Sensory Integration Dysfunction

We are going through occupational and speech therapy for my son right now. He is just 16 months old, but this type of therapy is wonderful if the child has a different learning style. It has helped me understand why my son is not grasping how to say certain words or why he doesn't want to do certain things. It is very good that you are getting a handle on this and identifying his learning style. It will really benefit him. Even though my son is still young, I have learned so much (through occupational therapy) about how he processes things.

Hi S.,

I do not have a child that was ever diagnosed with SID but my youngest was diagnosed with ADHD and my best friends child was diagnosed with Autism. All three of these conditions have a similar problem; the neurological system is not working properly. There are so many things that affect the neurological system that I suggest you start removing them one at a time.

I detoxed my house and removed the synthetic chemicals and my daughter's ADHD diagnosis was removed. My friend's son only has Autistic behavior now when he spends the weekend with his father who has a house full of toxins. She detoxed her house over 2 years ago and her son has been mainstreamed into the public school system. There are other things you can do but this is a simple fix and improvement begins immediately.

Just to bullet a few other things:

*Eat organically so he is not consuming pesticides, preservatives, antibiotics and hormones. They contraindicate just like pharmaceuticals do and do neurological damage.

*See an upper cervical chiropractor so you are sure that the nerve impulses are actually getting to the brain.

*He needs to be using the bathroom after every meal. If he does not have a bowel movement to remove toxins after every meal, the toxic buildup will lead to more neurological problems as well as create new diseases. (EVERYONE needs to "go" as many times as they eat a meal!)I can suggest a colon cleanse that he might actually like.

*He needs to be on a good absorbable multivitamin that insures he gets his nutrition. (Be careful as some do more damage than good.)

My daughter that had the ADHD recognized the fact that she was learning but couldn't regurgitate the information to me when I was schooling her. She has since thanked me because she said I "un-jumbled her brain."

I would love to talk to you and help if I can. This is not an expensive process. Please don't start any medication until you are sure that this is not being exacerbated by his environment. SID did not exist a few years ago. Neither did Autism, at the rate it is increasing.

God bless!

M.

Hi S.,
I have been through this exactly. My son was not diagnosed until 5 because it was less understood then. He was very similar to your son, but did develop interaction problems after his 5th birthday because his social skiils suffered as a result of the visual and sensory problems. He is now fully recovered from the sensory problems with only minor interaction problems (which are just less involvement than we would like). Rather than finding out what to expect, I hope you will say "How do I recover my child from this so it does not affect his life?" I realize the psychs will tell you it is genetic, but the science is there to prove that if it were genetic we would not have seen an increase in these problems in the 1000's of percent.
Here is what would help:
1) Find a great occupational therapist (www.floortimeatlanta.org - J. McGuire is outstanding in that practice) to teach you the alert program and the skills to help him understand how he is feeling and how to get himself where he needs to be ("just right engine") so he can learn and focus.
2) Understand that sensory integration dysfunction is a symtom of a health problem - not a neurological or behavioral problem. Because the science of how to recover from this has been studied and tested extensively in the autism spectrum kids, be brave and read about it. Remember, now is the time to recover him so he does not have to live with this or the health problems forming from the ones he already has. Digestive allergies, yeast and bacterial overgrowths, high amonia levels, mitochondrial dysfuction are all problems that can be solved and are medical problems that should be solved for his health.
3) Doctors that can help you get started: 1) DAN! doc - local in Cumming, Ga is Dr. J. Buckley. Our doc is in CA, but we owe her so much (www.drrachelwest.com) (2) If you feel you can step outside conventional medicine which I highly recommend - Dr Richard Armond, D.O.###-###-####) is an outstanding in osteopathic manipulation. It was awesome on the sensory side. (3) Find a homeopath trained in classical homeopathy Veronica Coyne ###-###-####
Read:
1) Mother Warriers by Jenny McCarthy
2) Children with Starving Brains by Jaquelyn Mccandless
3) www.generationrescue.com (remember, the autistic population is where the studies are, don't run from the science because you do not think you fit, once you start, you will understand.)

You can recover him and also use therapy (OT) to help you both track his symptoms and cope while you are working.
May God direct you as you help him become healthy, J.

My dear friend's son has SID, and he is like a different child after a year of OT, speech, and music therapy. He is happier, and doesn't get frustrated or overstimulated like he used to. OT is a great thing for kids with SID. Don't freak yourself out--he's going to be great.

Please try chriopractic! It could help him SO much and is the least invasive therapy you can try for him:) Best of luck! Mimi offers great advice with detoxing the home too, it has such an impact on our health!

My daughter was recently diagnosed with sensory issues although different then your son. We go to OT with her. Next Step is the facility we take her to and I think it is the best in the area! They are wonderful there. I would encourage you to read Sensational Kids by Lucy Miller. Very good book. I actually gave my copy to someone because she wants to put her daughter on ADHD meds and I think she is dealing with this! Good luck with finding out more about this and getting your son as much help as he needs!

Dear S.,

There are currently about 86 labels for what is actually responsible for learning disorders and focusing issues. The problem stems from disorientation and the different labels are given according to how the person is reacting to or being affected by disorientation. With dyslexia it is mainly affecting a person's ability to read, write, and spell. With ADD, persons experience problems with focusing in general. When behavior issues come into play, the most common label becomes ADHD. Sadly the doctors diagnosing these various symptoms do not recognize the root cause as disorientation.

When a person is disoriented, his systems are not in harmony which causes chaos.

If you would like to learn more visit www.dyslexia.com and www.davisautism.com .

L.

Hey S., I actually do not have any experience with what you are going through. I do however have a suggestions on how to cope with your son's problems. My mother has been making weighted blankets for a while now. After her retirement, she wanted to keep helping people and this is what she decided to do. In many lives, weighted products have been a life saver. They provide a natural calming effect. Please visit her website & see for yourself what she has to offer. Take care!

www.stitchesbyanne.info

I have two boys, ages 13 and 7. They are both diagnosed with SID.
OT was a lifesaver for us. After a year of weekly OT appointments our lives are easier and much less chaos involved. They still need more therapy, but insurance has provided us with a major uphill battle so I'm doing as much as I can at home.
My oldest is also BiPolar, ADHD, Anxiety Disorder w/ Panic and Dysgraphic. The therapist was wonderful in helping him. He did both individual and group sessions, they worked on all the areas he struggled with and helped find ways to do it at home.
My youngest has severe to moderate hearing loss in addition to the SID. They played games and worked on the areas he was weak on.
Both boys enjoyed therapy classes, they climbed rock walls, swung from the cieling, rolled down the halls in barrels, played board games, and created a few art projects to show off.
At the start of sessions my 7 year old could not walk a straight line or maintain his balance, he would fall apart in new environments or situations. My oldest couldn't get his hands to button shirts and neither boys could tie their shoes. By they end of therapy sessions all those issues were resolved. They, and I, are much happier.
Good Luck!

My daughter had sensory issues and went to OT at 3 years old. She was sensitive to loud noises, the unexpected, sudden changes, touch, and food textures. They did a variety of activities with her using food, through play, etc. It was really a neat experience and interesting to see how they worked with her. She enjoyed it and was always happy to go.

Hey S., I just saw your post and read the responses looking for something else. If you haven't contacted Mimi H, do that. I would tell you the same thing! Contact me also if you'd like. I am a social worker who has worked with all those "diagnoses" and I also had a child diagnosed by the public schools as ADHD. I shoulda been diagnosed also - I learn very differently than most of my family and friends, but we were able to figure that out just be paying close attention to what works and what doesn't. My "ADHD child" received a scholarship to college, has made good money professionally, is now 37 and runs his own successful business. We're both very smart, no brag, just fact. Don't let them scare you. They're just names. And in my experience, especially in the school system, name-calling hurts the caller more than the callee.

I agree with many of the responses. Its important to get the physical in balance, good eating habits and a sound, top quality nutritional supplement.

I know this is about ADHD, but let's face it, doc label almost everything that until parents push them harder.
Guys, I can totally relate to the whining and how it affects the family life - as does the entire ADHD/ADD disorder. I have a son with ADD and another with ADHD.

My ADD son tolerates & does well on Adderall, but my younger son, can't tolerate any ADD meds well. He just won't eat and is extremely crabby. But I came across a nuetricudical that I found out accidentally that it has improved his ADHD immensely.

He suffered terrible stomache aches, constipation, and had acid reflux add the fact that he wouldn't eat. He became very ill. Last year he missed almost the entire year of school. He was treated by Childrens hospital and was on 7 different medications to treat his constipation, stomach problems and GERD. A friend told me about a supplement called VEMMA. So I thought I'd give it a try. It's all natural, vitamins, minerals, mangosteen and aloe.

In addition to all the prescription meds he was on, I had also been trying a number of supplements. SO I though what's one more. Low & behold he started having regular BMs, gaining weight (he was very, very thin), his reflux is GONE and I was able to wean him off all his meds.

We forgot his adderal l on a summer vacation and I thought we were in for a bad time. But to my surpise he was fine! I haven't put him back on since. The VEMMA seems to calm him - and trust me he was super hyper. Now I give him the VEMMA twice a day. He still has some trouble concentrating in school so we are trying just 5 mgs of Focalin - prior to starting this supplement they were tweaking his doses between 30-45mgs of methylphenidate & adderall, trying to adjust. He's not tolerating the Folalin well, but it's much, much better than the high doses of the other meds.

I've researched the VEMMA & ADD and have heard testimonials and even of clinical research performed in California where given the right dose and enough time on the supplement, people have been able to go off the ADD/ADHD meds or significantly lower them as has my son.. If his progress so far after 4 months on it is any indication. This may just happen for him. I HOPE SO!

here is a contact to call for some information that may prove effective. I am sure they can answer your questions over the phone.

Family Therapy, Dr. Lanny Fly
718 J. Clyde Morris
Newport News 23601
###-###-####
____@____.com
www.flyconsulting.com

Also, you can get more info at www.eeginfo.com. On this site is a link to a program (Living The Life) where you can watch their interview with Dr. Fly about neurofeedback. www.eegspectrum.com has more info on neurofeedback, too.