Upset about Occupational Therapist (OT) mail

[lovelyboy]

Got an email from my little little ones Occupational Therapist (OT) today.....
I wanted to know how things are going with my sons teacher applying the SI strategies we decided apon....Well, she said teacher is happy with some improvement happening....but what upset me was that the Occupational Therapist (OT) is starting to hint about worries of how he will be able to cope in mainstream school with this high standards and expectations! He is currently only 4 yrs old!!!! This made me wonder what exactly the teacher told her.....
I have decided to take this little son of ours for an psychiatric assessment on the 13 June, to see if psychiatrist could figure out whats up with him.
So far we are of opinion that its only major SI problems.....and speech delay.....But after hearing sounds of not coping in mainstream!!!!!!......I am getting a bit worried!
Surely a kid with ONLY SI will be able to cope? He has already improved so much, but what concerns us is his struggle to interact with the teacher.....its almost as if you dont connect with him always, cant get trough to him....Almost as if there is an invisible wall between us......People, I wasnt scared, but sorry to say....my mommy heart is becoming more and more worried now! I will not give up on my son.....we will fight for his place in this world! Me and hubby do believe he is a bright little boy, but something is holding him back, like an invisible chain or bubble around him! Bless his beautiful cheerful spirit!

 

[keista]

((((HUGS)))) I know, so hard to think that the second child is going to have difficult child issues too.

Have you considered Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) as a possibility for youngest? the phrases you used - not connecting, in a bubble, something holding him back. Add those to SI and a speech delay, well it sounds like Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) to me.

Also sounds a lot like DD1. She's a very odd one because with ppl she connects with she seems perfectly normal, but if she can't make that connection, the "off-ness" of it is very obvious. Unfortunately she does NOT connect more often than she does.

 

[Ktllc]

Lovely, I could have written what you did. It's like your talking about V. I do my best to relax, remind myself that we are doing everything we can and that's all one can expect from parents.
At such a young age, it seems like there is a lot of wait and see... so frustrating. And of course you will not give up on your beautiful little boy! Admitting that there are some challenges is not giving up, quite the opposite: with acceptance comes the power to help him. And that is exactly what you are doing.
Even if you don't have a complete label yet, remember that you've learned a lot through your older difficult child. Use those strategies, experiment and document.

 

[buddy]

HUGS....don't read too much into it though. I had a co-worker Occupational Therapist (OT) talk to me about this little preschooler (blind/deaf and hard to tell if he had issues due to the sensory deprivation but he seemed on the spectrum more than our other deaf/blind kids) she said he was so "low" functioning etc...but I saw something and so did his teacher...I started him with pecs and photos for schedules. He would throw himself on the floor (all110 lbs. of this huge 4 yr old!) and fall apart when his class would go somewhere. I started putting a picture of stand up (sign language was not coming along for him, he had some vision) then for example...drinking fountain and he would take it....look, stand up, turn and go there....He needed language! Poor thing but he did have issues, just can't go by one person's view of things....we need everyone's perspective! You know him best, you're an Occupational Therapist (OT), you KNOW that whatever "it" is...you can get him to his potential! Just keep plodding through. SO amazing you have two non-bio related kids with sensory integration stuff....really interesting.

 

[lovelyboy]

Thanx for your support!
Yes Buddy the whole non bio, same issues thing is actually funny....When oldest was diagnosed with asthma, I was so overwhelmed....then little one came along....5 yrs later doctor said, he has asthma too.....I was like Oh, ok....thats easy, I know how to handle that!
The strange thing with little dude is this: If you write down the symtoms he has....there is no doubt that he must have some kind of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).......BUT.......when I am with him....I dont always totally get that feeling.
It's almost as if he makes all of us a bit confused.....His teacher thinks, autism....first his ST said autism, then after a while, working with him......no it's only his speech delay causing his nonresponsiveness at times.....his Occupational Therapist (OT) says definitly not autism....its Sensory Integration Disorder (SID)......Thats why I thought maybe the psychiatrist will have better insight and knowledge. The thing that stands out most is that sometimes....often.....when you ask him something, like, do you want poridge....no response.....exct. Personally I think its a language processing and SI problem....like pulling his shirt over his arms and head in the class....wanting to put on gloves, exct. But his selfhelp skills is great...goes to the loo by himself, dresses, eats, drinks....He has so much compassion for others....puts on the light for me, ask if I am ok, loves friends and has plenty.
The thing that upsetted us is the thought of him not being able to stay in this private school, close to our home.....Me and hubby really dont see him going to a special need school with mentally challenged kids.....We actually dont know what is done for kids with normal IQ but who has so many SI issues that it restricts his abbility to learn in mainstream with all the overwhelming sensory stimulation.....

 

[tiredmommy]

School can be exceedingly difficult for kids with SI issues, even in mainstream. There's so much input that, depending on the child, they can become sensory defensive or actually seek out even more simulation if they are sensory seeking.

 

[lovelyboy]

Had a look on the net last night.....I was surprised to find a private school that specializes in remedial classes for kids with normal IQ with some form of learning dissibilities.....They only go up to grade 7 but then try and put them back into mainstream.....I didnt know this place existed! They have a team with an Occupational Therapist (OT), ST, teacher, and phychologist who assess the child for 2-3 days and then give verbal and written feedback and guidance regarding your childs abillities and recommended schools! Sounds great, dont know if it really is great, but didnt even know it could be done in RSA!
But I still think we need to try our best to try and keep him in his current school.....this other school is almost an hours drive from our home and very expensive.....

 

[buddy]

always reassuring to have a plan B though if you need it! No way to know what will happen in the future, Q has had amazing mainstream years and disasters....just have to take it as it comes....what good does worrying do anyway I suppose? We do what we all do...try our best to help them get better....

 

[lovelyboy]

So true Buddy.....so true!!!!!

 

[susiestar]

I HATE when people start worrying about high school when the kid is 4. in my opinion it is ridiculous. It seems to be a major pitfall of people working with kids with problems. in my opinion it greatly limits a child's potential if people are planning for him to have certain problems or be unable to function ten-twenty years later. they stop challenging the child and in my opinion it is nuts. I don't even like it when they tried to tell me that something done now would be an insurmountable problem next year - esp when it is NOT something they will be dealing with the next year. Wiz went to a school through grade 2 that had combined 2nd and 3rd grade classes - all of them but math and language arts were combined. They told me that Wiz could not do the 3rd gr work in those subjects (even though he was already working on the 4th grade level math and 6-7 th gr language arts) because 'we won't have anything for him to do next year if he does the work this year'.

Let the Occupational Therapist (OT) know that she needs to focus on NOW, nd what his problems/challenges are NOW, and how to help him NOW, and to let what he needs in high school be taken care of when he is in high school.

NONE of us has a crystal ball that gives a totally accurate vision of tomorrow, much less 10 years from now. Only idiots think they can make those predictions, esp about our kids. Few of them truly understand the stubborn determination that a difficult child can show whne the difficult child wants soemthing. the chllenge is to channel that determination into productive goals.

 

[busywend]

Seriously? Worrying about that at age 4 is a bit irresponsible on the part of the educators. It is good to consider the future, but these kids change so frequently.....i would not get to worked up about it. There is enough to do to get through a month os school!