Wondering about sensory processing disorder

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momtofour
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09 Oct 2017, 12:04 am

I've been reading up on it--mostly online. The same symptoms/traits are mentioned without much elaboration. Let me list some traits I've seen in my child. We have no diagnosis. Yet.

At 1st birthday party there were 3 or 4 people there with cameras with flashes and many pictures were taken. After that no one could take a picture of her for at least 2 years. She would turn away, cover her face, etc. Now she is able to tolerate flash photography.

First time we took her to a fire works display on the 4th of July, she ended up curled up in the floorboard of the car--terrified. Hated fireworks when very young but now can tolerate them. Didn't seem abnormal at the time, but now I'm questioning.

In elementary school she absolutely dreaded fire drills because of the sound of the alarm.

Any unexpected loud noise could just undo her. I remember going on a fairly tame ride at Epcot once. At the end there was a surprise explosive sound. My other two children who were younger were startled--we all were. But she burst into tears and was inconsolable for a good while. She was probably 14 at the time. She can tolerate most roller coasters, interestingly.

Orthodontic treatment was a nightmare. She gagged on impressions. They put an appliance in the roof of her mouth to stop her thumb sucking habit, and she was in a state of near panic for over a week. I had to sleep with her. It was horrible. I deeply regret letting them do it. I had a feeling it would be rough, but I had no idea. She did eventually adjust. Having the braces actually put on was also a nightmare for her. Having the cheek spreaders in her mouth. Not being able to close her mouth--again a state of panic during the entire procedure. At the time I chalked it all up to a newly developed dental phobia. She also had anxiety over first wearing the retainer--but at least she had some control over that. When it felt overwhelming, she could at least take it out of her mouth for a few minutes. This was at ages 13-15. These dental issues don't fit neatly on this lists I see for symptoms of SPD, but it seems very sensory related to me. Am I wrong?

She hates elevators and will take many flights of stairs to avoid them.

She's struggled with occasional anxiety attacks since adolescence, but she had some anxiety at even younger ages.

She is a young adult now. Because of many struggles she's having now and because I have another younger daughter who was recently diagnosed mild ASD/Asperger's--I am considering that this (autism/sensory processing) may be an underlying cause for many of her problems. I knew nothing about sensory issues or autism before my youngest was diagnosed. Still learning.

Sorry this is so long. My question is... Do the above symptoms sound anything like SPD or just a sensitive, anxious child?

In case you are wondering, I've been in contact with more than one psychologist about scheduling an evaluation for her. She WILL be getting professional help. I'm just trying to get some perspective (is this significant or not?) on this before I start helping her fill out questionnaires and all the intake forms. Thanks in advance!



ASDMommyASDKid
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09 Oct 2017, 12:49 pm

I am not personally aware of the process with SPD b/c my son was always diagnosed with autism and it was never a question of whether it might be only sensory issues as a stand-alone thing.

That said, what you are describing sound consistent with having sensory issues --so I think it is worth looking into.



DW_a_mom
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09 Oct 2017, 2:11 pm

If she is open to it, I would look into it. And also the possibility that she has un-diagnosed ASD. It really has to be her choice, of course, but to have a label could help her understand her difficulties better. Getting a label to describe my son's issues was like being handed a key. It opened so many doors of understanding.

Still, I have to caution that there can be downsides to getting an ASD related diagnosis in a medical file. While we've never had any, some people have. Even as a stand alone I believe SPD is considered related to ASD, so just be aware.


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Mom to an amazing young adult AS son, plus an also amazing non-AS daughter. Most likely part of the "Broader Autism Phenotype" (some traits).


momtofour
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16 Oct 2017, 4:28 pm

Thanks for the replies. She is definitely open to being evaluated. It's just hard to find someone that I feel comfortable with--diagnosing a female who is older now. She's in college.

Whoever we do end up using, I will definitely bring these sensory issues to his/her attention.