Sensory Processing Difficulties Post Reply

[Coffeandcake]

Hi - my daughter is hypermobile and an OT has recently assessed her as having sensory processing difficulties. Spoken to the OT and have dipped in to the internet (a bit scary) but am not sure what I am dealing with. She is a bright, happy girl but some of the observations / behaviours I have been reading about do ring bells. Anyone got any experiences they can share ? Struggling to understand what we are dealing with here. School now involved and think I might go to the surgery to speak to a dr just to try and understand more. Any thoughts / feedback would be very much appreciated.

[anootka]

Hello,
My little one has ASD and there are sensory issues with that, definitely get as much info as possible and start intervention early.
Good luck

[Home Grown]

Myself and my children have hyper mobility it's worth reading up about it and can vary hugely in symptoms and signs per individual. My son and myself use support arches as we have fallen arches. Physiotherapy works wonders and swimming, basically you want to strengthen their core so they can keep all things together more easily. Basically all it is, is that your joint extend further than most people also knows as being double jointed. This can cause fatigue (which I and my son get) as your body is working twice as hard as others just to stand up straight. We are also in pain more than most. So if the muscles keeping it all together is strong you have a better chance at having less symptoms. Some people get more severe symptoms like dislocations frequently and some are even confided to wheel chairs. It's worth looking at the Hypermobility syndrome society and you can join if you like and get support. They will know which doctors specialise in it. Good luck

[MumSW19]

Dear Balham Mum,

My daughter has Sensory Processing Disorder something that took us 11 months to find out and 9 different specialists (not to mention the ordeal through the NHS, private doctors, lack of info plus all her "strange" reactions)

I do understand how you feel and the frustrations of not knowing what you have on your hands and how to cope with it.

I can recommend you a fantastic book called "The out of Sync Child" by Carol Stock Kranowitz
This book will explain you the different types of sensory processors we all are and how the ones who experience it differently can cope or how we can help them to cope.
My husband and I we both bought a copy as you will find yourselves seeing things that others don't. We have the book with notes and we have ticked different boxes through the quiz.
The most important is that this book has made us VERY tolerant with the condition and it has given us the grounds and information to explain others how to deal with it (school, playgroups, friends, family...)

I think this condition is fascinating yet very challenging for the child and the family.

Please do not hesitate to email me directly if you want to exchange info or just to ask anything.

Warm regards

[Edge of Valley]

My DD (4 years old) has been diagnosed with possible SPD (Queen Mary's) for over stimulated auditory and visual sensitivity. OT did not recommend for further therapy but she gave me a fact sheet to read and home therapy intervention. It was sent with the summary notes of the OT appointment, with the recommendations and further reading list.

I am not an expert but my understanding is that the way my dd sees and hears the world is a little different from us, in a sense that her ability to filter the noise and focus is overloaded easily than others. I think it will help if you know which sense(s) she is most affected, and whether it is over or under stimulated. Then start to look on internet to see what can help her overcome it, thus various therapy methods.

Personally, I think the interventions are working in a quite interesting way. We started various home therapy like sucking yoghurt through a straw, or deep pressure massage has been helping my dd quite a bit. My interpretation is that by stimulating other senses like tactile, or strengthening muscular resistance, in a way balances out the other senses that are over stimulated. (My understanding could be totally wrong).

[MumSW19]

Dear Edge of Valley,

I remember those fact sheets attached to the OT report and the feeling that you get of "lets try it all and see what works"
After more than a hear of "trial and error" we are still learning about our daughter's condition (she has low threshold sensitivity for hearing, sight and smell plus barely receives info via skin, taste or vestibular)
I have been requesting OT reviews to keep them up to date in how we are doing and exploring new techniques plus now we are in a waiting list for 1-2-1 sessions for my daughter, for her to learn and have fun doing the therapies (she is 5 by the way and we found out about the SPD when she was 3 and 3/4)
The school implements now some of the OT recommendations such a "retreat" corner where she can go and scape from the overload day, or putty or a heavy sand toy that helps her to "ground" in assembly time.

Don't be afraid of asking for reviews and support from the OT as this is a long run race

Good luck to all of us!

Warm regards