Just a Phase? - Cardington,OH

It sounds like a sensory issue.
It's good you are getting her evaluated.
Maybe a small hand towel between her and the seat belt would work?
Maybe silk leggings will feel better against her skin.
You can try her on silk socks too.
Search for 'silk leggings for girls' on eBay.

My grandson has SPD... and the more I read about it, the more I see some of the sensory things I do... and as I grow older, my sensory things sometimes change......

Many people have mild sensory things... which really isn't a problem until it interferes with daily living or safety issues, as you are seeing.

Yes, it sounds like SPD... many sensory kids have issues with clothing textures...

And... Occupational Therapy can help... they can guide you to help you HOW to help her.

Meanwhile, read up on it... you may start to see other issues that you didn't realize may be part of the SPD.

http://www.spdfoundation.net/about-sensory-processing-dis...

http://www.childmind.org/en/posts/articles/2011-10-26-sen...

Good luck!

I have to say, I think an evaluation is just what you might need.

Other children I've worked with have had some sensory issues,and having an evaluation gave the parents help/access to resources, working with therapists who could offer home 'treatments' for desensitization. My own son had a horrible time with getting his face/head wet-- he still hates it, but through our working with him (following an OT's suggestions) he is now able to get his face wet (like splashed with a shower sprayer) without freaking out and screaming and tears-- now it's down to a nervous giggle and "can I have a towel" -- he's six.

Fears and discomfort sometimes peak around this age, so going to get an evaluation is helpful. One last- and very important- thing to add is that sensory kids do better (IMO) with documentation so that you can construct a 504 plan once she starts kindergarten. It's so important for you to have this as a parent, esp. if you are asking for any accommodations to the class environment. Teachers get a ton of 'special requests' for their students from parents. Walking in with a specialists opinion in hand as well as recommendations for teachers is a huge help; some people see a diagnosis as a 'label', others see it as a great tool to help their kids get whatever supplemental help they need. (Said as a mom whose kid has a 504 for vision issues).

Once you have a diagnosis you'll be able to google it and find tons of resource.

BUT each child is different. For example, one of the things that was suggested to us to help kiddo get centered and more focused was bouncing on a mini trampoline. NOOOOOOOO!!! That wound kiddo up like a watch that winds as it is moved! We got rid of that after a couple of days.

Rocking, did a good job, we put a smaller adult rocking recliner in his room. Either he would go sit, watch TV and rock or we could sit, hold him in our lap, and rock him. This one was a good thing.

A weighted vest, did a great job for a while but Head Start messed this up. They were supposed to put a backpack on him with a couple of books in it when he was going to do work at the table.

Come to find out they were putting a LOT of books in it, basically punishing him, when they just wanted him to sit down and shut up. We found this out when we got a note that child welfare had interviewed him during the day at Head Start.

The worker was a friend of ours and told us they had a complaint the teachers were being mean to my kiddo. The teachers weren't there much longer.

By making the weighted item a punishment they took any sort of benefit we were getting from it.

So, even though an option is suggested it might not be "the one" that helps your kiddo best. Find what works for her.

To be honest, in your situation there would be no way I'd be letting a 4 year old do this stuff. I would dress them in an outfit they couldn't get out of and I'd fasten them in their car seat and that would be that. No way they'd be the boss of what was going on in the car. They aren't old enough or mature enough to make those choices.

You are the parent, fasten her in and go. If she cries...well, she cries. Car seat safety is not an option.

It definitely sounds like a sensory issue, sort of a textbook example actually. I have learned a lot about SPD because my son supposedly shows signs of the sensory seeking kind. However, just having a sensory issue doesn't mean a full blown disorder. Getting an evaluation by an OT would be valuable, not to label her but just to ask for some strategies. Even if she has no other symptoms (does she melt down about anything else?) the carseat is serious business, as others have said. If you just want to tackle this on your own, the best book I can recommend is Raising a Sensory Smart Child. It really focuses on treatment and parent strategies.

I would not try to label her, because that will only just, put a label on her. My youngest son, started with his seams in his socks too, and the tags on the back of his undies. I just did my best and spent lots of money trying different things. Thank God for Hanes Tagless. Anyway, I'm not sure how I feel about the pants off thing, but you gotta do what you gotta do. Can she find a soft blankie that she likes, and wrap it around her body before she puts on the seatbelt? I would just say to be very patient with her, and try to buy things that don't bug her and give her lots of hugs. I know it can be very frustrating at times. My son is 15 now and just let me buy regular underwear for him, so there is hope, it just takes time. I did not get him diagnosed with anything, although we have been to a counselor a lot with some of his issues, which include "a bit of OCD" as the counselor put it. It might help you to go so you can understand where to look for help, but it doesn't mean you have to label. Good luck to you.

Holy cow. Everyone is so quick to label her. Sometimes, kids are just quirky! Bet this is just a phase and she will outgrow it. My daughter had quirks at that age. To me, it is normal at this age.

It definitely sounds like SPD. Find a great occupational therapist to work with her. The earlier you start, the better.

I work with a lot of kids with sensory issues - it's often affected by missing nutrients, or by things like processed foods and certain additives. We've worked extensively with just adding in some things that reduce or eliminate it. Your daughter seems to have a relatively mild problem, frustrating as it is. I've seen a number of kids who have huge issues, including an inability to function, dark/upsetting thoughts, and much worse. There's a lot of very encouraging research about completely safe things parents can do to "re-set" damaged cells that affect all kinds of things, from sensory issue to brain function.

The other thing you can try is finding a fabric she DOES like, and putting it between her body and the seatbelt. Sometimes giving in to a phase gives them time to outgrow it. Some kids do. Some don't. I know it's hard because you don't know when you are "giving in" and fostering a bigger problem, and when you are just helping them cope.

Otherwise, you can go down the long road of testing and evaluations, which can take a long time and be so frustrating and expensive.

Meantime, I'd stop the speech about safety - what she's doing isn't logical, and it's not going to help her feel better about the seatbelt. Seatbelts are the law, so either she uses it or you stay home. Tell her you know she's frustrated and doesn't like the seatbelt, but there's nothing YOU can do about it.