Possible Sensory Issues? ... Need Advice

My daughter is 28 now but when she was small she had auditory issues also. It started in the womb. Any loud noise at all bothered her. After she was born,she would cry incessantly if we were around people or in a noisy place and we would have to take her home. It was worse then because the favored condition was ADD. She learned to deal with some of it but has always had the problem.As an adult she has to wear ear plugs to study. She is quite bright but tested poorly due to this condition. I could not find anyone who believed me. My advice would be to take her to a E,N &T Dr. and have her hearing evaluated. Tell them you believe her hearing is too acute to the point of being painful.Please post if you find out anything.

My daughter has sensory issues as well. And, not to step on anyone's toes, I would say to take her to be evaluated. If it is something mild that they can give you little tips to help her then great. However, it is something a little more then at least you know and can work on a plan to help her. I would not agree with not taking her, as you would rather be safe than sorry. I have things that I still look back and think I wish I had stepped in sooner rather than tuck back my own gut feelings because a doc dismissed something. Just my opinion.

{{ withdraw my comment on ethical grounds. }}
t

Hello, I am a mother of a sensory needs child. We began the evaluation process when he was a little over 2. My suggestion to you first would be to set up an appointment to have her hearing evaluated, the school district will ask you about when that was done and if it was not done already may delay your process. Turns out we needed tubes put in my child and that was the BEST thing we have ever done for him. Please find an advocate, ECI, earl childhood Intervention, may be abl to assist with this step. I will not lie to you the process thru the school district is not one you and your parent partner want to go thru alone. I had a wonderful support system that helped get me thru this difficult time and I encourage you to do the same. Please read "The Out of Sync Child" it was the best way of understanding and narrowing down my childs targeted areas of Sensory Processig Disorder. I wish you all the best on your path of parenting.

Take her to see an Occupational therapist, they can help her be more comfortable. If you see any other issues that make you wonder if her behavior is typical, then consider a Developmental Pediatrician. The OT can help you sort things out to see if you need further evaluation too.

Pediatricians often miss these things, it is not uncommon.

I hope she feels better in her own skin soon.

M.

The school could assess her but truly if she is developing as a typical 4 year old, they may not do too much. I recommend Our Children's House which is linked with Baylor Hospital Dallas. There are a few outpatient clinics in our area, Allen and Frisco I believe. Great feedback from other parents I have referred there for this exact concern. I would definitely check into it!!!

I am a preschool teacher and we just had a training at Theraplay in Dallas. They are really wonderful. You could call them and have her evaluated (for free, I believe). They would provide her with ways to cope in these situations. Good luck!
www.theraplayassociates.com

I am currently reading The Out of Sync Child. Highly recommend this book as there is good information in it regarding sensory issues. You can also check out the author's website at www.out-of-sync-child.com as it provides additional information and resources.

My daughter... when younger especially, was very similar. Not the the extent where is was a medical issue.
But my daughter was and always has been, more sensory sensitive AND to noises/sounds. We know her and that she is this way. We taught her how to tell us when she is uncomfortable... and we respected that.
Myself, I cannot stand certain sounds.
My daughter, is also more 'sensitive' or gets more over-stimulated when she is hungry or tired.... because it is then that things tweak her more.
But she is fine in school.
She has matured. My girl is 7 now, and outgrown most of that 'sensitivity.'

My daughter, until even recently, could not even stand being in a movie theater... because it is too loud etc.

But, my daughter is also very aware of 'vibes' and that to me, is a "strength." And because of that, she is VERY wise for her age and of social situations... more so than even kids older than her... because, she is so perceptive. Her "sensory sensitivities" did not handicap her in any way. But she is very wise, in managing it and knows herself... and we know her. And taught her coping-skills and problem solving.

all the best,
Susan

Take her to a new doctor, or demand to sent to a specialist. I agree that it seems that she does have sensory issues.

hi~
it sounds like dd may have some auditory sensitivities. one of the important things I always tell parents is that everyone has sensory processing issues (e.g. I get car sick), you need to think about whether the issues negatively impact her ability to function. here is a website with a checklist of possible sensory processing issues that you can look over.
http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/sensory-proces...

If you would like to get her evaluated look for a pediatric occupational therapist in your area. You will need a referral from your doctor. if you doctor is not supportive and you feel that this is a big concern then you may want to consider a different doctor but hopefully your doctor will write a referral if you want to rule out SPD.

GOOD LUCK!

Yes, I would also advise reading Out of Sync Child.... my son who is 5 has sensory issues.... I found the school was no help.... I ended up taking my son for an eval at Excel Pediatrics in Rockwall... I know this is a little far for lewisville so I would look up OT's in your area that know about sensory integration therapy. I have been extremely happy with the results. Hope you find the help you need..

my nephew has sensory issues. he had to be evaluated by a specialist in order to get a course of therapy and help, but it has helped him cope somewhat and has given the parents strategies.

http://school.familyeducation.com/sensory-integration/par...

My son is 7 and has a sensory disorder. His is very wide spectrum and does include noise, touch, food. Loud noises still irritate him but he is learning how to handle them much better. I knew at 2 he was different but at 4 he was kicked out of a private school because when things happened he didn't know how to control he would hit,kick or cry. (not sure why he could handle his own cries but couldn't handle others) Funny thing is now he has learned to give into his little sister when she starts crying just so she will be quite! I went to therapy with him and even went to Baylor's Our children's House. The school district really helped a LOT. Doctors really can't diagnose this as the spectrum is so wide spread. My son was even tested for Autism. Be careful with what you label your child with as this will stick with her for the rest of her life.(I even had insurance try to cancel me because of this diagnosis) I look at the sensory disorder kind of like dyselxia. This is something your child will learn to cope with...it will take work but she will get past this. If you need to talk send me an email.

Hi Tia, I have never experienced that, but I always felt something "different" with my son, even everyone around me was saying it was normal. I took him to a psychologist at a young age and they agreed with me. I think you should stick with your instinct! Most of the time, mine is correct when about my kids! Call a psychologist (I went to Cook Childrens) and talk to them. It is not going to hurt.

P.

I don't know how it works in Texas, but in Illinois, once a kid turns 3, the school district can evaluate children. Call your local elementary school or district head office to inquire. If they don't do that in Texas, call an OT to schedule an eval.

I can see that you have gotten some great answers, but I thought I would throw my 2 cents in as well:

1. From your "so what happened response", I see that you are saying you may take your child to a child neurologist or child psychologist. That may be fine, but an Occupational Therapist is who dianosed my child with sensory integration disorder. I am not sure what a child neurologist or psychologist can do for you, my thoughts are - they are going to be way more expensive on the front end. You may want to try an OT first.

2. My son had PT and OT from ages 2-3 and then they said he was "done" with therapy. He was by no means "cured" and he wasn't "done", in my opinion, either. So, I enrolled him in dance and gymnastics to keep getting his buttons pushed.

3. Honestly, I would have said that he was "cured" by age 4. But, when my daughter was born, he was 4.5 and my parents brought him up to the hospital room. She started crying and he literally ran out of the room because the crying bothered him. He got better at dealing with it though - but I think a HUGE part of it is because he had already had therapy and had reacted so well to therapy.

4. And, I also want to add that ECI did not help me one bit. They evaluated him and considered him within the range of normal. On the low end they said, but still normal. Well, he still needed help and so I had to get it using private therapy through my work insurance (which covered it, thank god).

Good luck!
L.