The differences between our two boys are striking. There are many similarities as well. But its the differences that have gotten our attention in particular. I know as a parent you aren't supposed to compare your two children, and instead focus on their uniqueness. And we do.
However, very early on we noticed Logan was, to use a broad term, strong willed. It wasn't just that we needed to start putting him in time-outs pretty much from the time he started walking. It wasn't just that he seemed to tantrum at the drop of a hat mutiple times a day. It wasn't that you could almost never put him in a stroller or exersaucer and expect him to stay happy for more than two minutes. It wasn't just that he will only eat particular foods. It wasn't just that he seems act out with aggressive behaviors like hitting and biting. Its so many more things. I've written several times before that we are having him seen at Kennedy Krieger by a child psychologist/behavioralist. Initially we talked to our pediatrician about concerns of speech delay but its really evolved into more behavioral related issues. We are both firm believers that the earlier you can shape your children's behavior to what is acceptable, the easier it will be in the long run for everyone. And ultimately, the happier your child and whole family will be. So we have been trying to find help for him and taking the bits and pieces of information that seem to make the most sense and applying them to our life with him.
We are in the thick of dealing with his various behaviors right now and it isn't easy. And one thing we are pursuing for him is occupational therapy. Up until this week, when the occupational therapist came, I had very little understanding of what is it they do. But as we sat and talked with her and answered her questions about Logan, it all started making sense. It was, to quote Oprah, an "Ah ha!" moment.
She told us Logan, who has hypotonia (low muscle tone), also has an immature sensory system, which is formally called sensory processing disorder. He has very little control over his impulses (common for his age but his is beyond the norm) and as a result, he is living every emotion to its fullest and often can't stop himself from crying. He is also always tripping and running into things, and is generally just very clumsy. This is also related to underdeveloped sensory systems.
He has also always been a poor sleeper. He'll willingly go to bed and go right to sleep, but he's up several times a night crying. She explained that kids like Logan are living at 200% all day, pumped full of adrenaline, and just can't seem to settle themselves down at night. I think its common for kids with sensory issues to also have night terrors and other sleep issues. These are the kids who grow up to be race car drivers and figher pilots, always seeking thrills and pushing limits. Which is a bit scary to think about as he gets older, but these kids also grow up to be super ambitious, Type A's, and that isn't always a bad thing. We can already see he is fiercely competitive with Dylan and tries his damnedess to do whatever Dylan does. And most of the time can do it, even if it results in injury along the way.
Anyway, as we sat and talked to the OT, so much began to make sense. Kids can be hyper- or hypo- sensitive. Often kids with sensory issues tend to hate anything that makes them dizzy. Logan hates to swing. Often these kids also have issues with food textures. Logan hates pasta, won't even eat macaroni and cheese. She said these kids can prefer foods that are much more extreme in textures - like crunchy and super sour or sweet - rather than mushy squishy things. He could make a meal out of garlic croutons, tangerines and maple sausage.
There are 7 areas of sense that can be affected. Many of these I don't believe Logan has an issue with including: tactile (touch), auditory, visual, proprioceptive (fine motor dexterity) and olfactory (smell). But I believe he may have issues with vestibular (balance and body space awareness), and taste. He walks taking very heavy, hard steps. She said its because he needs the extra stimulation through his joints and neurons to get his body to do what he needs it to do.
Its fascinating and also a lot to absorb. The good news is many kids grow out of these sensory issues as they mature. The earlier you begin addressing the issues, the better. So the OT is coming back Monday morning to set up a 'sensory diet' (nothing to do with food) for us to work into his days. And hopefully doing this, along with speech therapy and getting him more and more words, and continuing to shape his behavior with consistent discipline, we will watch him blossom. Sometimes kids with this condition are diagnosed with ADHD and other disorders later in life. But the early intervention we are seeking for him will help us help him the best we can, and that's all we can do. In the future, especially when he starts school, we will know to watch for signs of learning and attention issues. I'm glad to know now. Maybe it will be an issue and maybe it won't, but I'd rather know what could be ahead so we can continue to help him.
He really is a delightful little guy. He's so friendly and affectionate and social. I would love to see him get to a place where his days are full of more laughter and less crying. I'm just so incredibly grateful we have such a network of people helping us help him. Thank goodness we live in a time where people understand the need for early intervention and thank goodness we were able to finally convince them that he needed their help. Together, we will change his little life for the better, I just know it.
However, very early on we noticed Logan was, to use a broad term, strong willed. It wasn't just that we needed to start putting him in time-outs pretty much from the time he started walking. It wasn't just that he seemed to tantrum at the drop of a hat mutiple times a day. It wasn't that you could almost never put him in a stroller or exersaucer and expect him to stay happy for more than two minutes. It wasn't just that he will only eat particular foods. It wasn't just that he seems act out with aggressive behaviors like hitting and biting. Its so many more things. I've written several times before that we are having him seen at Kennedy Krieger by a child psychologist/behavioralist. Initially we talked to our pediatrician about concerns of speech delay but its really evolved into more behavioral related issues. We are both firm believers that the earlier you can shape your children's behavior to what is acceptable, the easier it will be in the long run for everyone. And ultimately, the happier your child and whole family will be. So we have been trying to find help for him and taking the bits and pieces of information that seem to make the most sense and applying them to our life with him.
We are in the thick of dealing with his various behaviors right now and it isn't easy. And one thing we are pursuing for him is occupational therapy. Up until this week, when the occupational therapist came, I had very little understanding of what is it they do. But as we sat and talked with her and answered her questions about Logan, it all started making sense. It was, to quote Oprah, an "Ah ha!" moment.
She told us Logan, who has hypotonia (low muscle tone), also has an immature sensory system, which is formally called sensory processing disorder. He has very little control over his impulses (common for his age but his is beyond the norm) and as a result, he is living every emotion to its fullest and often can't stop himself from crying. He is also always tripping and running into things, and is generally just very clumsy. This is also related to underdeveloped sensory systems.
He has also always been a poor sleeper. He'll willingly go to bed and go right to sleep, but he's up several times a night crying. She explained that kids like Logan are living at 200% all day, pumped full of adrenaline, and just can't seem to settle themselves down at night. I think its common for kids with sensory issues to also have night terrors and other sleep issues. These are the kids who grow up to be race car drivers and figher pilots, always seeking thrills and pushing limits. Which is a bit scary to think about as he gets older, but these kids also grow up to be super ambitious, Type A's, and that isn't always a bad thing. We can already see he is fiercely competitive with Dylan and tries his damnedess to do whatever Dylan does. And most of the time can do it, even if it results in injury along the way.
Anyway, as we sat and talked to the OT, so much began to make sense. Kids can be hyper- or hypo- sensitive. Often kids with sensory issues tend to hate anything that makes them dizzy. Logan hates to swing. Often these kids also have issues with food textures. Logan hates pasta, won't even eat macaroni and cheese. She said these kids can prefer foods that are much more extreme in textures - like crunchy and super sour or sweet - rather than mushy squishy things. He could make a meal out of garlic croutons, tangerines and maple sausage.
There are 7 areas of sense that can be affected. Many of these I don't believe Logan has an issue with including: tactile (touch), auditory, visual, proprioceptive (fine motor dexterity) and olfactory (smell). But I believe he may have issues with vestibular (balance and body space awareness), and taste. He walks taking very heavy, hard steps. She said its because he needs the extra stimulation through his joints and neurons to get his body to do what he needs it to do.
Its fascinating and also a lot to absorb. The good news is many kids grow out of these sensory issues as they mature. The earlier you begin addressing the issues, the better. So the OT is coming back Monday morning to set up a 'sensory diet' (nothing to do with food) for us to work into his days. And hopefully doing this, along with speech therapy and getting him more and more words, and continuing to shape his behavior with consistent discipline, we will watch him blossom. Sometimes kids with this condition are diagnosed with ADHD and other disorders later in life. But the early intervention we are seeking for him will help us help him the best we can, and that's all we can do. In the future, especially when he starts school, we will know to watch for signs of learning and attention issues. I'm glad to know now. Maybe it will be an issue and maybe it won't, but I'd rather know what could be ahead so we can continue to help him.
He really is a delightful little guy. He's so friendly and affectionate and social. I would love to see him get to a place where his days are full of more laughter and less crying. I'm just so incredibly grateful we have such a network of people helping us help him. Thank goodness we live in a time where people understand the need for early intervention and thank goodness we were able to finally convince them that he needed their help. Together, we will change his little life for the better, I just know it.
1 comment:
Awww...how lucky is Logan to have you as a mom (and how cute are those cheeks!). What a wonderful resource/amount of information you have been empowered with! Good luck with it all - you are amazing parents!
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