Aa
What is the diffrence between Sensory Integration issues and Asberger's
When my son was 3 his pre-school teacher noticed low tone in his hands and poor coordiation and suggested he be tested. His OT testing was quite low and starting seeing an OT weekly at that time. He has always been extremely sensitive towards himself and others and has never been as socially mature as most of his friends. When he gets "silly" he doesn't seem to know when enough is enough or when it is just plain inappropriate, however when not caught up in what he is doing will be able to tell you what correct behavior would be. Sometimes when leaving a place will be unsure if he was good or not and apologize just to be sure. He has always been prone to breakdowns if his feeling are hurt, or looses in a game etc. of course it's worse if he's tired or hungry. His out-burts are very "over the top" screaming yelling crying, swinging of arms that has turned just recently to yelling at me. Two years ago he was diagnosed with Dyspraxia but it seems like his social issues are contradicting that. Everything I have read leads me to believe it is a Sesory Integration issue but lately the school thinks it may be Asberger's. They attribute that to his perseveration on certain events that have happened or his inability to break from a project before it is finished or becoming way too attached to a project. In school even though he seems on track with his school work handling a 2 part instruction is almost impossible and when he is left to his own devices is just lost.
Thank you!!
Thank you!!
Hi, I am dealing with the same sort of thing. A good book for you to buy/borrow from the library is "The Out-of-Sync Child" by Carol Stock Kranowitz. It describes the differences and tells you how to recognize from behavior. Good Luck!
I have heard that dairy products and even gluten free diets are good alternatives to treating this problem ( autistic spectrum diorders.) but I think knowledge is still the best tool in helping the child with such problems. I admit I am in no way an expert just a mother of two very smart children that happen to have ASD. I am being told that I should medicate my oldest son , well I refuse..I am taking the holistic approach..diet & such. Ya know as much as professionals recommend I believe the final word lies with the parents. Parents need to bone up on the childs issue whatever it may be because a well informed is a well prepared parent. The more one knows the better able one is to help their child. I agree that turning a blind eye is not a good thing to do which I see happening alot because of the " stigma". Well I love my children " stigma " and all, I am proud of them as they are as I am sure we all are of our children. Sometimes ignorance is not bliss and I am so proud that each of you have taken the time to come to these forums for help because that is the first step..seeking knowledge. I applaud you all . Keep on seeking the answers. Best wishes.
My son was diagnosed with mild Asperger's as well as SID, oral hypersensitivity, tactile defensiveness and the list goes on... He is 4 years old. Slowly, but surely he is catching up to all the missed milestones. He has no apparent social problems, but is unbelievable bright.. So many parents turn a blind eye to there children, ignoring the obvious... Most people wouldn't be able to tell that he has all of these issues. Acknowledging, and helping your child is the best thing that can be done. My husband and I have worked very hard with him in the last year and the changes have been dramatic. Most important in our successes was the switch to a non-dairy diet. Taking my son off of diary has made him a totally different person in so many ways. All positive. We were given some info from a friend about the "DAN Protocol", which directed us to the non-dairy diet.
That was very nice . Bill Gates has his dark days as na adult i would think. not that i spoke to him or can speak for him. Don't we all. The issues just don't disappear when we grew up. They are just different. But thats what it is all about, regradless of situation. The stars belong to everyone to reach for no matter what.
In keeping with the wonderful theme of the past few posts, I would like to share with you a wonderful little story written by Erma Bombeck to parents of autistic children. However, it could be applied to any child that is "different". My apologies if you are already familiar with it.
The Special Mother
by Erma Bombeck
Most women becaome mothers by accident, some by choice, a few by social pressure and a couple by habit.
This year nearly 100,000 women will become mothers of handicapped children. Did you ever wonder how mothers of handicapped children are chosen?
Somehow I visualize God hovering over earth selecting his instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As He observes, He instructs His angels to make notes in a giant ledger.
"Armstrong, Beth; son. Patron saint...give her Gerard. He's used to profanity."
"Forrest, Marjorie; daughter. Patron saint, Cecelia."
"Rutledge, Carrie; twins. Patron saint, Matthew."
Finially He passes a name to an angel and smiles, "Give her a handicapped child."
The angel is curious. "Why this one God? She's so happy."
"Exactly," smiles God, "Could I give a handicapped child to a mother who does not know laughter? That would be cruel."
"But she has patience?" asked the angel.
"I don't want her to have too much patience or she will drown in a sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wears off, she'll handle it."
"I watched her today. She has that feeling of self and independence that is so rare and so necessary in a mother. You see, the child I'm going to give her has his own world. She has to make him live in her world and that's not going to be easy."
"But, Lord, I don't think she even believes in you." God smiles, "No matter, I can fix that. This one is perfect - she has just enough selfishness." The angel gasps -"selfishness? is that a virtue?"
God nods. "If she can't seperate herself from the child occasionally, she'll never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child less perfect. She doesn't realize it yet, but she is to be envied. She will never take for granted a 'spoken word'". She will never consider a 'step' ordinary. When her child says 'Momma' for the first time, she will be present at a miracle, and will know it!"
"I will permit her to see clearly the things I see: ignorance, cruelty, prejudice....and allow her to rise above them. She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life, because she is doing My work as surely as if she is here by My side".
"And what about her Patron saint?" asked the angel, his pen poised in mid-air.
God smiles, "A mirror will suffice."
A second little story is about how your life with a child may be different than most people's, but it is still a life full of beauty, it's just now where you expected to find it.
Welcome To Holland
The Special Mother
by Erma Bombeck
Most women becaome mothers by accident, some by choice, a few by social pressure and a couple by habit.
This year nearly 100,000 women will become mothers of handicapped children. Did you ever wonder how mothers of handicapped children are chosen?
Somehow I visualize God hovering over earth selecting his instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As He observes, He instructs His angels to make notes in a giant ledger.
"Armstrong, Beth; son. Patron saint...give her Gerard. He's used to profanity."
"Forrest, Marjorie; daughter. Patron saint, Cecelia."
"Rutledge, Carrie; twins. Patron saint, Matthew."
Finially He passes a name to an angel and smiles, "Give her a handicapped child."
The angel is curious. "Why this one God? She's so happy."
"Exactly," smiles God, "Could I give a handicapped child to a mother who does not know laughter? That would be cruel."
"But she has patience?" asked the angel.
"I don't want her to have too much patience or she will drown in a sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wears off, she'll handle it."
"I watched her today. She has that feeling of self and independence that is so rare and so necessary in a mother. You see, the child I'm going to give her has his own world. She has to make him live in her world and that's not going to be easy."
"But, Lord, I don't think she even believes in you." God smiles, "No matter, I can fix that. This one is perfect - she has just enough selfishness." The angel gasps -"selfishness? is that a virtue?"
God nods. "If she can't seperate herself from the child occasionally, she'll never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child less perfect. She doesn't realize it yet, but she is to be envied. She will never take for granted a 'spoken word'". She will never consider a 'step' ordinary. When her child says 'Momma' for the first time, she will be present at a miracle, and will know it!"
"I will permit her to see clearly the things I see: ignorance, cruelty, prejudice....and allow her to rise above them. She will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life, because she is doing My work as surely as if she is here by My side".
"And what about her Patron saint?" asked the angel, his pen poised in mid-air.
God smiles, "A mirror will suffice."
A second little story is about how your life with a child may be different than most people's, but it is still a life full of beauty, it's just now where you expected to find it.
Welcome To Holland
I agree, the child should be seen by a developmental professional. No diagnosis can be made by parental report as the child has to be observed in several different environments.
Well I must say I dont always agree with getting a child so young evaluated because misdiagnosis often occurs , however the younger the problem is caught the better for the child & family. I just wanted to clear something up here...PDD is an Autism Spectrum Disorder and the are quite a few different forms on that scale. My son , who is now 5 , was diagnosed at 4 with PDD now it seems he is most likely be able to be better evaluated here after his 6 B-day in june ..the new diagnosis...Aspeberger's. No big deal it is rumored that Bill Gates has Asperger's...who would have thought that ..So genius' still come from any child with Spectrum disorders. I must agree that if you are concerned to have your child evaluated , maybe even twice. Good Luck.
I totally agree with xmsrlong. But, we all know though that our society puts all the emphasise on "popularity", look at all the money thats is dumped into all the celebrity ****. Everyone remembers high school. I'm sure Bill Gates had his dark days as a teen. I think the reason parents freak out about the things that their children might be lacking in is because of all of that stuff. I am seriously considering home schooling my son. I know alot of people that are taking that route because they dont want their children going thru all that stuff. Lets all be honest with ourselves and confess that is the true reason why we fear our childrens future. Also keep in mid even the smartest or most popular kids dont always go to college and end up ok.
Bill Gates has said he has a learning disablity specifically dyslexia. Many people are begining to believe that ASD and Learning disorders are on the same line in disorder. Like i said it is a new belief. I think we would all agree that many of the symptoms overlap and tht is wht is so hard to identify children with these problems. I think one of the most important things to remember when things look so dark. Is that just because your child is told they are ADHD, Aspergers, ASD , Learning disabled. That all those disorders are applied to children who are average in intell. Given the right testing enviroment. Im not saying everyone is giong to go to grow up to be a lawyer but dream what your chilren will be encourage them to reach for the stars. Its the one thing that i think is taken away from parents and children who do not fit into what society considers the norm. i can say this because i now am working on my masters with haveing all those labels applied to me. Am i saying im so smart and thati knew everything no. There are alot of Bill Gates out there the reason we dont know is that behind every successfully "Bill Gates" there is somone that hangs in the shadows to help them fill in the gaps that they can not do. To this day Bill Gates has problems with things . There are other famous people too.
I mean no disrespect. So are you saying that you are qualifiedto diagnois? You have great knowledge in the area. I just think it is hard to say what is or is not without seeing the child.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Really the two conditions arenot necessarily associated, though children diagnosed with Asperger's Disorder not infrequently display some form)s) of Sensory Integration Disorder. Both terms cover a broad range, so it is almost impossible to discuss them as if the terms represent distinct profiles. Your description indicates overlapping conditions - i.e., alongside his clear sensory integration issues are developmental lags/delays in social and emotional development. Your description does not indicate Asperger's with any certitude by any means. To figure this all out it might be wise to seek an evaluation with a developmental pediatrician or developmental mental health professional.
HFA - High Functioning Autism.
Sensory integration and Asperger's Syndrome (not Asbergers) are two different issues. However, Asperger's and SID are often co-existing. Almost all kids on the spectrum have sensory seeking and sensory avoidance issues. What you describe here wouldn't lead me to a diagnosis of Asperger. However, school systems are in a unique position in that they see a range of behavior and might be a good source to obtain some additional testing. Let your ped know about the school's concern and demand a referral to your local children's developmental services/agency for some evaluations. I think most practioners are unlikely to diagnose such a young child with Asperger's, but more likely a PDD-NOS or Autistic Spectrum Disorder. ASD's change over time and its not clear whether a child is Asperger's until they are older. I suspect that my HFA child will likely receive an Asperger's diagnosis once he is about 6 or 7, but if not, I'm happy with HFA.
Let me reinterate that from what you describe, it doesn't meet the plethora of conditions necessary for an ASD diagnosis.
Let me reinterate that from what you describe, it doesn't meet the plethora of conditions necessary for an ASD diagnosis.
What is HFA?
You are reading content posted in the Child Behavior Forum
Fearing autism, many parents aren't vaccinating their kids. Can doctors reverse this dangerous trend?
Is a gluten-free diet right for you?
We answer your top questions about the flu vaccine.
Learn which over-the-counter medicines are safe for you and your baby
Yummy eats that will keep your child healthy and happy
Healing home remedies for common ailments
