Help Me, Help My Three Year Old daughter....Please!

My nephew has pretty severe sensory issues and they have a rough time with him, he does a lot of similar things you described as well as being disruptive and violent at times (he is about 5 now).

Basically, remaining firm and consistant in your expectations and disciplines, even voiced (yelling/spanking won't help at all), very structured activities, a low stress environment with soft sounds/lighting, free flowing furniture placement, easy and simple clothing... are things that they try to maintain, though it can be rough!

The best form of discipline at her age is redirecting. When she gets into something, take that thing away from her and redirect her to something she can do.

When you put her in time out, if she gets up, put her back, keep doing this until she stays in time out for the duration of the time (which is recommended be only one minute per age of the child, so she should get a 3 minute time out).

Since she thrives on structure and independance, instead of turning the tv on in the morning, let her be the one to turn it on first for the morning movie, and instead of putting in the trash bag, when it's time to change the bag, call to her and tell her it's her time to put the trash bag in. This can help her feel some control over her environment, independance and value, and it will be less stressful than fighting with her.

For brushing her hair/changing diaper, maybe you can get some sort of activity self contained puzzle she can hold during those times, to help keep her occupied.

Maybe doing a little activity with her, spinning in a circle, ring around the rosie, jumping jacks, throwing bean bags in a basket, rolling a ball toward plastic bowling pins... those quick little games can help her calm down and focus her energy before you try and attempt to do something that usually upsets her, like brushing her teeth.

Sensory kids tend to be intelligent, energetic and creative ones from what I have noticed. Do a lot of research, it seems to be a fairly new thing and not all drs/pedis are aware of the issues.

You really need an occupational therapist to help you at this point.

Once you learn the techniques that work for her, you can adapt them to other areas. Remeber this when you are at your wits end, "“Another tip-off to SID is if behavioral strategies fail to work with the child. This is not a behavioral problem; it’s a physiological problem occurring in the brain." - Diana Britt, an Arlington occupational therapist at Therapeutic Life Skills clinic

Best of luck!

basic sensory disorder symptoms:
http://www.essortment.com/all/sensorydisorder_rhky.htm

some helpful ideas:

http://www.fortworthchild.com/showarticle.asp?artid=394

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/making-sense-of-sensory-in...

http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/

check out this group: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Texas-Autism-Advocacy/.
what school district are you in that determined she's not autistic? i most definitely disagree with them. sensory issues are usually a big part of autism. dr pierre robert in grapevine (grapevine pediatrics) is a pediatrician who is in-the-know about autism recovery, as well as dr charles hamel in arlington. have you altered her diet at all? given her any vitamins or other supplements? i would love to help you. my son has been in recovery for 3 years and is doing much better. no one child needs exactly the same treatment, but many benefit from similar things.

Oh sweetie. I feel for you. My son has a friend with sensory issues and it can be a challenge. You and your daughter are obviously going through a lot and my heart goes out to you. Would it be possible, to meet with the school and get some input on how to handle her at home. Can you meet with the ped again? I think meeting with someone who has experience with children and thsi type of disorder might help. It's worth a try. Good luck!

You need to call your pediatrician and ask for a referral to be evaluated at Cooks. I hate to say it but ECI is just not the best and you need the best help right now. If you don't have insurance, you can get covered at Cooks, you will just have to sit down in the financial department and do a lot of work - but it will be worth it. ECI, and certainly not the school system, are not equipped with enough specialists to make this evaluation. I would urge you to be as persistant as possible, as some therapies have long wait lists at Cooks - you need to get on the lists asap. With all problems like this - the earlier you get help, the better your chances are. Also - you might call around to different churches or the parenting center of FW and see if anyone is offering a love and logic class for ages 0-6. It will help give you the tools to deal with a difficult child, without hitting her. I don't think hitting a child is ever the answer.

Good luck to you - I hope you find your answers soon.

HI, I'm looking to find other Moms who deal with kids with Sensory Issues. I have a 3, almost 4 year old who has Developmental Delays, Fine Motor Delay and a Conduct Disorder. He got diagnosed at the Child Study Center and they were helpful and got us started on a plan. I highly recommend them. They are in Fort Worth, off Summit Avenue/Lancaster. There is uaually a 6 month waiting list to get in there. We waited and I'm glad we did. Got a lot of information on behavioral modification/ways to deal with temper tantrums,etc... She offered medicine, however we want to use that as a last resort type of thing.

They do offer therapy and have a school also, if you have complex issues with your child. We've used the Child Study Center for therapy for a foster child. They are excellent and I was really impressed with them! If you can get in with them, that's great!

We couldn't get in and so we only got in to two places, Sante Pediatrics and Therapy 2000. We used Therapy 2000 in our home and they were great, however our therapist hurt her back. They discharged my Son, so we were forced to find another therapist. It was a set back, however we are with Sante Pediatrics. They are good, I'm pleased with them. They are a little different than Child Study Center in dealing with the parents continuing to come into the therapy session to observe. Our Son gets OT therapy 2 times a week and we are doing play therapy. We, as a couple, get counseling on behavior issues/behavior modification, just to vent! It really helps out a lot.

Have you found a therapist? I would love to talk with you, if you are interested in discussing what works for you,etc...

I've read another great book called The Sensory-Sensitive child and I found that book actually more helpful than the Out of Sync Child.

I'm wanting to find a support group, however I'm not sure where to start, either an Autistic support group or a Mom's support group.

I'll be glad to share my personal email address with you also. I know it can be very frustrating dealing with delays and Sensory Issues in a child. We've had one foster child that has had sensory issues as well. I've had a little bit of experience dealing with sensory issues.

How is your child doing now? Any improvements since getting responses and reading the book? I'd love to hear an update! Thanks and hope things are better with you and your family!