Expert: Jene Aviram - 7/11/2010

Question
When my child was a baby he had alot of sensory issues like only able to tolerate a hug if it was really tight, not allowing me to bathe his head, twirling round and round, and some other things.  He used to bang his head all the time and any toy would become something to bang, even his bike.  He had little to no eye contact and speech and motor planning problems, but with therapy he got much better and was even toilet training at a little over 2 yrs. old.  But a few months later he regressed, and everything was back to where we started.
  Now at 6 he is in school with other kids his age and does nicely academically but socially he has problems.  He can't make friends and when he finally does it doesn't last long.  He is pretty rigid about certain things and still twirls around and around all the time.  I would like to help him because sometimes he gets so frustrated he screams, hits, kicks, throws things, and just looks like he's in pain, but I don't know how.

Someone suggested PDD and I would like to know if I should have him evaluated or if it is a waste of time.  I would really appreciate any answer I can get.  Thank you

Answer
Hi Tracy,

It's never too late to seek help for your child if you're concerned.  And your son is only 6 years old!  There are people that start seeking help when their child is 16, so you're way ahead of schedule :-)

It does sound like your child has some sensory challenges.  This would also interfere with his ability to self calm, and tolerate frustration.

If I were in your shoes I would definitely get an evaluation.  The "label" is not important in itself.  But if you can get one - that's good because a diagnosis is what qualifies you for free services.  

At 2 years old, a lot of OT's work on sensory issues, but at 6 years old when you're already in the school district, OT's tend to work on coordination, fine motor skills etc.  I'm not sure if that's the case in your district but just in case, you do have other options.  A lot of people seek OT through their insurance.  This way your son can still get all the help he needs on a sensory level.

There are tons of other services your son might qualify for.  At school there are often services like play therapy, social skills groups, psychology services and group speech where he can focus on pragmatic skills etc. This will help him with social skills.

You have many options and much help available for your son.  Not only that, but at 6 the process is a lot less scary.  Some parents wonder if their child will ever cope and you already know that your son is smart and doing well.  He just needs that little bit of extra support to help him get on track.

I wish you the best of luck.

Jene Aviram
http://www.nlconcepts.com