Is It Sensory Processing Disorder???

They may not want to hear it, you are right.....

There do seem to be some significant developmental delays, I agree.

I would suggest that you suggest to her parents that maybe getting an Early Childhood Intervention Evaluation may be in order..... try to put it in a positive light, that this evaluation will give you all some areas she can work on before she goes to preschool, so that she can benefit from it better.

Most school districts have a "child find" or ECI program to address situations like this.

My grandson has SPD..... and has been in OT, PT, and ST for about 8 months... we've seen a lot of improvement in several areas. He also is very awkward and had balance issues. The PT has been working on core muscle strength to address that.

If you CAN get her to talk to their pediatrician about a real evaluation, that would be best... but sometimes it is hard to convince the parents that this needs to be addressed, and that is why I suggested the ECI... maybe they can really address the point about getting a better evaluation.

I second the suggestion about ECI. I used to be an early intervention specialist. She is NOT too young to be diagnosed. (I diagnosed my son at birth! But the specialist wouldn't see him until he was one.) But it needs to be by a team of professionals.
There is a scrub brushing technique that could do wonders with some of her behavioral issues. An occupational therapist trained in SPD can demonstrate it.
The problem lies with the parents and getting them to act on this.
Good luck and God bless.

Wow ! I am so glad to hear that you are in tune to these concerns and are going to mention this to your brother.

As a Parent Educator/Speaker and teacher, I can tell you that I have worked w/ hundreds of parents over the past 20 yrs. who either have no idea what is going on and some who stay in denial once told!

Intervention needs to be in place ASAP ! I suggest that you talk to your brother. Divine Designer is right. I diagnosed my daughter before she was 3 months old. I, too, have SPD. Have them take her to an OT w/ training in SPD as soon as you can. It's not too early!

SPD is a neurological dysfunction. The brain and central nervous system are out of sync. Take the book "The Out of Sync Child" out of the library and copy the necessary pages for your brother ! Sometimes it overlaps w/ ADD or anxiety, etc. I would start w/ an eval by an OT and get her into OT.

Very important! Do these things at home w/ her as soon as possible:
*Play " jumping/stomping" games w/ her... Sing "3 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed". Then, sing "3 Little Monkeys Stomping on the Bed". Do this every day she is w/ you!
*If she is old enough to chew gum (and will not choke) give it to her. This will help w/ her sensory. It's great to add to a sensory diet.
*Have her squeeze playdough and clay during the day, too !

Well my son is diagnosed with SPD. I guess there are some red flags there but I am not sure. Walking at 15-16 months is perfectly normal and she may just be on a slightly later track on gross motor. My son did not walk until 26 months. Poor coordination can also be linked to SPD, but I fall and trip all the time and dont have it! LOL!
The tantrums could be because she is feeling overwhelmed in the sensory department, but like you said maybe she just does not get disciplined much. My 25 month old daughter is a bit of a screamer, but I am pretty sure she does not have the same problems as my son does who has pretty much NEVER thrown a temper tantrum.
Speech delays are very common with SPD, but sometimes it is just a speech delay on its own.

I would approach your brother and his wife with maybe just "Hey she is a little hard to understand, maybe an evaluation with early intervention would be good, becuase they can hook you up with free speech therapy until 3!" After 3 she can get speech therapy through her pre-school. I dont know your brother and his wife but having you throw out a possible diagnosis may overwhelm them and make them not want to listen to you. Perhaps just approach through the speech angle...

Good luck!

It's difficult to diagnose a child so early with SPD or Non-verbal learning disorders. One reason for this is that these are relatively new realms of 'special needs' and are still, in some therapeutic circles, very controversial. (I say this as a mom who has a child with vision issues; we had him evaluated for Non-verbal communications issues-- nearly all of his diagnosis in this realm was 'unspecified'...it is a relatively new area.)

I would suggest to your sister that it would be good for her to discuss these behaviors with her pediatrician and ask for a referral, either through the early intervention services or perhaps a behavioral therapist, to get an evaluation.

Be prepared for your brother and sister-in-law to feel that "nothing is wrong" with their little girl, to be angry or upset at you for even suggesting this. I'm also a preschool teacher and having to suggest to a parent that their child might not be anything other than typical is a very hard thing to do; admittedly, I'm always a bit apprehensive before making those suggestions. I try to start these conversations with solid specifics "I notice that she is not walking up and down the stairs" or "She seems to do Y at times when the other children are..." and then "I think it would be wise for you to talk to your pediatrician about this." You do want to balance your conversation regarding abilities/deficits, so that your brother and sister-in-law know that you are seeing the finer qualities in your niece as well as her challenges. We also have to be very sensitive to the emotions that come up for the parent... these conversations are really a shock to many parents, who haven't parented other children and don't have a gauge as to what is typical/atypical behavior.

It's so hard to know which of these responses are actual SPD and which might be typical of a very strong-willed, possessive toddler. A professional will be able to help your brother's little girl. I would NOT mention your concern about preschool at this time, however. Emotionally, it's just going to feel incredibly rejecting for them.

Wishing you much strength...

She's NOT too young to be diagnosed. Anyone who tells you that it's too difficult is misinformed. The earlier the better.

My middle daughter, who does have Autism, showed very clear signs of sensory disorder from birth. I could tell from her cries and movements and reactions that there was something different, and it was always related to her six senses: sight, sound, touch, taste, scent, and how the body feels in space/balance.

There are two fantastic books I suggest you try first. They're not expensive at all, esp if you buy them on Amazon in paperback:

"Raising A Sensory Smart Child" and "The Out Of Sync Child."

They're a wealth of information. They do relate Sensory Integration Disorder in many ways to Autism, but they mainly relate it to itself. The discussion relating to ASD and other disorders is that it's often a co-morbid diagnosis with something like ADHD/ADD or Autism or another neurological disorder. Don't let that scare you away... just read the books for the sensory stuff. They're easy reads.

Please try to get the parents to get her an evaluation. Tell them that you will help. You got this pegged right, M. and this child needs your help.

Dawn

It's a little tough, she's only 3, has no siblings... maybe hasnt had parents that stimulated her much so she's just slower developing.

I've seen some pretty slow toddlers in my life time-- my friends and families kids from time to time when I compared them to my boys. But now that they are all grown up they are all doing just fine, none needed special classes or anything... they just needed some time.

This is coming from a parent with special needs kids... So, you can disregard the statement to come & take it as me being sensitive.

These posts about other peoples delayed children are always the same. Everyone assumes that their parents are idiots , that doesn't recognize their child is delayed. Maybe children's parents don't feel the need to give everyone info on their child's medical issues. Posts like this ,make me feel like when I'm around other parents, that I need to announce to everyone, " Yes, I'm well aware my child is delayed. I'm addressing the issue & no, they don't know what's wrong with him. I'm not stupid or in denial"

I hesitate to diagnose, and I don't think any of us can. There are a lot of reasons for these types of responses - Asperger's/autism spectrum, and others, and even some combination of disorders.

However, there are a number of red flags. Any one of these issues, no big deal. But this is a whole laundry list.

My guess is, the pediatrician has noticed this and has said something, and they've ignored the advice. You can try the "hey, you get free services..." as someone else suggested, but be prepared for a barrier. It may be that she needs to enter a formal educational setting (preschool) and have someone else do the observation and make a recommendation for an evaluation. They will certainly know what services are available. If your niece does not manage well in preschool, it will be a bit traumatic in the short run (she'll be unhappy, the other kids will experience disruption, and possibly your child will have even more. You can request that the kids be in different classrooms if there are several for the same age group - you could certainly speak to the staff on your own, and perhaps they will suggest that kids who know each other really well be in separate classrooms (aids in socialization, etc.).

Does the preschool do an intake or evaluation, or just sign people up and herd them in? Any up-front info will help. Usually they have the parents fill out a history, and they'll request info from the pediatrician. If you can't get through, then let the experts handle it objectively.

Some parents choose to live in denial than to acknowledge there may be a problem. Could be because it's easier to ignore it; could be because they simply don't want to acknowledge that their LO is not perfect.

Since she is getting ready to go to preschool, I would have a talk with the teacher and tell her of your concerns. Also, ask the teacher to try to keep your daughter and her cousin separated as much as possible, i.e., don't sit next to each other; be in different groups in group settings, etc.

If the teacher notices any problems, she will talk to the parents. I think it's better coming from the teacher - parents take it better for some reason.

I remember when I tried to get my SS to listen to my concerns about his daughter. Everyone was very angry with me and they couldn't spend enough time telling me how wrong I was. I listened with a smile and never said anything. When she finally went to school and the teachers noticed the problems, well then that was just fine. We'll get her the help she needs. It would have been much better for her had they listened to me when she was 3 and gotten early intervention.

At least your niece is going to preschool so hopefully she will get early intervention.

I have a son with SID. Some of the things you mentioned sound a bit like it and others sounded like typical behavior. IMO it's up to the parents, not you to seek a diagnosis. They may be upset if you bring it up...or they may be receptive to the idea. I'd never heard of SID before a good friend who is also an RN mentioned the disorder to me. She recommended the book "The out of sync child". It was very helpful in explaining the disorder and helping me cope. I saw many doctors and finally my son was diagnosed with both SID and Aspergers. He saw an Occupational Therapist and Physical Therapist. They were able to help him and me and although he still has some sensory issues they are much milder now. Good luck to you. Hopefully he gets the assistance he needs...it is very frustrating for the child as well as the parent.

I would tell my brother and SIL that I can no longer watch this child, as she has needs that I cannot meet and it's not fair to her.

Part of the problem is that you're family, and you're less likely to force the issue. A neutral child care provider (a good one anyway) would insist that she get some added help.

I would not have their situation so entwined with mine, as much as I love this child. It's their responsibility to help her.

You're in a tough spot because they are going to be very hurt, and possibly blame you, if you suggest anything is seriously off with their child. I suspect you're right though.

Children are unique and develop at their own rate. Please do not compare her to your children or label her at such a young age. It seems as though you are overthinking it a little.