Hi Amy,
I have a 13 year old Boy who had sensory issues when he was younger. There are things you can do to help him - both with physical and occupational therapy and home based activities can all make a difference. Your goal will be to help him develop the strength, motor skills and strategies needed to self regulate and compensate.
The Out of Sync Child is the best resource out there to understand sensory issues and the ways to help your child. Here is their web site:
http://www.out-of-sync-child.com/What can you do to help? There are a couple of "must do's" that I would undertake immediately:
1. Make a referral to your school's district's special education office. Write a letter notifying them that your son has recently been diagnosed. Ask them to evaluate him for special education. Under IDEA, which is federal special education law, Districts are required under the �child find� provision to locate children that may need extra instruction and accommodations and to give them the necessary services such as OT and PT. While your child�s issues are not academic, they may affect his ability to participate in school, for example, dealing with noise, movement, walking up and down stairs, handwriting, staying alert or calming down.
Once you have made the referral, your district MUST evaluate your son in all areas of suspected difficulty: PT, OT (and anything else such as speech and language, social pragmatics) within about 60 days (timelines vary by state). They will present you with a written evaluation report that includes the test results, interpretation, analysis and recommendations. You will meet with a team of educators including the evaluators and a special ed team leader to review the results and determine if your child is eligible for school based services. If he is, you will write an IEP (individual education program) that outlines his needs, goals and services. The school will provide you services.
If your school district has a public pre-school, he may be eligible to get his services during the pre-school day. Some of his services may be given directly in the pre-school setting, or he may go to the gym or other room that has needed equipment. This would be provided at no cost to you.
2. Think about enrolling your son in a pre-school gymnastics class and or martial arts class. This will help him develop the upper body strength and motor planning skills that he is lacking. It is also a structured and way to help him become more adept and confident with climbing, tumbling and pushing himself athletically. Be sure that the teacher has knowledge of child development and is skilled at working with young children. For my son, Karate did more for him than school based and private PT combined. It works on sequencing, strength, listening skills, memory and it is a great way to burn off steam.
3. At home, try to give your child a �sensory diet�.
http://www.sensorysmarts.com/sensory_diet_activities.html These are activities and experiences that are designed to help him better tolerate sensory discomfort, keep him more alert and attentive, help him transition more easily. Things that my son enjoyed: swinging, water play- plastic bowls in a water filled kitchen sink, sandbox, play dough, wheel barrow, shovel, things to dig and push.
4. Keep an eye on related issues. For my son, his sensory issues were a red flag to future difficulties with reading, writing and attention. While not all kids with sensory issues have learning disabilities, there is a high co-morbidity rate.
Best of luck to you and your son!
