The plot thickens

[Malika]

Someone mentioned Sensory Integration Disorder in reply to a post. Knowing nothing about this, I looked it up on good old google... well, well. The signs and symptoms of this mysterious condition are like those of hyperactivity and the site I read said that Sensory Integration Disorder (SID) is often mistaken for ADHD... well, now, I wonder if this is the answer... Could it be what J "has" and explain why he has the hyperactivity symptoms but not the attention deficit ones?? Trouble is, I have never heard anyone talking about it here - I don't think it exists in France!
Could anyone enlighten me further about this, about what the differences are, what the treatment could be? The article I read said that whereas ADHD is treated with medication, Sensory Integration Disorder (SID) is not... And, I don't know, my instinct tells me that this feels more right as an explanation than ADHD has ever done... I remember that when he was a baby J hated having his nappy (diaper) changed or his clothes changed - he seemed really sensitive to it. He also hated me holding him in my arms and was happy only if I put him up on my shoulder (though now he likes hugs and cuddles). I wonder...

 

[HaoZi]

Oh honey, it exists everywhere. Being recognized everywhere is something else. And it's different for everyone as to how they experience it and what will help, but you need a well-trained Occupational Therapist (OT) to figure it out and help him.

 

[nvts]

Hey Malika! My smallest one (Evie) has some Sensory Integration Disorder (SID) issues...she's been getting Occupational Therapy for a year now and what a difference! It's well worth looking into...

Many hugs!

Beth

 

[Malika]

Yes, I know, HaoZi - I was being tongue-in-cheek! Not only does it exist here, it is, I find out, also recognised - quite a few references to it when I typed in the French term in google. But I suspect it is not widely known, even among the experts. I wonder if our child psychiatrist has heard of it?? I feel quite excited by this, curious as that sounds... I feel like some penny is dropping, things making sense... J really hates having his hair brushed, even lightly, and his teeth... Major dramas at having an injection.
I am going to follow this up!

 

[BusynMember]

Sensory Integration Disorder (SID) however is usually not the ONLY issue going on.

It is common in autistic spectrum disorder. My son used to cover his ears when things were too loud and refuse certain textured foods and clothing. He had Sensory Integration Disorder (SID) and saw an Occupational Therapist. However, it was not his only issue.

Many disorders mimic ADHD...Autistic spectrum and mood disorders are two of them. Sensory Integration Disorder (SID) is like a puzzle piece to the whole of a child.

 

[Malika]

Oh no, MWM, do you mean it's back to the drawing board?
It's just an instinct, I don't know... I don't think J is ADHD, don't think he is autistic in the accepted sense (though he has social difficulties), but this just feels... accurate. First time I've felt that about a label!
Actually, what is Occupational Therapy?! The list of my ignorance goes on... Of course I've heard of it in terms of adults receiving it but what would the treatment consist of for children?

 

[HaoZi]

Not sure on kids, but since mine just got the official autism label, it's something I'll be looking into as well. Sensory Integration Disorder (SID) is also common is gifted kids, I think we discussed that already in another thread.

 

[BusynMember]

Autism is a spectrum...most are not non-verbal, rocking, unable to communicate at all. Social issues and Sensory Integration Disorder (SID) are two symptoms of it. Have you ever read up on Aspergers Syndrome?

Here is part of an article on Aspergers:

Unlike the severe withdrawal from the rest of the world that is characteristic of autism, children with AS are isolated because of their poor social skills and narrow interests. In fact, they may approach other people, but make normal conversation impossible by inappropriate or eccentric behavior, or by wanting only to talk about their singular interest. Children with AS usually have a history of developmental delays in motor skills such as pedaling a bike, catching a ball, or climbing outdoor play equipment. They are often awkward and poorly coordinated with a walk that can appear either stilted or bouncy.
Many children with AS are highly active in early childhood, and then develop anxiety or depression in young adulthood. Other conditions that often co-exist with AS are ADHD, tic disorders (such as Tourette syndrome), depression, anxiety disorders, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
top

 

[tiredmommy]

My understanding the Sensory Integration Disorder (SID)/DSI is a stand alone condition but is often co-morbid with other disorders such as ADHD, mood disorders and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). It's rooted in the central nervous system and the affected person can be sensory seeking, sensory defensive or some combination based on the body's affected systems. My difficult child has visual perception difficulties and is auditory defensive... this can cause a very strong emotional reaction because she often perceives others as "coming at her" or "yelling" when they are not. Kids in the US tend to receive Occupational Therapist (OT) in school though private Occupational Therapist (OT) services are available. The Out of Sync Child by Carol Stock Kranowitz is a great starting resource for parents and caregivers of children with Sensory Integration Disorder (SID)/DSI.

 

[Malika]

J is definitely sensory seeking... Looking on the net I see one therapist who mentions Sensory Integration Disorder (SID) in the conditions she deals with so I'll contact her.
I'm pretty confident in saying J doesn't have Asperger's. In the sense that he displays few, if any, of the characteristics But I really don't KNOW and I must keep an open mind at this point. His social problems arise because his favourite play is to play fight with boys and those boys who don't like it find it unwelcome and because he is too loud and turbulent, shouting and racing around a lot of the time - again, this is not everyone's cup of tea. Little girls often find him too overwhelming. Although he will play quietly by himself at home with his toys, in very imaginative fantasy games, I do not see him playing like this with other children... though I do not see him all the time and generally speaking he is much "worse" when I am around.
I look forward to the day when I can announce with a drum roll, like HaoZi, what's going on with him!

 

[BusynMember]

My son was the same way. He ran around a lot and was very loud and, at least in lower school, kids liked to run around with him so he had many friends. Kids didn't really shy away from him, perhaps because there are a lot of rowdy boys in the US. He even had girls run around with him.

As he grew older, because he had trouble sharing his feelings (and still does) he became more to himself. He is happy just being alone with his videogames and NetFlix and we have to give him a kick (not really) out the door to force him to socialize. It does not come natural to him and never will. But he is better.

It is much easier to see what is missing when the child is older than when he is young. My son was not correctly diagnosed until he was eleven. The only difference between our situations is that my son got a lot of interventions all along anyway. If not for them, I do not know that he would be able to function alone at all, but he is about 80% functional on his own now.

My son's communicatin problem is not his vocabulary. He has a large one. It is his inability to hold a give-and-take conversation. He basically can not describe experiences he has had and how they make him feel. His conversation, unless he is talking about videogames or movies, goes something like this (and always has):

Me: What did you do on your field trip?

L: I don't know.

Me: Did you have fun?

L: Yes. (no elaboration)

Me: Did anything exciting happen?

L: (good-natured voice) I don't know.

Me: Come on, pal. Tell me about it

L: I don't want to talk about it now. Can I have something to eat?

 

[Malika]

Sounds like the kind of conversation some women complain about having with their husbands
As you say, so difficult to say when they are little. My son has bizarre conversations sometimes - for example if he talks to my mother on the phone, he won't or can't do a kind of rational exchange about what he has been doing... he goes off into a long stream-of-consciousness monologue (things like "if you have a fire, Ill come and save you!" - inspired by one of his favourite characters called Fireman Sam) that is very difficult to follow. He loves to talk and will chatter away, à la hyperactivity... I don't know. Maybe I'm just foolishly resisting the obvious ADHD label for some reason... last night I read the Connors list of questions for parents, for example, in a French book I have about hyperactivity - I would have to answer in the affirmative for most of them. It's just that... sometimes he is so different, so calm and co-operative when he needs to be, like at school, that it just doesn't seem an obvious case to me.
I think there is a sense of relief about getting the CORRECT diagnosis, and then being able to work positively to help it.

 

[BusynMember]

Actually, by US standards, it sounds different to me than ADHD. But you are right that you likely will not get a diagnosis that is right this young.You can not guess the future...nobody can.
My son's inability to be able to hold a conversation has impeded his ability to have friends. Remember, he is now almost eighteen. He has none of the interests of other eighteen year olds...girls, hanging out at malls, music, etc. He is "different" and I don't see different as bad. But he IS different. And as he got older, he became more different. It may not be so with your son. We had to wait and see. And, although it is very hard to do, other than getting proper interventions, we sort of have to sit around and wait for our children to grow older to get a good idea of how they will function when older.The waiting is hard, but living one day at a time is helpful.

I think that in our case it helps that we adopted him knowing he had issues and determined to bring him as far as we could. Also, we have four other children, two grown, who are doing well as productive young adults. Even though my oldest son has mental health issues, he also has a good job, a wife, and a precious son (my little grandchild!!!). My oldest daughter took drugs...I thought they would kill her. But she quit and now she won't even take an aspirin and refuses to be in the same room as anyone who smokes cigarettes. It is hard to predict the future Don't worry about your son no much. He is what and who he is and he will be who he is supposed to be

Have a great day!

 

[HaoZi]

MWM, Kiddo answers questions about school and trips the same way. In her case it's because she thinks she's expected to remember and relate everything, it's easier to get info from her if I specifically just ask for an example or two.

 

[BusynMember]

Yep, they are all different even with the same diagnosis. One thing is always there: Lack of social skills and an inability to communicate well, even if they know the words. My son is very concrete and has a lot of issues with abstract thinking. If you ask him what he did on vacation, he will recite what he did, but will usually leave out the emotional extensions that my other k ids would have added. "I went to the waterpark. Then we went out to eat at Applebees. Then we drove home." My daughter would have said more of "We went to this awesome waterpark and I went down this really scary ride three times. Madeline was so scared she was crying! Then we ate at Applebees and it took for-ev-er to get the food, but it was really good. I slept on the ride home. We were all really tired."

 

[Malika]

Now that's interesting, you see, because my son is very abstract and has trouble with concrete thinking! Seriously... He is still very much in the realm of fantasy and imagination, perhaps like a younger child, I don't know. This makes his take on things fun and creative but makes me wonder how he will do in school. But, you are quite right MWM, I should stop worrying!
Even the social skills business is complicated... in some ways he definitely has social difficulties but in others he is very engaging and endearing. This morning we went to a "vide grenier" - what you would call a garage sale, I think, except that in this lots of people do it all at the same time - and by the end of it J had had lots of friendly encounters with stall holders, with three people giving him things for free for being "so sweet". But, I was thinking as we went round, he is DEFINITELY a difficult child, whatever the cause... If he wants to go in a certain direction (in this case literally but also metaphorically), he just sets off walking, without asking, and won't be persuaded to change...