anyone have a slouchy infant?

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my 4 year old with HFA, is always slouching. If he sitting in a chair he will lean to one side and tilt head onto his shoulder. If he is sitting at a desk he will put head onto table. If he is sitting on sofa within seconds you'll find him lying down. If he is standing he will lean against a wall.

He has a poor diet, very fussy about eating. I have just started to give him iron and multivitamin supplements.

Anyone also experience this? Is it diet related? Please help.

ive never considered my son "slouchy", but he has similar behavior. you'll often find him lying on the floor on his side. in the case of seating furniture, he faces it and leans forward so his belly is pressed against it and supports himself on his forearms on the seat. he will stay in this position for hours at a time if focused on his ds.

for mine, this is sensory seeking behavior. he requires a lot of whats called deep pressure contact. he has co-slept in our bed most of his life as he needs to be pressed up against something to relax and calm down enough for sleep. he will stand beside my desk chair when i am on the computer and just lean against it while hes watching tv. he simply needs more proprioceptive input than most kids, and this is something that isnt unusual for autistics.

i know from your previous posts your son has issues with hypotonia and fine motor skills. does he see an OT (occupational therapist) for that? in the US if hes got an IEP for speech at school he should be able to get OT services as well. if so, i'd talk to the OT about your concerns. they may be able to incorporate heavy work or push/pull activities into your sons therapy. those are things that engage the large muscles and provide a lot of proprioceptive feedback.

tv,

Has your son ever been evaluated by a PT or an OT? It sounds like he might have core muscle deficits, which makes a child appear "floppy." If you are in the US, and your child is receiving early intervention (3-5) services, PT and OT might be appropriate. Once he reaches elementary school, PT is unlikely if he can walk upstairs carrying a book-bag - the threshold for receiving PT in school is absurd when you hit school age services.

a four year old is not a infant

My son just turned 5, and we have had these issues since he was a baby. It is getting better though, he seems to be getting stronger all the time. I was told that the floppiness is due to low muscle tone (hypotonia) The way it was described to me is that it takes a lot more energy for my son to do the things that other children do so naturally, so he becomes fatigued easier. My son did start to receive physical therapy at 1 yr of age because he was not attempting to walk. For the last 2 yrs at school, he has received 30 minutes per week (I know, it is not much)of physical therapy. He also receives an hour per week of OT. Now that he is 5, his muscles really feel a lot more solid to me, although he still does not seem to play as hard as other kids. He can climb and jump, and walk up stairs holding onto the rail.

I think the other issue involved like another poster said, is that my son enjoys the deep pressure he gets from leaning on things. I try to give him lots of bear hugs through the day.

My son does eat pretty well. Does your son like yogurt? I also give my son a multi vitamin for kids everyday. He eats lots of fruits and vegetables and meat. I am not sure if it is diet related or not, but I don't think the good nutrition could hurt. I have heard others mention drinking the Instant Carnation Breakfast too.

I would definitely push for PT and OT if your son is not already getting these things, and just try to get him doing something physical as much as you can. My son really does not have high energy levels for much, but we just keep trying.

Hang in there. I think in time, things will get better.