaurant and we would pull up her stroller to the table, she would pull down the shade, curl up and just watch a video.

Having a vacation at Disney with sensory issues is possible, but there's a lot of work that goes into making it pleasant for everyone involved.

 

[UnderneathAMagicMoon]

Okay, so DD's first trip was about that age and it...did not go well. In fact I was so upset about how poorly it was going after all my planning and the money we spent that I broke down on a curb in Epcot and started crying. So I get it, trust me I get it. I had booked tons of fun restaurants and character meals only to have her barely nibble anything and hide under the table when they came around. We ended up doing an emergency Uber to Target so I could make her PB sandwiches and get her favorite snacks, goldfish and fresh fruit. That's what she ate the majority of the week. She loved the rides but had a really hard time transitioning from one to the other, after the third round on the carousel we tried to get her to move on to another ride and she threw a huge fit which ended up with time out in the middle of Fantasy Land. Basically we had some good moments but they were vastly overshadowed by the bad and I was pretty devastated.

The next trip, at 5, was better. I limited the amount of sit downs, we took breaks, I made sure to have a grocery order waiting at the hotel, and instead of the little travel stroller I brought the biggest one Disney would allow with the biggest pull down shade I could find. That stroller gave her a bubble to hide from the sun, the people, the noise, and the overwhelming smells. I utilized fast pass to make sure line wait time was limited and I let her help dictate the schedule. Having a sense of control helps a lot, yes we can only ride the carousel 3 times in a row but you get to choose the next ride as long as it's a different one.

There was another trip not to long after that where we followed the same formula and it also went mildly well, still hiccups but we managed. Then the pandemic hit and we finally got an ASD diagnosis (along with EoE, ARFID, Dysphagia, and just recently JIA). Her behavior finally made sense, she's considered 2E (twice exceptional) because of her high intelligence which was helping her mask for years. We were finally given resources to help with the sensory management we had cobbled together ourselves. Having a good OT is going to be the cornerstone of your child's care. Ours helped with desensitization, coping skills, and communicating feelings, needs, and thoughts. The most important, I feel, is that she introduced us to music therapy for mood regulation. DD's safe space is curled up in some place soft, warm, dimly lit, and wearing a pair of headphones playing her favorite playlist.

I tell you all of this because I want you to see what progress looks like over the years. It's going to take a lot of patience and testing out what works and doesn't work, then fiddling with the limits as they get older.

DD is 10 now, we took a recent trip in the spring that was 2 weeks at WDW. It was fantastic, the best trip we ever had. We got a DAS pass, a disability stroller (basically a regular stroller that can handle a larger/older kid), a tag for the stroller to act as a wheelchair so we could take it through lines, did late morning starts with midday breaks, and we managed through mostly QS/grocery order for her meals. She had headphones, access to books, games, music, and youtube videos for when she needed to 'check out' and kind of block out the world. There were times where we would take a break at a restaurant and we would pull up her stroller to the table, she would pull down the shade, curl up and just watch a video.

Having a vacation at Disney with sensory issues is possible, but there's a lot of work that goes into making it pleasant for everyone involved.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I’m really happy to hear that you’ve experienced increasing success as your child has gotten older.

On the “twice exceptional” - interested to hear that you got a diagnosis later down the road. I had kind of a frustrating experience with my pediatrician when I tried to explain some of my son’s difficulties. Because he’s so young but uses these long 10-15 word sentences and has an amazing vocabulary, she heard him speak for like 30 seconds, was super impressed, and waved away any concerns because he comes off as so precocious. It’s really frustrating how in 2022 many pediatricians don’t seem to know about more subtle neurodevelopmental issues. He can label things like nobody’s business, sure, but that doesn’t mean he has age appropriate language comprehension, or that he doesn’t have sensory struggles, anxieties, difficulties with self regulation… I feel like his vocabulary kinda “dazzles” people into thinking he must be advanced so there’s nothing to address. We didn’t even get an OT referral so for the time being I’m working with him myself at home. Thankfully I did happen to read about how many kids who fall under the “ASD / ADHD / sensory” umbrella are vitamin D deficient so I started him on just simple vitamin D, and that made a pretty noticeable difference pretty fast. His daycare commented on the difference in his ability to focus and engage within a week, which was awesome. We still have a lot to work on but seeing him have a little jump in development with the vitamin D definitely helped to make me feel better and more optimistic about the future - like “Ok, I did research, I tried something, and it actually worked! I can do this, I can figure out good strategies to help my child.”

Again, I’m glad to hear your family started to have great trips with time! Hoping that with some more work and some more time, we’ll get to some awesome trip experiences as well!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I’m really happy to hear that you’ve experienced increasing success as your child has gotten older.

On the “twice exceptional” - interested to hear that you got a diagnosis later down the road. I had kind of a frustrating experience with my pediatrician when I tried to explain some of my son’s difficulties. Because he’s so young but uses these long 10-15 word sentences and has an amazing vocabulary, she heard him speak for like 30 seconds, was super impressed, and waved away any concerns because he comes off as so precocious. It’s really frustrating how in 2022 many pediatricians don’t seem to know about more subtle neurodevelopmental issues. He can label things like nobody’s business, sure, but that doesn’t mean he has age appropriate language comprehension, or that he doesn’t have sensory struggles, anxieties, difficulties with self regulation… I feel like his vocabulary kinda “dazzles” people into thinking he must be advanced so there’s nothing to address. We didn’t even get an OT referral so for the time being I’m working with him myself at home. Thankfully I did happen to read about how many kids who fall under the “ASD / ADHD / sensory” umbrella are vitamin D deficient so I started him on just simple vitamin D, and that made a pretty noticeable difference pretty fast. His daycare commented on the difference in his ability to focus and engage within a week, which was awesome. We still have a lot to work on but seeing him have a little jump in development with the vitamin D definitely helped to make me feel better and more optimistic about the future - like “Ok, I did research, I tried something, and it actually worked! I can do this, I can figure out good strategies to help my child.”

Again, I’m glad to hear your family started to have great trips with time! Hoping that with some more work and some more time, we’ll get to some awesome trip experiences as well!

add to your research what age your state starts special ed. maybe your daycare would know. granted a different special ed group that is where I found more help than pediatrician. they seemed to check more different things not just speech

 

[Madteaparty001]

Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I’m really happy to hear that you’ve experienced increasing success as your child has gotten older.

On the “twice exceptional” - interested to hear that you got a diagnosis later down the road. I had kind of a frustrating experience with my pediatrician when I tried to explain some of my son’s difficulties. Because he’s so young but uses these long 10-15 word sentences and has an amazing vocabulary, she heard him speak for like 30 seconds, was super impressed, and waved away any concerns because he comes off as so precocious. It’s really frustrating how in 2022 many pediatricians don’t seem to know about more subtle neurodevelopmental issues. He can label things like nobody’s business, sure, but that doesn’t mean he has age appropriate language comprehension, or that he doesn’t have sensory struggles, anxieties, difficulties with self regulation… I feel like his vocabulary kinda “dazzles” people into thinking he must be advanced so there’s nothing to address. We didn’t even get an OT referral so for the time being I’m working with him myself at home. Thankfully I did happen to read about how many kids who fall under the “ASD / ADHD / sensory” umbrella are vitamin D deficient so I started him on just simple vitamin D, and that made a pretty noticeable difference pretty fast. His daycare commented on the difference in his ability to focus and engage within a week, which was awesome. We still have a lot to work on but seeing him have a little jump in development with the vitamin D definitely helped to make me feel better and more optimistic about the future - like “Ok, I did research, I tried something, and it actually worked! I can do this, I can figure out good strategies to help my child.”

Again, I’m glad to hear your family started to have great trips with time! Hoping that with some more work and some more time, we’ll get to some awesome trip experiences as well!

A lot of high intelligent kids have similar traits to those on the spectrum. When DD did her psych evaluation (several hours of testing) they advised her IQ was 134, she has amazing deductive reasoning skills but really struggles with 'thinking outside the box'. Her testing had always been average and she is an only child, so while I thought her relatively intelligent I didn't have much to compare to and her school results always pointed to average. They said this was a result of her masking or 'being able to talk the talk but not walk the walk' if that makes sense. Basically her high intelligence was helping her cope with her ASD thus making her appear middle of the road, as she got older and had to deal with more intense emotional regulation with her peers the ASD indicators became more pronounced. No one questions a meltdown in kindergarten but one in second grade is surprising. Once she started therapy and they adjusted how they approached her school work she started testing in the 99th and 98th percentile on state tests.

Because ASD and high intelligence have such an overlap we were referred out to someone who specializes in ASD testing to confirm the diagnosis of the psychologist. It was confirmed that while she was several years ahead of her peers intellectually, she was several years behind emotionally and really struggled with communication, which is the main indicator of ASD. There is a long waiting list for testing and they require referrals to cut down on those wait times. It was a long road to getting a referral because a lot of pediatricians see most cases 'grow out' of symptoms (though whether it's really growing out of or learning to mask is an argument for another day). DD's school has an on staff PT for the district and noticed her having gait problems in kindergarten, she suggested seeing a Neurologist. Our pediatrician waived us off saying she'll out grow it. Come 1st grade it was worse and the PT really pushed for us to get her seen, we requested she write a letter we could present to her doctor. The letter and us insisting basically backed her into a corner and she relented on the referral. The specialist was great and did not hesitate to order tests to figure out her gait issue and give us a referral to a psychologist as well.

Basically, don't give up on getting the testing your child needs and find someone who can be in your corner medical wise. I owe DD's PT a lot and I am grateful everyday that she fought for DD. If the daycare agrees with your concerns perhaps you can request a letter for your pediatrician?

Some resources the psychologist gave me:
Purdue Youth programs
John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth
Child Mind Institute

 

[UnderneathAMagicMoon]

add to your research what age your state starts special ed. maybe your daycare would know. granted a different special ed group that is where I found more help than pediatrician. they seemed to check more different things not just speech

That is definitely something I might look at in the future. I know people at our local “Child Find” office and I’m hearing they are overwhelmed with evaluations right now… it seems like more and more kids are needing services since Covid. I doubt my son would qualify for sensory / behavior issues only as a pre-k student but once he’s in kindergarten I think it might be a possibility. Once they reach school age, teachers are more likely to push for services as they can see the impact of attentional difficulties on classroom work.

 

[UnderneathAMagicMoon]

A lot of high intelligent kids have similar traits to those on the spectrum. When DD did her psych evaluation (several hours of testing) they advised her IQ was 134, she has amazing deductive reasoning skills but really struggles with 'thinking outside the box'. Her testing had always been average and she is an only child, so while I thought her relatively intelligent I didn't have much to compare to and her school results always pointed to average. They said this was a result of her masking or 'being able to talk the talk but not walk the walk' if that makes sense. Basically her high intelligence was helping her cope with her ASD thus making her appear middle of the road, as she got older and had to deal with more intense emotional regulation with her peers the ASD indicators became more pronounced. No one questions a meltdown in kindergarten but one in second grade is surprising. Once she started therapy and they adjusted how they approached her school work she started testing in the 99th and 98th percentile on state tests.

Because ASD and high intelligence have such an overlap we were referred out to someone who specializes in ASD testing to confirm the diagnosis of the psychologist. It was confirmed that while she was several years ahead of her peers intellectually, she was several years behind emotionally and really struggled with communication, which is the main indicator of ASD. There is a long waiting list for testing and they require referrals to cut down on those wait times. It was a long road to getting a referral because a lot of pediatricians see most cases 'grow out' of symptoms (though whether it's really growing out of or learning to mask is an argument for another day). DD's school has an on staff PT for the district and noticed her having gait problems in kindergarten, she suggested seeing a Neurologist. Our pediatrician waived us off saying she'll out grow it. Come 1st grade it was worse and the PT really pushed for us to get her seen, we requested she write a letter we could present to her doctor. The letter and us insisting basically backed her into a corner and she relented on the referral. The specialist was great and did not hesitate to order tests to figure out her gait issue and give us a referral to a psychologist as well.

Basically, don't give up on getting the testing your child needs and find someone who can be in your corner medical wise. I owe DD's PT a lot and I am grateful everyday that she fought for DD. If the daycare agrees with your concerns perhaps you can request a letter for your pediatrician?

Some resources the psychologist gave me:
Purdue Youth programs
John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth
Child Mind Institute

Thank you! I’m glad it’s not just me that’s run into this with pediatricians… sometimes I worry that I’m just imagining a problem where there isn’t one, so not getting some affirmation from the doctor made me second guess myself. That said, I work with children and I know that I’ve seen kids with more significant difficulties than my son be passed along as totally fine at every pediatric appointment, only getting a diagnosis once they are school aged and a school psychologist and speech pathologist do a formal evaluation (and it’s not like these kids have super subtle difficulties either, some have fairly significant delays… I think pediatric visits are so in and out these days that a lot can get missed.) Thank you for the resources!

 

[toodycat]

I’m glad your family had success with the parks over time! I was super bummed after returning from our trip but after hearing some success stories, I find myself feeling positive about setting “small goals” for Disney. While we’re awaiting evaluation I have all these worries flooding my head… is this a sensory processing issue only or another neurodevelopmental difference (so many of the symptoms overlap… ADHD, ASD, NVLD, etc.)? Will my son reach his full potential in life? Make friends? Get bullied? Be happy? Being in the early stages is nerve wracking. It makes me feel better to think about smaller, hopefully achievable goals for Disney that make me truly happy to envision. My son choosing a treat at MK that he actually enjoys (I always pictured myself wagging a finger and saying “no” to ice cream and cookies as a parent, little did I know I’d one day be thrilled if my son would get excited about any new food that wasn’t the exact flavor and brand he’d learned to accept.) Having fun on a ride… even if it’s literally just one. Maybe just people watching or choosing a toy at a store. I’m starting to feel hopeful that those would be doable after some OT and it’s really a positive focal point. Also love the idea of Wilderness Lodge… my in-laws always do the conference rates which limits them pretty much to GF and Contemporary, so I hadn’t thought much about other resorts. A quiet cabin sounds awesome!

To quote Tom Petty, the waiting is the hardest part. The weeks before an initial eval are the worst because you’re imagining the worst. I had googled disorders that only 20 people have had since 1950 and was certain my son had them. In fact, he had ASD with sensory and language processing issues. His first trip to WDW was challenging and we learned how to do everything to accommodate him—-breaks for naps, breaks for pools, no scary dinosaur attractions, nothing too loud without earplugs. But we did return and he always had a great time on his own terms (Only three or four rides before naptime? OK. Not feeling character interactions. Fine) and often showed some language improvement after a trip. One of my proudest moments was when he went to Minnie and then introduced me, “Mom, This is Minnie. She’s going to love you.” Now, he’s a grown man and a college graduate. Disney history is one of his major interests. He’s trained himself to try more daring attractions and to handle loud noises with earplugs because he likes heavy metal. Try to take it one day at a time and not worry about his whole future. Believe me, I understand and I wish you all the best.

 

[UnderneathAMagicMoon]

To quote Tom Petty, the waiting is the hardest part. The weeks before an initial eval are the worst because you’re imagining the worst. I had googled disorders that only 20 people have had since 1950 and was certain my son had them. In fact, he had ASD with sensory and language processing issues. His first trip to WDW was challenging and we learned how to do everything to accommodate him—-breaks for naps, breaks for pools, no scary dinosaur attractions, nothing too loud without earplugs. But we did return and he always had a great time on his own terms (Only three or four rides before naptime? OK. Not feeling character interactions. Fine) and often showed some language improvement after a trip. One of my proudest moments was when he went to Minnie and then introduced me, “Mom, This is Minnie. She’s going to love you.” Now, he’s a grown man and a college graduate. Disney history is one of his major interests. He’s trained himself to try more daring attractions and to handle loud noises with earplugs because he likes heavy metal. Try to take it one day at a time and not worry about his whole future. Believe me, I understand and I wish you all the best.

Thank you! I’m so happy to hear how everything went for your son! I love that he knew you and Minnie would get along swimmingly, ha ha, that’s so cute. I’ve heard a few people mention earplugs / headphones and thus far I was bummed because my son has had tactile issues that mean he wouldn’t wear anything like that. Recently, however, he’s been more open to trying the big over-ear noise canceling headphones… he doesn’t like the way they feel but I think he’s starting to understand that ultimately they can help him. We tried a Polar Express style event recently and I was a little heartbroken again because he loves trains and was so excited to go, but then when we arrived it was back to melting down, wanting to leave, coat hood pulled up and hands plastered over his ears because it was noisy and he was worried about the train whistle and so on. But on the bright side, he’s kind of getting to a place language-wise where I can explain how headphones might help and he’s starting to get it a little bit. I can talk to him a little more about what might help. So I’m hoping that once we can get rolling with a few strategies like that his confidence will grow and we’ll have some successes to build on!

 

[Betty Rohrer]

That is definitely something I might look at in the future. I know people at our local “Child Find” office and I’m hearing they are overwhelmed with evaluations right now… it seems like more and more kids are needing services since Covid. I doubt my son would qualify for sensory / behavior issues only as a pre-k student but once he’s in kindergarten I think it might be a possibility. Once they reach school age, teachers are more likely to push for services as they can see the impact of attentional difficulties on classroom work.

in our area of Pa there is a lot of help for PreK

 

[toodycat]

That is definitely something I might look at in the future. I know people at our local “Child Find” office and I’m hearing they are overwhelmed with evaluations right now… it seems like more and more kids are needing services since Covid. I doubt my son would qualify for sensory / behavior issues only as a pre-k student but once he’s in kindergarten I think it might be a possibility. Once they reach school age, teachers are more likely to push for services as they can see the impact of attentional difficulties on classroom work.

The earlier the diagnosis, the better. If you can take him to a developmental pediatrician for a full evaluation, the doctor may be able to write it up in a way that demands treatment for the sensory/behavior issues now. Don’t be surprised if they recommend speech therapy which can be used for a myriad of things. My son got speech and OT services in pre-school through our school district but added more sessions with our health insurance. If you try to get services and they are denied, appeal. That goes for both the school and the insurance. The institutions designed to help us will often provide what they think the least they can get away with is.

 

[disneyseniors]

I recently visited Disney with my in-laws and some cousins for my son's 3rd birthday. At this point I suspect he has some sensory processing issues, although we won't be able to see his pediatrician for another couple of weeks. He completely melted down at the parks, within a few minutes of being there. I was prepared for short days, limited rides, nap times, etc., but I didn't anticipate him just screaming his head off within about 15 minutes of being in the parks. The rides terrified him, the crowds made him agitated, and he didn’t seem to “get” the idea of meeting characters, like why that would be a fun thing. He would beg to go back to the hotel room and the pool and didn't seem to enjoy the parks at all. Even worse, the level of overstimulation seemed to actually make his sensory issues worse - it can be hard to get him to eat at home, for example, I assume because he's not in tune with his hunger cues, but at the parks it was as if he was on a hunger strike. He absolutely would not touch food there. Usually I can comfort him with a hug but at MK, he would scream if anyone touched him. I feel like I plunged him into total dysregulation. The only thing that appealed to him at all were the various forms of park transportation (monorail, buses, Skyliner, steamboat) because he does love vehicles.

So my question is this - it's been almost a lifelong dream for me to visit Disney with my child and enjoy the parks together. Disney World is such a special thing to me and I really hope it's something we can share in the future. If we can't, then we can't, his needs come first, obviously - but I'm wondering if anyone's child has been in a similar place and then grown out of it? If you experienced sensory meltdowns at the parks, did it get better, worse, or stay the same over time?

I have a close friend whose daughter has problems with sensory issues. She asked me if I thought WDW would be okay for her sensory-wise. I just told her about the constant stimulation by noise, people, sights, etc. I said it was a sensory overload for us sometimes as adults. We had to go to the resort and get some down time. Her daughter can't stand someone talking to her and doesn't want to be noticed or bothered.
She can't take loud noises or crowds. So, sadly, her Mom decided that she definitely could not go to a place like disney with her. It is different for everyone of course, but in this case I think the decision was correct. She would have been miserable and so would her Mom.