Also, everything I�ve been reading about SPD says that children hit their milestones late and that is the complete opposite of DD!
LOL, She may be hitting those milestones later than she would if she wasn't putting so much energy into dealing with the world, you never know!
anyway - my son was misdiagnosed when we first started noticing 'the difference' and he did go to Occupational Therapist for Sensory Issues, and it did help him tremendously, and our insurance paid for most of it. Later when we found how that he was gifted and what that 'meant' I realized that he was 'probably' 'just' extreamly OE, but I was really grateful that we had come down the 'something wrong with him path' so that we got him to the OT instead of writing it off as 'just gifted-manage the environment.'
Does that make sense? So, to me, if her differences are interfering with your daily life, and you mind, then try OT, and quit if it doesn't help.
As for sleeping, DS13 was a non-sleeper,and again, I heard that gifted kids don't need to sleep. Looking back, I think that DS DID need to sleep, but was terrible at winding down. Now that he is big, I give him Melatonin, which triggers him to wind down, but never saw that type of behavior before that. Later I read
Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect, and Communicate with Your Baby by Tracy Hogg
And wondered if this would have helped at all. Let me know!
We did use a baby sling, and he would drift off as long as I was wearing him, and that helped. Since he was my first, we both just napped a lot. Get as much social support as you can. Get outside in the fresh air as much as you can.
If she is staying on her weight chart, I would totally let her manage her own eating. I've seen lots of kid/parent unit go down the path of worried mom/manipulative kid. Lots of journaling and venting on that one. Also, check to see if her food is tasty. I tried to give my son 'only the best' natural cheerios, etc. Yeah, didn't want to eat something that tasted like cardboard. I can't tell you the number of kids I know who 'never eat' at their house, but mysteriously eat the 'semi-healthy' food at my house. Potato Chips and Goldfish crakers are both exactly 50% of their calories from fat...Guess which one raised motherly eyebrows in my neighborhood. People are weird. Count the ingredients! I have no problem with families who don't eat either, but what makes Goldfish Crackers normal baby food?
Try and get enough sleep for yourself, even if you have to put a mattress on the floor of her room and lock the two of you in there for your daytime nap.
Love and More Love,
Grinity
