Just wondering if anyone out there can help me??? My four month old son began talking at six weeks old. Noone believes me except my husband who has also heard him, and my mother. He is fascinated by words and the alphabet. He hardly sleeps and I'm exhausted! Does anyone have suggestions for activities for a gifted four month old? Any ideas, suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Wow! Mine started at 7 months and I thought that was horribly advanced. I'm sure he must be so frustrated in his tiny incapable body if it is housing an intellect like that. Do you have anyone who can share the work with you? It sounds like he is going to need constant attention/interaction for a long time. My son at 7 months was just a live wire and only slept about 5-7 hours a day, never in a clump just bits and pieces of rapid sleeps. It took him years to learn good sleep habits.

Also, get good quality cd's like Bach and Beethoven and the like and let him listen to those. My younger son (started singing at 8.5 months) found classical music very soothing and would listen quietly when I slept. I also found my older son to get hyperstimulated visually, but auditory input was less intense for him.

Then make sure he's getting time on his belly even if he hates it. Those arm and shoulder and upper chest proprioceptors need the input. Apparently kids are more restless these days because of time spent on their back. They don't have a good sense of themselves in space and it overwhelms them. So lots of belly time even if he hates it at first.

and and and well these are just ideas. It's hard to know just what to suggest but those things helped my boys.

Thank you Willa. I probably need to learn to let him go to other people more often - for my own sanity, but also for him.

Yes, he seems frustrated when he can't do things. He tries for days when he can't say a particular sound and will be awake in the middle of the night trying to say it!

The advice about tummy time is great - yes, he hates it and his arms are so skinny compared to the rest of him! Any ideas for making tummy time more enjoyable? I find it really hard to leave him there while he is crying.

There is one classical CD I play to him but maybe I should try some others too.

Thanks again...
Rachael Steele

Rachael,

I'd also get him CDs with lullabys in various languages since it seems he will have a propensity for languages. Hearing new sounds will probably be very stimulating. I can't remember the one I bought for my nephew but I got it by doing a search on Amazon.

All the best,

Susan

That's a great idea Susan. Will look into it! We bought him the Baby Einstein Languages DVD which he liked for a while.
Let me know if you remember the name of the CD.

I second the "tummy time" idea - i couldn't hack the crying and lived to regret it. If I lived near you I'd come over and we'd get down on out bellies and look at baby on his belly and say: "I know you don't like this, and your are working really hard, but it will be worth it." In a calm, confident voice over and over and over. Lots of kids "do much better" after a struggle and cry, so look out for that possibility. Perhaps an pediatric OT who is versed in Sensory intergration could guide you? (sometimes covered by insurance) or at least read the "out of sync child has fun" for ideas.

I wouldn't look for distractions, rather I'd set a timer for 1 minute 5 times a day, and increase gradually. yes - he may hate the timer, but it is so worth it! Especially IMHO for boys.

OT - my son really liked a leap frog toy called the phonics bus.

smiles - Trinity

Thank you - I have persisted with 'tummy time' this week and he is not protesting so much. Why did you live 'to regret it'? What are the possible consequences of not enought tummy time?
Sorry, but what is 'IMHO'?
Yes, I have looked at the leap frog products and wondered whether they are any good. For what age would it be suitable?
I assume your child/ren were gifted in this way also?
Rachael

IMHO is in my humble opinion - a good discription for this mom's perspective on the following:

Lack of tummy time in our house "didn't encourage" gross motor development. Later at age 7, the teachers were having meeting after meeting with us because he couldn't or wouldn't sit comfortably in his chair, and was like a floppy worm in circle time. 6 months of Occupational therapy privatly and through the school was like opening a door into a whole new world for him. He's still hoovering at average for age, but having so much more fun - learned to ride his bike at age 9! If he had gotten help when he was younger, I think it would have been even better, cause by age 7 he was less likely to see it as fun, and more as remediation.

There is a theory that gifted children have "extra sensitive" nervous systems in general. The same behavior (cranky at loud noises, tags on the backs of clothing, big smells, bright lights, etc. see book: Out-of-Sync child) is viewed by OTs as Sensory Integration Disorder, which they can treat. I thought that being picky about socks and tags was normal, since in my family, those behaviors are very common. What a pleasure that someone can help!

Would more tummy time have helped there? Don't know, but I think so. Or at least the same thing that caused him to hate tummy time would have been detected earlier. This seems to be what happened to my nephew who wasn't rolling over at 6 month.

Do I think it's a disorder or normal side effect of giftedness? - I don't care. I'm just thrilled that on a vacation DS10 recently slept on a bed that he described as "like sleeping on 100 tags!" but he was able to do it. Go DS10!

Smiles - Trinity

I attribute a lot of Mite's motor issues to lack of tummy time, too. That was also the year those saucer seats came out and Mite LOVED his. I'd pull it from room to room and plunk him in it a lot. I wish I had it now because I would blow it up for the damage it did to my kid. AND AND AND sleeping on his back! I think kids hate tummy time and have a lot of delayed proprioceptor development because of sleeping on their backs. I know we are avoiding SIDS, but I think it's not the way the body is meant to be.

We have a lot of the same sensory issues and the dyspraxia (basically the body has no clue what to do with itself).

ok. off my soapbox.

Thank you both.
He has been sleeping better since he has had more tummy time and not protesting at all now - actuallly seems to enjoy it - for a while at least.
I can't really tell if he is sensitive about tags etc but I was - my mother used to say whenever I complained, "like the princess and the pea", making me feel like I was just being fussy and that I was just acting like a spoilt 'princess'!
Your advice is greatly appreciated.
Any other suggestions welcome!
Willa, can you explain dyspraxia to me? I had a student in one of my classes who had dyspraxia but noone could really explain to me what it was or how to help such a student.
Trinity, how do OTs treat Sensory Integration Disorder?

basically, nutshelled...and totally condensed

dyspraxia is neuromotor dysfunctioning, a executive function disorder.

The brain is unable to receive, process and output motor information. Motor skills that usually become automatic, never develop that automacity.

I think the best way to describe it is to tell you some of the difficulties I have as an adult with dyspraxia.

I have difficulty with balance and coordination to the degree that going down a large set of stairs is VERY difficult. I get vertigo and must hold on to something...preferrably both the rail and a human being. I have difficulty with space and orientation. I still cannot write well...get severe cramps in my hands if I have to write more than a sentence or two. If someone bumps me I stumble severely and even fall...being in crowds is impossible.

For my son, he cannot write with automacity. He is very uncoordinated and clumsy. He had great difficulty learning to ride a bike, climb steps, potty train, throw a ball, run, climb play structures, organize objects (comes across as ditsy:^).

For some people, like myself, the problems can become severe.

Because we know about this stuff now, kids can have the effects reduced by occupational therapy, but tummy time is the start. Very intelligent, highly gifted kids are very susceptible to dyspraxia due to asynchronous development.

You, with your extremely bright tiny guy, could do yourself HUGE favors by learning about the following terms now....I wish I had known about them when my oldest boy showed the signs your little guy is showing....


asynchronous development
twice exceptional
dual exceptional
working memory
personal memory
impersonal memory (your baby shows signs of these two being interconnected, actually)

Even though it will be hard to make the connections now, if you have an idea of what is to come, you will be able to intervene before things become issues.

Read these two books now, imo....Misdiagnosis of the Gifted

and The Mislabeled Child

both are excellent but it you have to chose then go for Mislabeled Child by the Drs Eide.

also check out their forum www.mislabeledchild.com

be blessed...your baby has a good and on top of it mommy!!

oh and...you can start doing sensory integration stuff NOW...

gentle massage
light brushing with one of those baby brushes on his arms, hands and lower legs (NOT face or torso or feet)
swaddling (he may hate it but its essential)
heavy rubbing of torso and back
lots of skin to skin contact -- nakey mommy naky baby chest to chest

use a baby "bundler" for this...this type of baby carrier is very natural....its a bit complicated to use the first couple of times but once you get the hang of it, its fantastic, like wearing a baby shirt.

I think it is www.babybundler.com


the classical music...talk to your baby while it is going on so he learns auditory discrimination...sometimes...sometimes just let him listen to it.....

tapes with stories...yes ever at this age....good calm literature being read by a calm, preferably male (I don't know why) voice...like Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, LIttle Women.
Find ones with accents too....British ones. Have a male in your family read some favorites...about an hours worth onto a tape, too.

read The Mislabeled Child I mentioned in the last post!!! :^)

We didn't pay enough attention to tummy time and gross motor skills either.... Wish we had.

What about giving him a boardbook (one for older kids that has a real storyline and maybe photographs) to look at during tummy time?

We also took digital photos and laminated them to board and made our own book for the kids to look at.

Mary

I was/am a Princess Pea-type also. So were many of my family members. I though having to cut tags out of shirts was normal. The Out of Synch Child explains how OT's deal with SID for the public. I'm guessing there are also websites. Jean Ayers was the OT who gave birth to this whole area.

Best Wishes'
Trinity

I sure don't mean to scare you or be a wet blanket, these problems can range from nonexistant to mild to severe. I just want to give you a heads up that these unusual kids miss alot while they develop in ways that are natural for them. You've taken some great steps -


1 - you asked, and found a place to ask
2 - you did the tummy time and now he likes it! Yeah!
3 - you took the first step in having an independent perspective from both you child and your "feelings" and it's working great. Part of parenting is following a child's lead AND leading the child when needed. It's a really beautiful and difficult balance - well done!

Trinity

Hear! Hear! Trinity

Rachael--
You are in an EXCELLENT spot! You KNOW already that your child is going to be a great promise and you have already started establishing the support network to help you parent him.

He's going to do well with an on top of it Momma like you!

Wanted to wish everyone a good weekend - Smiles
Trinity