Is it time to have my DS assessed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the advice. I have thought about calling infant and toddlers program to have him assessed, but my DH is against this. He thinks that I am just being an obsessed parent and that there is nothing wrong with DS. He thinks that it is not a big deal that at 2 he can't walk up step. He attributes his slow crawling and walking to the fact that he is just large for his age.

can you at least get his vision tested, like I suggested? It made a big difference for my daughter. Btw, I am also the PP. She had the vision issues on top (or in addition) of the sensory processing issues and OT made a huge difference for her. (Although at 30 months she still needs help for stairs, but not as much and she can finally run!)

[Anonymous]

I would say to go with your gut. If you feel like there may be something wrong or you just don't know, have him tested. I thought my son was just being a difficult 3 yr old at preschool (hitting kids, pushing them away, wouldn't touch messy things, freaked out w/ loud sounds) but I decided to have him tested by an OT. He has had a few months of OT now for actual sensory issues (so it wasn't just a normal 3 yr old thing in his case) and seems much better in group situations. Even a few people who didn't know he had OT have commented about it I am glad I didn't listen to his ped who said "He is a boy. He will grow out of it."

[Anonymous]

Kids don't just grow out of neurological challenges. They find ways to compensate that may or may not be maladaptive. OT was a godsend for our family. We didn't qualify for services but decided to pay privately and it was some of the best money we have ever spent. I feel like it gave DC his childhood back. If he gets checked and has no problems, that's great, if he might benefit from help, even better. I'd schedule an eval. Do it now, while it is free. Having really solid processing and gross motor skills will be so helpful later in terms of social and fine motor skills, you need the foundation first.

[Anonymous]

I agree completely with PP. As children get older, they become more aware of their differences. If you are taking the time to ask these questions, you obviously have a concern that there is something wrong and there is absolutely no downside to being tested (you can do what you want with the information you receive). If there are issues, be it sensory or simply physical, it can affect a child's self-esteem as they get older. It can affect their ability to function in school, make friends, develop independence, etc. The differences can also become more pronounced since while you are giving your child time to catch up, other children are also developing more skills so if there is an issue that could be improved by therapy and is delaying your child's development, if left undiagnosed, the gap can potentially get much bigger than it is now. Having way too much personal experience with this, the best thing you can do for your child (and your family) is to get tested as soon as you can.

[Anonymous]

Early Intervention won't accept your son into the program if the evaluation shows that his gross motor skills are within normal range. And the whole thing is free...so you have nothing to lose.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do processing issues affect gross motor skills? I'm wondering about my own child with a motor delays.

Anonymous wrote:PP here...one more question to those posters whose children with gross motor issues were found to have processing issues...how was the OT/PT able to determine that there were processing issues? Thanks.

I was out over the weekend and am just reading through some of the posts. I'm really impressed by some of the great responses people have posted. I'm the PP who said I could have written the same as PP who's child had gross motor delays. At younger ages or when the problems are more subtle, it's not always easy to identify processing issues as factors in delays or challenges. I have two boys, DS1 and DS3, (now age 6 and 3) who have processing issues/delays and one child who doesn't. When the DS3 was identified with gross motor delays at 15 months, we didn't know at the time that it was due to "processing issues". He was a toe-walker, which by itself isn't unusual in kids learning to walk, but the evaluators from Fairfax County's Infant Toddler Connection told us that it was because he had an underdeveloped proprioceptive system ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proprioception). I didn't know it but we've got a lot more senses than the 5 we were taught in school and they're really not distinct things, they're all "systems" and they're all neurologically based.

The proprioceptive system is the sense that tells the body where it is in relation to its environment. It's why you can wiggle your toes without looking at them and know the floor is under your feet. It's also why people who lose limbs can often feel the limb even though it's not there (okay, for the cognizant, I know it's a lot more involved than that but I'm trying to keep things simple here). DS3's system was underdeveloped and by walking on his toes, he was able to get deep sensory input that helped him know where his feet were and where the ground was. There's nothing wrong with that in and of itself, it's actually good because he was exhibiting appropriate compensatory behavior but, if done too long, the muscles in his calves would shorten (think women who wear heels too much) and he'd never then develop good heel/toe movement when walking.

DS1 and DS3 also have vestibular processing issues but they're very different. A PP said something about auditory processing and vestibular processing (balance and spatial orientation) being related. They absolutely are. If you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. They're both in your ears and they use some of the same "equipment". You can also see how the proprioceptive system, which gives you information about the position of your body, works with them to help coordinate movement. You need those systems in order to locomote.

People with processing problems don't take in and/or process sensory information as effectively or effeciently as "normal" people. They can be slower to react or develop. They can also be less coordinated. My kids aren't overly sensitive to sounds as a PP's daughter is. In fact, 99.9% of people wouldn't see that they have problems (it would be nice sometimes if they could tell). It's very subtle but very real and as PP said, they don't grow out of it because it's neurologically based. They just learn to compensate (not always in good ways) or avoid activities. One of the reasons we had DS1 evaluated was because he was starting to refuse to try new physical activities. He'd just give up and say "I can't do that" before he'd even try! We had no idea where that was coming from. We knew he was a little clumsy, thought he'd grow out of it and his dad isn't Mr. Coordinated so we didn't think too much about it. But then it got worse. When we were at birthday parties, if there was more than 1 or 2 kids he didn't know, he wouldn't play with any of the kids. We had no idea what was going on. About that time DS3 was evaluated so we got DS1 evaluated. Turns out he has an overly responsive vestibular system which affects his balance and eye/hand coordination (think throwing a ball to someone) and makes him seeks out vestibular input (think swinging). He was beginning to recognize that he wasn't as coordinated, fast or as capable as the other kids and it was affecting his confidence. Again, it isn't readily apparent but when an OT/PT is doing their evaluation they go through some standard activities to score. In that environment, it's much easier to see - even for a parent. DS1 also gets overstimulated with vestibular input so much so that the very first time he was swinging in the therapy room, he was unable to count to 10. Believe me, he knew how to count to ten. The sensation of swinging was just too exciting and overwhelmed that part of his brain required for counting. That is a processing problem and why problems with those systems often show up with gross motor delays. Gross motor isn't just about strength, it's about planning, coordination. balance and execution. When those systems are in sync, kids have problems.

Something similar happens to DS3 but not with vestibular input. He actually avoids it as much as possible. He, too, has an overly responsive vestibular system but he's oversensitive to the input. It frightens him because he's unable to process the input as quickly as DS1 and it disorients him. Forget about turning him upside down or swinging. He hates it. However, he's gets very excited by proprioceptive input. You have to watch him when he's running around with other kids, roughhousing or getting tickled. He'll sometimes bite or hit in excitement. He's looking for more of that proprioceptive input in the same way DS1 loves swinging. He also can't process auditory information when he's in that state - he won't even turn when I yell his name. He literally can't hear me as the sensory input from his proprioceptive system is overwhelming that part of his system required to hear and process sound.

CHADD, the ADHD non-profit, puts out an excellent monthly magazine called Attention. I was reading one of the back issues (we just joined) and in one section they summarize a recent book and recent studies. I dont' remember the name of the book that was excerpted but it argued that we shouldn't think of these neurological problems as distinct issues but as part of an underlying, foundational disorder. It made perfect sense to me because "processing" and "regulation" are just part of my kids problems. DS1 was recently diagnosed with ADHD, also a neurological disorder. There's something else that is going on and these symptoms and behaviors are a result of that underlying condition, whatever it is. There's an incredibly broad range of symptoms (as you can see just in my kids and some of the other posts) and manifestations. The important thing is that they aren't outgrown. People just learn to compensate and not always in appropriate manners. We want our kids to make decisions about want they want to do, whether for pleasure or profession, based on what they truly like and not because of their limitations. I don't care if my son wants to play soccer or not but I want him to make that decision because he truly doesn't want to play soccer and not because he feels less capable.

OP - I know you're husband isn't supportive. It's not easy to think that something might be "wrong" with your child. But I think it's important for you to pursue an evaluation. If you're being overreactive, you can laugh about it through the coming years about what a worry wart you were. If your instincts are right and your son needs services, you'll feel guilty you didn't do something sooner. That's the way we feel about DS1. He was only 5 when he began receiving services but now that he's in first grade, we keep kicking ourselves that we didn't do something sooner. I didn't go into executive functioning but as I said above, all these issues are neurologically based and as our kids have gotten older and expectations of them have increased, we see different deficits that have to be addressed. With early intervention, the prognosis is good. DS3 no longer has gross motor delays. He's age appropriate and because we know how to keep him on track in that area, he'll be fine. We're now addressing other issues. Trust your instincts! Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Wow!!! The previous post was so informative! I really appreciate it as a mom who is going through some of this.

New poster on this thread but my DD has both gross motor and speech delays at one year. Her delays are around 25% but most certainly apparent to me when I'm around other kids with her. I think we can all agree it can be tough as a parent to face some of this when you think your child is different/delayed as compared to other kids. It's because we want the best for our children. The BEST thing you can do is get an evaluation. I was reluctant at first because I was, honestly, scared. Still, we started PT less than 3 months ago and DD couldn't go from lying down to sitting up on her own when we started (she was 9 months). Now she crawls, cruises and crawls up the stairs! It's truly amazing how much PT/ST/OT can make a difference. As someone told me, they are like sponges at this age. Little things you do when they are young make a HUGE difference. The longer you wait, the more difficult it can be to make vast improvements. I'm not saying it can't happen, I'm just saying it happens so FAST right now.

Good luck. It could actually really be nothing...but you will honestly feel so much better if you know one way or the other. You should tell your DH that if you are worried, you think the best way to handle it is to consult with someone who can ease your fears! He will hopefully understand.

[Anonymous]

OP - Your child sounds similar to my DS - now 11. He had both gross and fine motor delay as well as mild sensory stuff. We did OT 2 times (at ages 4 and then again at age 8 for about 9 months each). Basically both his motor and gross skills were delayed by 2-3 years. The good news is that he has "grown into himself" and even though he was not at the same level as the other kids in terms of motor skills, he has steadily progressed over the years. He's not a star athlete, but he no longer avoids situations as he did when he was younger. It took forever to swim, for instance, but he got there. If he really rejected something, we didn't push him and returned to it later. Tae Kwan Do was great for him and soccer too. Academically he has always been fine and was in public gifted before moving to private. He loves to ski and he beat me in tennis this weekend. Looking back, it was challenging at times, but aside from OT we just managed by encouraging him and not pushing too hard for him to 'catch up" - it all happened in time.

[Anonymous]

I know Montgomery County has the Infants and Toddler Program, it is free. Fairfax county has something similar, also free.
In the case of MCITP you can ask for an assessment, they come to your house and if your child is behind by 25% in any area
then services are offered.

My child has OT, PT and speech and they have done wonders. He sat up at 10 months, crawled at 10.5 months and walked at 16.5 months. He has been in the infants and toddlers program since age 9 months. Knowledge is power.