After an hour long evaluation, her findings were interesting, but of no surprise to me.
Corby scored high on gross motor skills. Things like running, jumping, climbing, throwing a ball, he excels in. He also scored high intellectually. Reading (he doesn't really read, but that's the category it's in), numbers, colors, etc, he's in the upper percentile, but she did not give me a number.
He has three basic areas he has problems in: tactile, vestibular, and proprioceptive.
His tactile problems are interesting, but apparently common in SPD. Light touch feels different to him. It either tickles him, or it hurts him. There's no in between. As an infant, he hated, and I mean hated, me putting lotion on him. Today, when I put lotion on him he either cries, or giggles because it tickles him. He hates the tags when they stick out, and some of his pajama shirts make him hurt. On the other hand, he loves deep touch. When he was an infant he loved to be swaddled and constantly cradled. Even now, he loves lots of blankets on him, and he loves big bear hugs and cuddles. On his terms anyway. This is also the reason he's such a picky eater.
His vestibular problems are typical in kids with SPD. He is hyposensitive in this area, so he does not feel gravity the same way we do. He craves "coller roasters" (otherwise known as roller coasters), he always wants to run, jump, spin, bounce, be thrown in the air, slide down slides, etc. This is also more than just a like, because I like those things too, but it's more of a need for him. When he watches a movie, it's normal for him to move. He doesn't sit still at any time. He's always moving something. Sometimes he's kicking his feet, sometimes he's twiddling his thumbs. But I've actually noticed him getting better in this area, but I'll get into that a little later.
His proprioceptive sense has problems too, but not as severe. This is the sense that tells him where his body is. The feel of the floor under his feet, or the feel of his hand on the table, are all a part of the proprioceptive sense. He deliberately crashes into things, he's a heavy walker, trips over air, and has fine motor problems.
The things I listed are actually pretty normal in all kids. It's normal for all kids to have problems similar to Corby's. The problem lies in the amount of problems, and the degree of the problem. It's not normal for a child to have all of these problems, nor is it normal for a child to have some of these problems to the degree that they have meltdowns over them.
Now - back to what the therapist said about his fine motor skills. Remember, the buttoning, zipping, drawing, etc. She told me that it appears that he is able to do those things, but that he doesn't want to do those things. He doesn't want to do those things because he has a hard time telling his little fingers where to go and what to do, and it frustrates him. Not only that, but he has excelled in the gross motor skills. So in his mind, why would he want to draw a circle, when he can go shoot a basketball instead? That is what the therapist plans on working with him on first. I also think this is where we will see the most improvement, because as I mentioned earlier, his vestibular problems seem to be diminishing already.
Corby is still hyperactive, and he's still a monkey, but I've noticed that his attention span is getting greater. He's spending more time playing with his cars and building with his blocks. Two months ago he would only spend about 15-20 minutes with them. Now he'll spend an hour or two with them. It was about three months ago when I started working with him on that problem, and I don't think that's a coincidence.
Another thing she plans to work with him on is his eating problems. Corby has a small list of foods he will eat because of the textures. He will gag at the sight of food that he thinks he won't like. If something looks a little different than normal, he won't touch it. He will eat McDonald's chicken, but won't eat Burger King's because of the ridges on them. He used to love both, but now he will only eat one. His food problem is getting worse, instead of better, so that is another area the therapist wants to work on.
Last, but not least, is the Early Intervention Preschool program. His therapist referred us to this program, and Corby has his evaluation for it tomorrow. It's a special preschool for children with all sorts of issues. Kids with autism, Asperger's, physical limitations, speech problems, learning disabilities, and SPD, attend these classes. They evaluate him for three hours, and then if he qualifies for the help, they set up an individualized treatment plan for him.
I'm not sure if I want him in this program or not, but I'm at least going to get him evaluated. If he needs it, I want him in it. The transportation will be an issue since Ryan takes the car to work every day, but I know God will work it all out.
Ahhh, poor Corby. I understand a bit of what he is going through, but I was lucky that although I experienced extra strong sensory perceptions growing up, they never particularly bothered me.
ReplyDeleteI can still hear things that other people can't - like when an electronic item is plugged in and not turned on? I can still hear the electricity. It's a different sound than a tv that's turned on with nothing broadcast, but it's still there. Every once in a while we'll be in an area that has a high-pitched electric buzzing that just grates on my ears but no one else can hear it.
I've also always been super sensitive to smells and touch, but I've loved them. I often wonder if I should have pursued a career that took advantage of that like a perfumer or a sommelier. Although in the past few years, it's gotten a little weaker, I can pick up faint smells easily and usually identify them immediately. Two of my favorite smells as a kid were our plastic pool floats and the glue on the back of bumper stickers. (Apparently, I decided to huff glue at a young age?)
But my favorite thing is textures. I had a "quiltie" that my great aunt quilted for me when I was a baby. One portion of it was the "namie" where she had embroidered something to the extent of "Quilted by Great Aunt Mikki for Jennifer Joy 1983". I LOVED the contrasting texture of the soft cotton quilt and the raised, bumpy embroidery. I still have that quilt and it's in remarkably good condition considering that I slept with it through my junior year of college. (I kid you not - the only reason I stopped was I accidentally left it at home over Christmas break) The only part of it suffering extreme wear is the "namie" section because it's been rubbed for so many years.
Remember when corduroy pants were popular? I LOVED that. My microsuede couch? One of my favorite places to hang out. Knitted fabrics are fantastic to touch, but I also love the texture of the oriental rug and our hardwood floors. And rocks. Rocks are AWESOME. :) This sensation was actually beneficial to me when I was studying for my Graduate Gemologist degree. When we had to tell stones apart, I was the top of the class. I still did all of the tests we were supposed to to ensure identification, but I never missed telling a diamond from imitation. Diamonds always felt "stickier" to me.
You're doing wonderful things for Corby, helping him adjust to his abilities. They may cause distraction now, but essentially, he has his own superpowers.
Hang in there,
The Girl Who At Various Points In Her Life Ate Only: hard boiled eggs, or hot dogs, or Campbell's chicken noodle soup broth, or egg McMuffins (with the egg and canadian bacon removed, but it still had to be made with them), or salsa, or cookie dough...