NM

NM

I am grieved that my very innocent question sparked such an argument. It is my hope that admin will remove this thread altogether.

Oh, poor kiddo. I hate them too. And the dryers. Eeegads. I hope that he gets over the memory quickly. Potty training for these guys is huge, so it is such a triumph to have it behind you. Sent from my XT1049 using Tapatalk

Honestly, much of therapy for Sensory and regulation issues have a voodoo feel to them. I mean, the stuff the OT does for the retained reflexes is frankly, weird. But you know, if it works to bring some balance to these kids who really struggle, I am all for it. There were many things people historically poopoo'd in the medical world that have become quite standard today- anesthesia for example. Um, I pretty sure we would not chose to go without that, now would we? I say, can't hurt to try it. TL or iLs is available to us and as soon as he is regulated enough not to throw the system across the room, we are going to try it. Sent from my XT1049 using Tapatalk

Yes, I was avoiding the whole thing and doing it myself when he went to bed, or had older kids do it while I took him to Therapy because if we did it in his presence he would flip out. And this wasn't elaborate creations he had made. I tend to be sensitive to stuff like that. But it was like the duplos dumped out of the bin, playmobil all over, and games left and not cleaned up, as he literally could not handle the transition of being done with that activity. Well, that translates to the OT with her visual schedule saying it is time to be done with this fine motor cutting activity. Next we are going to ride the scooter down the ramp (trying to provide him with adequate warning to move on). He would be off and running, and she would be like, no, we have to clean this up first and he would flip out and cry. So now I see the need to why he needs to be required to do it here so that behavior translates to Therapy. I think in my trying to avoid meltdowns and keep him regulated, I stopped requiring normal things of him that I would not even think twice of requiring my nt kids. So now I am trying to figure out what battles I need to fight to help support the therapists to make their jobs easier. Kwim? Sent from my XT1049 using Tapatalk

I think we have a little of what Lecka says going on. DS is the littlest, and 4 yrs younger than the next DC. So we were allowing some behavior because he wasn't going to hurt anyone. And it was going OK, but now I think it is time to teach him more appropriate ways to engage. He does a lot of things to engage an older sibling that does not work for another 3 yo, so we are working at home to teach behaviors that are more acceptable in a peer setting, like his Sunday School class. I am also seeing that he is responding better to more boundaries and stricter enforcement of some rules. Like he used to just lose it when I would correct, redirect, or establish a boundary, and then it would take 45 min to get him back. So, my natural tendency was to avoid. Now that he seems to better handle it, I find that I am seeking out opportunities to teach him boundaries and redirect him so he learns that it is ok. One of his biggest problems at Therapy is handling when a therapist puts limits on him. Like, no we are not doing that activity right now, we are finishing this. He used to flip out, but he is getting better. He always hated cleaning up one thing before the next, but it was starting to drive me nuts to have to wait til he was out of the picture to clean up toys. Last night I was like, we are gonna clean this up before he goes to bed. So we did. I made it a contest to see who could clean up the most duplos is 30 sec. He was all over that. I think the bottom line is, we all need to do what is best for our situation. What I do is different with 8 DC than OhE with 2 or Lecka with hers really close in age. And that will change, in time, whether the DC are NT or SN. I used to be super strict about bed time when every one was little, but that has changed since 5 of the kiddos are over 10 now. I have lots of kids up past 10 most nights. Things change. I am hoping as little dude matures, we learn what keeps him regulated, etc., he will be able to handle more and more limits from more and more sources. I watches the ADHD and emotion video Anna's Mom shared in another thread. Wow. That was very interesting and very much what we are dealing with right now. Thanks for linking that, BTW. Sent from my XT1049 using Tapatalk

Ok, my turn to add our experience with DMG. DS (3.5) has been on it 2 weeks and we have seen noticeable improvement in his regulation and impulsivity. His ability to deal with transitions is even better. His OT session Monday was tantrum free- like when it was time to go, he went and got his shoes and walked out the door. He has never done this. Speech on Wed was a little rougher, but there were other things that contributed to this. The thing is, even though a circumstance during ST disregulated him, we were able to get him back, and calmly out the door. I was so disappointed that it wasn't better, but as we were talking on the way out, SLP pointed out that he was not screaming or even crying, and interactive with her and telling her what he wanted to do next week- progress. She is very good at seeing the little things that are progress in her book, thankfully. He is also sleeping better, which is HUGE. This kid is a horrible sleeper. I am wondering if I should add magnesium with a higher dosage to what we are doing to see if that helps more. Well, just thought I would throw our experience out there for what it is worth.

It is hard. Every time I hear a 3 yo speaking like a normal 3 yo should, I just want to scream, or to cry, or both. My ds speaks like a 1 yo. It is hard. Hugs to you. Don't beat yourself up.

Oh my, that is a lot to swallow all once. I don't have much to offer as I am just beginning my journey down the alphabet of dx's, but if you hang here long, you will find oodles of help and wisdom. Hugs to you as you figure things out. OhE, that is so interesting about the questioning = problem solving. So common sense, but not to these kiddos. Little dude just got his progress report from the SLP and one of the long term goals is that he will learn to make age appropriate requests and questions to solve problems. Seems like maybe she's read the book, lol.

Jennifer, ha ha ha. Yes, I would say we are about one in a million. It is an interesting club to be a member of. Glad to find commroderie and support here. I also have been around the boards for a long time. I was Marie in Oh and left around the time my #7 was about two. I only came back this fall with this new dx, so I too am new to the LC boards.

Ok Cricket, now you have me wondering. I am back after about a 5 year board break also with a new board name. I spent lots of time on the k-8 board back then and then life got in the way. I see lots of familiar names on here. Jennifer, your little guy sounds very much like mine, especially the diaper changing. He screamed from the time I changed him in the hospital to the time he potty trained in December. Goodness gracious. He also hates baths, haircuts, and getting dressed, and some big noises. Those are his defensive sensory issues. Pretty much everything else is sensory seeking except a few oral things that are probably due to oral Apraxia. He is my 8th so I really relate to where you are.

OhE yes, I think it is a transition issue, yes. We have them all the time. I do think he likes ST more than he used to, and he likes the therapist, but, it is the transfer to the next thing. Lecka has given me immense help in a series of pm's. I never thought about the "next thing" being something he hates (getting strapped in the car). Wowsa. Yes. That is an issue. And OhE, you know how hard they work in that session, so yes, he has been pushed into agitated state so he is a ticking time bomb. The best transitions are when SLP has no one after us. Then it is a more peaceful transition as she is not in a rush to get to her next thing. She often will walk is out to the car on those days. What she wanted to be sure of is that he truly understood the concept of when something was finished. So, she asked me to work on doing activities this week with clear time limits, and when it was finished, to clearly show how to move to the next thing, whatever that was. She is using a visual timer with him. I did a count down tonight with books. Here are 8 books. Ok now 7. When there are no more left, we go night night. . . blah blah. You get the picture. It was better. Not perfect. But better. Lecka is right that this will not improve over night. It will take some exposures.

Jennifer Bogart- There are some here who would say emphatically yes. Only you know for sure. You might have outside pressure to seek evals (we did). I think it is worth considering or at least to keep in the back of your mind. I think a good question to ask is what would a dx change? We were already in ST and OT addressing the speech delay and the sensory issues. We are still doing that. It is hard to figure out, that is for sure.

Yeah, OhE, I have thought about the speech repetition emerging as he learns to speak. We shall see. Yes it seems very complex when you add high iq into the mix. Argh. It is so overwhelming.

They have tried a picture schedule. She also set a visual timer on her iPad. There is a routine. They clean up, go get shoes out of cubbie, put them on, leave. When we go from the speech room to the hall where the cubbies are, he often bolts and hides. He did so well this week, even signed potty, so we wnet before shoes. She tried to reward him with a scooter ride to the shoe cubbie because he was so good during therapy. She is really trying to teach him. Today we played a game that could have gone on forever, and so I said 10 more laps and we are done. He did his 10 laps and then I got up to be done, and he cried and cried. I also try with book time at night. He picks 8-10 picture books, and I say, ok, when we read all of these, then we are all done and we turn out the light. That invariably turns into 1 more, etc. And then years resistance to really being done. I like the token idea, kbutton-. Ibwill have to think about that.

Right Cricket. I agree that some things are clearer at seven than at three, which I believe that is why he used language "at this time." I am OK at that time. He said that nothing really changes either way anyway- ST and OT was already in place, and he is way too young for meds if he is ADHD. So, he said keep doing what you are doing and we will reassess in a year. I am good with that. SLP is the captain of the ship for re time being. That could change in time, but for now. . .

I would read it!

Ok, ds (3.5) suspected verbal Apraxia, and spd is in private ST and OT each 1x a week. We were going to ST 2x but have backed off to get some behavior under control. Big thing we are dealing with now is that he doesn't want to leave when it is over, and thus throws a tantrum (sometimes intense). So SLP emailed today to ask if I could work on the concept of "done" this week. She wrote him his own social story about coming to the clinic and working with the therapist, and then happily leaving saying "bye bye, see you next time." Anyone have any good ideas of what we can do at home to work on this and make the transition smoother. SLP said she would rather have this problem (not wanting to leave) than not want to be there at all. Thanks.

Our DP said that he will not dx ASD without at least either social delay or repetitive behavior. He said non verbal plus sensory is not enough for him. I know people are all over the place with this stuff, but I liked that he had criteria. He and the NP even left and came back in trying trigger one of those behaviors and did not get it, at all. DS is super social, super extroverted, totally holds eye contact, and has no repetitive behaviors. He does have problems with transitions, has some sensory issues, shows obvious signs of potential ADHD, and is non verbal (but gaining), so DP said no ASD signs "at this time." I guess he left the door open in case he missed something. I respect that.

It goes both ways- meaning it isn't just SN kids who get this stuff. My oldest 4 go to Christian school part time. 7th grader is G&T (placement test scores for the school were through the roof)and taking her first brick and mortar class, World History, taught by the principal. Going into the final she had 100%. She was the last to turn in her final and kids were remarking that it must of been because she was so stupid. Principal overheard and said, no, she is the smartest kid in the class. Great. Not sure that is going to help her socially, but she felt vindicated. She ended with a 103%. Must have gotten the EC. Yes, socialization isn't for sissies.

Most OT's know about retained reflexes. Two different ones pointed it out in my little guy. I am assuming both OT and PT can address the low tone issues. Typically, if you need a referral for insurance, you start with your pcm voicing your concerns.

So, the experts in my life (slp, dev ped, np) all think brick and mortar preschool would be good for little dude. He has a working dx of severe verbal Apraxia, SPD, and shows plenty of signs of ADHD. He also exhibits tons of separation anxiety. He is 3 1/2. There is a developmental preschool in our district that is 4 days a week. They will even pick him up in a big yellow school bus. As I am being told his I am thinking over my dead body. So, thoughts? Has anyone done preschool when you planned on homeschooling? What benefits did you see? Negatives? I need to get an IEP in place regardless, but I wanted to be ready for the preschool pressure before I schedule the evals.

My sensory seekig son is like this- over affectionate with me, dad, siblings, the cats. He loves hard hugs and lots of kisses. I would guess that has something to do with it. Lots of good advice above. God to know we are not alone.

Love this, because it is easy to concentrate on the "sighs" and forget the "yeahs." 3.5 yo yeahs Potty trained in a half a day over Christmas break Has gained 20 words and 10 approximations since Sept when he started ST. He hugs his SLP when he arrives. He will sit for 40 min beig read to Sighs- He has been classified as severe in his speech problem His tantrums are getting worse He has 11 of 12 preschool symptoms of ADHD He has only learned 20 words in 4 months of ST. We have a very long road ahead.