and this one?
Isaiah could. Pretty cool, uh? I had placed that CD case up there after the kids went to bed the other night. The next morning, Isaiah walked into the living room, and instantly spotted it (from 2x as far away as I was when I took these photos). He had no reason to look up there in the first place- it's just the same junk that's always up there. It actually took me a minute to realize what he was pointing at since I had forgotten, and didn't see anything of significance at first.
He's always been very observant and perceptive. I remember a similar incident when he was no more than 18 months old. I had laid a small bottle of lotion on the super-cluttered dresser after he was asleep. The following morning, mere seconds after his little eyes opened, he was pointing and grunting at it.
He'll point out a tiny bug walking across the ceiling, cows seemingly miles away from the road as we speed past, a rogue balloon in the sky that I can barely make out.
Although, he doesn't always seem that observant. If there is a single toy in the middle of the room, he'll trip over it, multiple times. He constantly runs into the side of doorways, into walls- he might as well be running around the house with his eyes closed. He's very perceptive in the visual sense, but his proprioceptive sense (aka knowing where his body is in space, and in relation to his surroundings) seems to be lacking. I have several more examples, but baby is getting fussy... so I'll have to blog about them later.
Anyhoo, what I'm getting at, is the above issues aren't going away, and I'm starting to see them affecting his/our lives more and more. I'm not exactly sure what to do. We talked with an OT back in October, and have done some of the sensory diet ideas. Although, honestly, we've slacked off a whole lot for various reasons. Since this resurgence of issues, I've decided to start doing the therapeutic brushing and joint compressing religiously, as well as integrate some more high-input activities throughout the day (swinging on the swingset, pillow hugs, etc.) to see if it helps any.
He'll be receiving [home-based] speech therapy via the school starting in the fall (blogged about here). Should I push for occupational therapy as well, (even though Early Intervention didn't see the need for it, apparently)? Should we make an appointment with a developmental pediatrician and try to get an "official" diagnosis of Sensory Processing Disorder, and then pursue services?
I think being perceptive is an excellent trait, and it's one of the many qualities of Isaiah that proves that he's SO intelligent. I just need to figure out how to help him gain control over it, so he's only reaping the benefits, and not constantly stumbling over the drawbacks.
5 comments:
Isn't so hard as a parent to figure out what is the right thing to do -- as I do not know it all my thoughts would be to seek as much information and even pursue treatments without a major diagnosis -- but that is me ... I have frequently seen a label in early years follow children into the public school with harsh outcomes, so I am nervous about it! But I commend you for seeking what is best for your little one!
Good luck ---One of my little guys is very observant too --- he can always find Waldo!!
I've just heard from a couple people that getting school-provided OT is hard for "just" SPD. And right now, all he has is a little note in his therapy notes that he may have sensory issues. I was just worried that since EI didn't seem to think that he needed OT (even though they sent an occupational therapist out to evaluate and give us ideas), then the school definitely wouldn't.
I do see your point and agree, though. Maybe I'll wait until this fall, and then talk to the school about OT options, before going the dev. pedi. route?
My son has had 2 OT evals with people who specialize in sensory issues over the years and you really need an official diagnosis of his sensory issues if you want to get him services in school. I see in your blog description of your son that he has a speech delay and sensory issues. Is there any diagnosis of Autism or PDD? Does he have an IEP for preschool? If there is no diagnosis of Autism or PDD and you don't have an IEP for him for preschool than you definately need to get the eval done. Having something official on paper is always essential for getting the services you want and your child needs.
By the way, getting this eval done will give you more insight into the kinds of sensory tools and activities that will help your son. I recently made a room in my home a sensory room. Check out my blog for photos.
I, like my son, have very good skills visually but am accident prone : ( We are both very neat and organized and easily visually overstimulated by clutter or too much in our visual field. And we are constantly seeking out sensory input to feel where we are in space. My own personal solution is wearing clothes that are definately too tight for a woman quickly approaching 40 and lifting weights and working out.
If your son likes water he might like swimming or even laying down in a full bath with just his face popped out (under total supervision of course). When my son was little he loved laying on a big blanket and us grabbing the ends and swinging him in it. Tight cotton or footy pj's, weather and temperature permitting. Jumping on a mini trampoline, rocking in a rocking chair, heavy beaded necklace, Denim blanket or comforter for his bed, etc. Good luck and feel free to contact me if you think I can help. God bless, Beth : )
Thanks Beth!
Answering your first questions- no diagnosis of autism or PDD. The latter I still sometimes wonder about, but he doesn't meet all the symptoms for autism. Yes, he does have an IEP, which will start this fall (although he's not attending preschool, but will be receiving school-provided home-based ST).
His Early Intervention coordinator has been out of the office, so I haven't talked to her since this latest realization, so I hope to get in touch with her tomorrow and have a long discussion on what she thinks would be best (ie what she thinks our chances are of getting OT with and without seeing a medical doctor).
Thanks for all the suggestions, too! Lots of good ones we'll have to try. And I'll head over to your blog in a bit to look for pictures!
My son is the same way. If he says he sees something, we have learned to really look, because it is there, no matter how hard it is for us to see it.
I know i don't know your situation all that well, but after having been through about 4 years of OT with my son for SPD, I would highly recommend getting some OT for Isaiah. Danny has responded so well and his motor skills have improved tremendously. More than that, though, is that he is much better at handling stimulation and doesn't get as frustrated as easily. Also, we found that getting therapy for his SPD really helped his speech. If it is possible for you to get services I would do it--sensory diet stuff only helps so much whereas the therapy helps get to the root of the issues.
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