Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional Sensory Integration and Problems in the Cafeteria

Hi! I'm new to this discussion board, so just alittle about us and then our problem.

My daughter Audrey was diagnosed with SID at a 3yrs. We have been going to an OT almost weekly ever since. She is 6 yrs this month. Her primary SID is proprioceptive, and her secondaries are auditory and vestibular. I am a SAHM with a 20 month old at home as well.

We send her to a private school that we hope will be able to challenge her academically in the future as well as help us develop her self control and discipline. Her teacher, school administrators and I are in a predicament with lunch time.

The cafeteria is your standard white, bright and loud environment and it's very hard for Audrey to filter all the sensory input and it plays out with "wild, uncontrolled" behavior that ends up disrupting her friends and disrespecting her teachers. Her Dean of Students sees a great improvement in her behavior if she is taken out of the cafeteria and made to eat lunch in the school office, however they have decided this can not be a permanent solution and want her to go back to eating in the cafeteria.

They are asking for solutions to this problem. I have an email in to her OT, but thought I would see what others with gifted SID children would do in our circumstance. One suggestion made by the DOS is that I eat lunch with her every day... this could be difficult since my toddler is in that won't sit still stage. I also wonder if this just would prolong Audrey from learning these skills sooner and possibly reward disruptive behavior if it brings mommy to school every day.

TIA!