Child with Sensory Issues

I feel your pain., my 5 yr old is the exact same way.. did you call your local early intervention program? they will help you out with lots of things.. there's a brushing technique that you can do that helps desensitize a child (it only helped with light rain with my son and it is a huge commitment to do it). My son's speech pathologist is having him taste something for two seconds then spit it out.. it has worked with 2 foods so far.. if he likes it, he'll eat it, if not he'll spit it out .. it's a long tough road.. stay vigilant and know when to back off when they've had enough!!! good luck..

My son was diagnosed with sensory integration disorder when he was 4 (now 9). However, in has case it was sensory seeking. He saw an occupational therapist for awhile and we then integrated techniques into home and school. For example he had a weighted stuffy to put in his lap during circle time.

I realize my son has the opposite of what your daughter has, but I would suggest the earliest you bring in the education services the better. My son has other issues as well and it has made the difference because we began working on it at such a young age.

B.,

Personally, I think this diagnosis is a bit early. Kids at that age can be VERY picky eaters, averse to new textures, etc. It is certainly possible that she has SI, but still, it's early. I think you have gotten some great advice here from the other moms.

One question, something that has interested me for a long time...was your daughter born by c-section or perhaps did you have a long, drawn out labor? I ask this b/c my son is also SI, and he was a BIG c-sec baby. He's now 14, and I have decided to get him Rolfed (structural integration therapy) to deal with the SI and get him IN HIS BODY!!! When he was little, he would get ear infections and would not show any symptoms or complaints until his eardrums were about to burst. He is in his head, but not in his body. He's brilliant, though, and that's a blessing.

Feel free to contact me directly. Best of luck to you!
S.

I have one child who is hyper-sensitive and one who is hypo-sensitive. I knew nothing about early-intervention and wish I had. My 20 year-old can't really feel his body, so gets frostbite/heat exhaustion, etc. easily. It's hard to be grateful with the picky one, but it is not life-threatening, just very irritating to live with. Don't fight with your kid, or let other parents tell you they will get over it and stop catering to the child. Just puree the peas, make a lot of soups and casseroles or whatever the child will eat, very-healthy pancakes, etc. My hypo-kid was the oldest, so we had to make things with strong smells and textures and it took me an embarrassingly long time to realize I had to do the opposite with my second child. Sometimes they will react favorably to a smell, such as cinnamon, and be more likely to eat anything with that in it. Teach your kid to do laundry early, so if they want to wear one shirt every day, they can, as long as they wash it themselves. Don't fight over the things that don't really matter. Your kid won't want to go to the beach with his classmates; if required, do things like long sleeve shirts and ways to avoid the sand. Your common sense and acceptance of your child's idiosyncracies will make your whole family's lives much easier. Join groups that support this issue, get involved with early intervention while your kid's neurons are still forming and you can help the brain process the senses, read material from the special education library in your city or state, and find support groups on the Web. Yes, child rearing will take more time than with another type of child; everything from cooking special foods, shopping for clothes takes longer and more patience, rooms need to be changed for noises/smells/light, etc., and dealing with meltdowns all may take longer. But do it now, while your child is young and it will be easier when your child gets older. I hate to warn you in advance, but expect problems at school and see if early intervention can help prepare your child for preschool and school noises and stimulation.

Hi B. - I am an occupational therapist who specializes in sensory integration disorders... It's great that it got recognized and diagnosed so young. I know it has to be overwhelming for you, but it is treatable and will get better. Definitely be sure that the OT treating her has experience with sensory integration, particularly the oral issues. I would be happy to answer any other questions, help you find someone in your area, recommend books, etc. You can send me a direct message if you want. Hang in there.

Jen

I don't have an answer for you, only because I'm currently having my 7 year old evaluated for sensory issues as we speak.

Have you googled SID to see what comes up? Just a thought - but good luck!

Has the doctor that diagnosed the SID mentioned working with an occupational therapist? Your daughter will need a "sensory diet" to help her overcome her sensory issues.

Good luck!

have you thought about having Early Intervention come in. They have done wonders with my daughter and her sensory issues.

Just a Take a Bite: http://www.amazon.com/Just-Take-Bite-Lori-Ernsperger/dp/1...

Raising a Sensory Smart Child: The Definitive Handbook for Helping Your Child with Sensory Integration Issues

http://www.amazon.com/Raising-Sensory-Smart-Child-Integra...

Those have given me ideas of how to deal with some issues. My daughter Rose will only eat a few basic things. But Early Intervention was great to come in and help with the problems and things to help move forward.

Hi B.,
I certainly understand how you can be feeling overwhelmed. I too have a son who was diagnosed with SID, he's 13 now. I could write to you for hours with all the info I've aquired over the years. It's a tough road that seems to constantly change it's course. Is your daughter speaking yet? Does she have other sensitivities such as with clothing.
To this day my son dips most foods in ketchup and there are certain textures of clothing that he will not tolerate. As he has gotten older he has learned more coping mechanisms to deal with it. Like I said before, it's a very indepth topic that takes a lot of patience. Let me know if you want more advice, I'd be happy to help.
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B.,
I work with Early Intervention and have seen a lot of this. I second the book "Just take a bite" and would also encourage you to look into a new technique called "Food chaining". A good private OT center like OTA in Wakefield or Watertown, or Project CHILLD in Beverly, can help!

Hi B.,
My daughter has these types of issues, but has not been diagnosed - it startee with severe allergies to certain foods, and that is as far as the diagnosis went, - I am sure she has sensory issues. At 5.5, she eats VERY few foods, and I (and she) have endured years of people negatively commenting about her diet either to my face, or in that stupid nasty offhand under the breath type of way. All I can say is I commiserate. I take good faith from the fact that she is growing normally, has shiny hair, etc. She is a healthy girl, but I really hope someday she'll grow out of this, I think that she will. Meanwhile, I heed my DRs advice to just "let it go" and continue to make the very few foods that she will eat. But to all those parents that you will encounter who will scoff and snidely tell you that they would never let their children eat different than the family meal, I gotta say, they just do not understand what we've been dealing with. I got more than one kid, and this one is special. Good luck, and you inspire me to look into this further myself.
Take care,
H.

HI B., There are more and more children with this diagnosis nowadays. First whom ever made the diagnosis I hope referred you to an occupational therapist. As well as early intervention. They can provide Occupational therapy services to help desensitize your duagghter and help her increase food choices, as well as deal w/ any otehr sensory issues that may arise or be of concern. How about tooth brushing? is that an issue? If the person who gave you the Diagnosis has not made these suggestions please call the pedi and ask for an OT referral as well as early intervention it is all covered by health insurance and they will halp relieve much of your stress and anxiety.

My child has never been officially diagnosed, but obvious has sensory issues (primarily touch and hearing). When she was that young, it was a chore to get her to eat certain foods simply because of textures. I will say that now, at 6 years old, the issues around food have pretty much resolved. Her issues are primarily with clothes. She won't wear turtlenecks, things with appliques or even embroidery if she can feel it, and materials that make noise when she walks. We've had to cut tags out of clothes or put t-shirts on her to avoid meltdowns. I have some sensory issues myself and so do my father and my nephew, so I am starting to think it is a genetic thing. I'm sure food issues are very frustrating to you, but what I found is that cutting food up VERY small did help with transitioning her. You also want to cook the food to a point where it is still soft (for example, don't overcook meats because it is tougher to chew). And most foods can be cooked to a point where you can mash them with a fork. I also require my kids to TRY every food at least 10 times (not in a given meal, but separate meals) before I let them decide whether they like it or not (and you learn to ignore the gag reaction). One thing I was adamant about was not being a short-order cook. Both my girls eat what is put in front of them or they go hungry. Sounds barbaric, but I always made sure there was at least one food they would eat and then put the "try" rule in place for the rest.

Your daughter is still quite young and you can help her overcome the food issues over time as long as you don't cater to her. Pick your battles. I won't put my daughter in turtlenecks, but she will eat the food given to her.

I know the feeling about having a picky eater. My son is extremely picky and it's next to impossible to get him to eat and try new things. You aren't alone.
I try to involve my son in whatever I'm doing in the kitchen and touch different types of food. It works sometimes and other times he refuses to have any part in it. He's almost 4 and we are still struggling.
I know I'm not being much help but I just give him what I know he'll eat and keep trying.
If your daughter is involved with Early Intervention they may be able to help and suggest things to try. The doctor might be able to help also.

Hi B.,

Oh the memories your post brings back. My son has sensory issues, including oral ones. I would have done handsprings and cartwheels if he would have eaten a grilled cheese sandwich at 17 months. When he was in pre-school, his OT put him on a sensory brushing routine (he had huge sensory issues... washing his face, brushing his hair was a nightmare!). We used a surgical scrub brush and brushed his back, arms and legs. We also did joint compressions. They did help, although it took years for him to eat somewhat normally. Ask an OT about it. The tough thing is as they get older and may be able to tolerate different textures, they may not eat them out of habit. It's hard to separate the behavior from the sensory issues sometimes. At one point I was cutting of brown parts of meat because he was worried they would be crunchy... nothing like peeling a hot dog! But it does get better. Just leave food around for her to try if she wants. She might try something when she thinks you're not looking. Anyway, don't make a big deal out of it and don't worry too much and try to have a sense of humor about the whole situation. Give her vitamins and as long as she grows and gains weight as appropriate, don't stress out. She's only 17 months and if you get too stressed out now, what are you going to do when she hits her teens?

Good luck,
C.