sensory issues

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Hello,

Is there any way to objectively measure sensory intake?
My seven-year old son is very active, makes lots of noise , and when I ask him, he says he's not bothered by kids in school yelling on the playground e.g.- in fact, he's probably the one yelling the hardest. He does get overloaded, though. I wonder if it is possible that he's not aware of getting too much sensory input, or that he's simply not bothered.

There is a questionaire called a Sensory Profile. In the end it's still subjective, but it lists a lot of things you might not have thought much about, and can give you a good picture of where the sensory issues are. Also, there are kids who are "sensory seekers", who seek and create noise and movement rather than avoid it. Basically they are under reactive to sensory stimulus, and so need more more more to satisfy their sensory system.

Thank you, Zette. I've checked it out, will ask his therapist if she does this profiling.
But the thing is, I know what he responds to, I'm curious if there's a way to find out wether or not there are sensory stimuli he doesn't respond to but are still overwhelming.
Also, could it be possible that he both is 'seeking' but also being overstimulated at the same time? He is definitely 'seeking' motoric stimuli (standing on hard objects, can't sit still, falls of his chair regularly), which is not a problem - but sometimes I suspect he is being overstimulated- maybe for other senses- without being aware of it.
I myself have become aware of the fact that I am easily overstimulated by sound and noises only late in my twenties.
I just find it so disappointing that these things aren't being measured; it's all questionnaires and observation.

You've defined my son in a nutshell. He is both sensory seeking and becomes overly stimulated.

It took forever for me to figure it out. He loves Chuck-E-Cheese, the gym, the playground, the cafeteria... yet these are the very situations which seem to trigger meltdowns and for hours afterwards, he has difficulty following instructions, is more likely to argue, and asks repetitive questions. He also does this when playing video games.

At age 12, he is finally understanding why we have to limit these things for him and plan for down time after a big event, like his recent field trip to a hand-on museum packed with kids, and quiet time during the holidays after running around yelling with the cousins.

As for your question, I don't know any test for it, but I definitely see it in my son.

Eureka-c, thank you for your reply. I wonder, is your son conscious about him getting overstimulated? Or do you need to act as a regulator on his behalf? I'm asking this because I find it hard to estimate how much he can take. I usually only find out when it's too late. Also, school seems to be overwhelming, but it only shows when I come to pick him up. He will go from hyperactive to drained on the ride home.

Occupational Therapists might be able to help with that, I do not know if they have standard tests, or how they come up with sensory diets. I do not know how scientific it is.

My son does not realize he is becoming overstimulated. He is only beginning to understand/believe that he does become overstimulated. FYI though, we did not even get a diagnosis until 4th grade and had no idea why he was so emotionally reactive and struggled so much socially and behaviorally at school. So it may be different for your son since he is starting earlier. We regulate and pay close attention to increases in fidgety, picking, obsessive behaviors that usually indicate he is overstimulated and moving toward meltdown mode.

that is my son to a T. There is NEVER.ENOUGH.INPUT! He needs to constantly sit on you, lean on you, have his body all over you, and he sleeps in our bed laying on us, and then he will cry that he is lonely if we say we need personal space! He needs to have constant body pressure. He jumps all the time, he used to crash into things (we finally got that under control), he loves to be squished, hugged tight, he loves rough play, etc...but there is seriously never enough. It is like he is a bottomless pit of sensory seeking.

My son has some issues that I really struggle to understand... he squeezes my animals, is violent with siblings (and enjoys tackling them, laughing hard! He screams when we go to the store (laughing)... does OT really help???

My son has some issues that I really struggle to understand... he squeezes my animals, is violent with siblings (and enjoys tackling them, laughing hard! He screams when we go to the store (laughing)... does OT really help???