sensory integration problems and very young kids

[CactusPair]

Hi, it's been awhile since I've posted here. My ds is 11, always homeschooled, and has sensory integration disorder (or whatever the name is for it these days!). He's made a lot of progress over the years and I'm so proud of him, but still so glad we school at home bec. that's where he needs to be to learn.

 

Well, I now have a baby dd who is almost 14 months and is showing some subtle signs of sensory integration issues. I'm not sure what, if anything, I should do.

 

My ds got OT when he was 5, but I knew he had challenges way before that. It was just a matter of finding out exactly what the dx should be and jumping through a lot of hoops. And living through tantrum-hell for a few years, too!

 

My baby dd didn't start eating food until 11.5 months and still lives mostly on breastmilk with a bit of baby puree and cereal. She has gagging and swallowing issues and seems to struggle with textures.

 

What concerns me more is avoidance of touching, grasping, using her hands for playing or eating.

 

She doesn't attempt a pincer grasp with toys or food. She won't even touch food on her tray.

 

She won't hold a pen or fat crayon either. My other dc loved to scribble at this age, so she's definitely different than they were in this respect.

 

She won't hold toys that are meant to be grasped in her fist.

 

She doesn't walk yet, but is crawling and cruising, so I'm not concerned about that yet. My ds didn't walk until 16 months, so I figure she's on the same kind of schedule.

 

She doesn't have the tantrums or extreme reactions that my ds did. She does seem to nurse all the time for comfort and has sleeping issues, but so far her troubles, if she ideed has them, are limited.

 

Did any of you have a baby w/ delays or related sensory integration issues? What are some things that you did to help your dc along?

 

Should I just wait and let her develop on her own, whatever that schedule might be?

 

We live in a small, not-so-progressive town and I'm reluctant to bring up my concerns w/ the family dr (no peds. in town). I'm worried I'll be ridiculed or dismissed.

 

I'm not even sure what I'd ask the dr. for? Can a mostly typical child qualify for early intervention services?

 

Do you know any books that spefically address sensory integration, motor skills, and babies?

 

Thanks for any guidance, tips, or advice!

[Guest]

I would think that if you remind the pediatrician that you've already gone through something similar with one child and have seen signs in the second -- then enumerate your concerns -- you wouldn't be likely to be dismissed. Get an OT referral at least. The OT we went to works extensively with very young babies and there's a person who specializes in oral-motor (sucking, swallowing, gagging, feeding issues).

[Mert]

Do you have an early intervention like Babies Can't Wait (in GA) that you can contact? Did you and your ds work with an OT or someone else that you could talk to about getting an evaluation or other resources? I know this isn't easy as it took us a while to get the pediatrician's and OT's office to work together, and we're in a big city with lots of resources. I hope and pray you're able to find a frustration-free solution.

[Dobela]

Contact your pediatrician first. He/She will know who can evaluate a child that young.

 

Please document the feeding issues well then ask for a swallow study. My dd was doing the same things your chld is doing (gagging, choking, refusing food) and I finally found someone to refer us for the study. We discovered that she was aspirating everything. The coughing and gagging were signs of silent aspiration, meaning her food was entering her lungs instead of progressing to her stomach.

 

She is now 3 and it has been a long 3 years. First we began by thickening liquids to a honey consistency just so she could control them in her mouth. She no longer needs thickeners, but she still has a lot of work to do. She has worked with speech therapists to correct her eating issues. They have had to work on correct tongue movement, low muscle tone in the lips and jaw, and more so that she could eat and drink with out aspirating. Occupational therapists have also started working with her now as well.

[Terabith]

Try to get an OT eval. My dd started sensory integration therapy at 15 months and it helped tremendously. If the doctor hesitates to give you a referrel (and I would keep pushing), you also might want to talk with early intervention. They would have lots of practice with babies and toddlers.

[NCW]

In many states it is possible to get an OT eval without a referral (although your insurance might not pay for it then, so I'd check). Sometimes taking the eval results to the MD can be all you need to get the referral for treatment. Some OT clinics also do free or low-cost screenings and can give you info to take to your MD.

[CactusPair]

thanks so much for all the replies!

 

she is going in for a well-baby check soon and i'm going to have to be brave and bring up the issues i'm seeing.

 

it's good to have a little guidance and encouragement before i go in.

 

thanks so much!

[KatieJo]

I'm a pediatric physical therapist and I definitely say "Don't wait!" There is so much that can be done with early intervention. Start with your MD and if you don't get a referral for evaluation, start calling early intervention programs in your area and ask questions about doctors they would recommend, etc.

 

Trust your gut feelings, mama!

[Guest jocinMI]

The bible of all the books on sensory integration is The Out of Sync Child, by Carol Stock Kranowitz. I highly recommend you read it if you have two children with sensory issues. She also has follow up books with at home treatment ideas. But her biggest recommendation is GET OT and GET IT EARLY.

I also think it is important to get your child evaluated by an ENT and a pediatric gastoentrologist. A child may also reject food of certain textures if they have trouble swallowing because of physical problems like over large tonsils or a constricted esophagus (like eosinophilic esophagitis).

My son is 11 and has sensory integration problems, specifically tactile dysfunction with overresponsivity. He gagged with many food textures, he gagged and vomitted when his shirt collar was too tight or his clothes were too rough or tags touched him a certain way, or if we tried to put a bike helmet on. He didn't like walking barefoot in sand or grass. He wouldn't fingerpaint in preschool. I asked my pediatrician about it but she gave me the "some kids are like that speech". When I changed doctors, my new doctor said he couldn't believe no one recommended OT yet. I felt like I let him down by not pushing harder for OT. When he was 6 he had OT which helped a lot with everything except the gagging.

When he was 10 he got his tonsils and adenoids out, went on allergy meds and his gagging got somewhat better.

[dsmith]

If you feel uncomfortable bringing it up to your pediatrician, you may be able to go directly to any early intervention programs in your area. When my son wasn't reaching for anything on one side, we had OT's come to the house for no cost to us and work on strengthening his left side. I wish I had pursued some of the sensory issues ds had. His dr. at the time told me he would outgrow his eating issues and not to worry about it. His sensory issues, combined with certain anxiety issues, created one heck of a mess for ds, and he stopped eating completely except for vanilla pudding in 2nd grade. At one point he was convinced he could'nt even swallow his saliva. We spent $4500 in therapy with a speech patholigist to get him eating again and almost had to hospitalize him. Trust your gut feelings, and don't let your pediatrician make light of your concerns.