My 9 1/2 year old son had his occupational therapy assessment yesterday and he starts OT for his motor dyspraxia and hypotonia on the 25th. He saw the same OT that tested him two years ago and this time she said he definitely needs therapy because he definitely has motor planning difficulties. I don't quite understand why she didn't see this two years ago. Maybe she used a different test or something and I guess it doesn't matter now, but I spent many, many hours trying to figure this out and made myself crazy at times worrying about what was wrong with my son and doctors were not giving me any answers. My son even got upset about me worrying so much about it and thought I didn't like him the way he was. At times I doubted that there was really that much wrong if the doctors couldn't see it or didn't think it was that big a deal. Other people could see it. Some people told me he had to have Aspergers because he figured out how to read on his own at 2 1/2 and liked to use big words in his speech but had the sensory issues which caused some quirky behavior when he was very excited. My sister still insists that he must have Aspergers even though the developmental pediatrician and the OT and his regular pediatrician all say that he does not.

I am reading the book Sensational Kids and I see now that I am not the only one who has had trouble getting help for a child with sensory issues.

My son liked the OT. Not only did she test him, but she first talked to him and asked about the books he liked to read. He told her that he liked to read classics but that his favorite book that he read recently was The Giver. When she told him that she also read it and liked it and also knew all about Japanese manga and other things that he was interested in, he said he thought maybe she was a little "outside the box" too.

He said the testing wasn't that bad, but he said he fell once during one of the tests and hurt himself in a place that he didn't want to mention, but it reminded him of a line from a song--Goodness gracious, great balls of fire!

There wasn't enough time to talk to the OT about all the results of the testing so I will have to wait for the report she is sending me.

She says it is not too late for therapy to help him, but she didn't tell me what the therapy will be like.

Finally, I think he will get the help he needs.