Advice needed on my next steps treating PDD-NOS

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Hi, All. I have not been here in quite a while.

My son (11 years old, PDD-NOS, Mood Disorder-NOS, SPD - tactile) is going to finish up his year of vision therapy next week (yay!!). It's made an immense difference in both his vision and sensory integration. He also finished up a year of socialization therapy, which also reaped great benefits. Because of time and financial restraints, I can only do one therapy at a time (I paid OOP for vision therapy, socialization was through school, free).

My son is stable as far as stable goes. It seems to go in waves. The worst it gets now is maybe an hour of verbal rage a week for a while, then perfection for a few weeks. No violence in 1.5 years (wow!!). Right now he takes 2.5mg of Abilify (for mood), 600mg Inositol 2x daily (for sensory), and 1000 iu vitamin D.

I have a few questions -

Epsom salt baths - I would like to try these with my son for many reasons. Detox, sensory integration, and relaxation. Advice on how to start? Realistically I think I could only get him to take it once a week to start. Any unusual complications I might expect w/ a PDD-NOS child or certain amount to start out with? Other comments? I plan to try them myself as well.

CBT for anxiety - I think the main driver for many of my son's ongoing outbursts is anxiety. I believe he is stable enough for CBT (cognitive behavior therapy) to help him manage his anxiety and get tools to help reduce it. I emailed all the organizations I could to get the name of a good therapist. No one could help me. Does anyone know of one in the Chicago area that has experience w/ PDD kids? Any organization that I might not have contacted?? I have decided this is our next therapy for at least a year.

SPD brushing/treatment - As previously mentioned, we can only do one therapy at a time, so I want him in CBT instead of OT. I would like to do brushing at home (legs and feet mostly). Can you recommend a book and tool kit? I want to make sure I know what I am doing. Any risk in doing it at home w/out being professionally trained? Do OT offer one-time services to show you how to do it at home?

OK - some good things I just can't help but share!! My son started Junior high (6th grade) and joined cross country! On his own, with no prodding or discussion with me. He completed the entire season and went to practice every single day (5 days a week). He ran in the rain. HE WORE TIE SHOES FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER IN HIS LIFE!! ! AND, he figured out how to tie them! Wow, this was such a big deal. I tried for soooo many years to get him out of the velcro before I decided it was a battle that just wasn't worth it, more important things to tackle. They do cause issues here and there, but I bought him some adaptive things for the shoes that may fix that problem. Anyway, it was a very exciting moment. He picked out and actually wore not only new, but TIE shoes.

He has not had a bowel movement in his pants and I have not had to wipe him in over a year as well.

Thanks all.

Can't speak on the sensory stuff, but CBT methods have really worked well for my kiddo with his Anxiety. We got the book Freeing Your Child from Anxiety and worked the steps on our own with him. It would have been great to have a professional as well, but that wasn't in the cards. It is a very enlightening book that offers insight and exercises to help your child gain control over their anxious emotions. It has been a vast improvement this past year.

Thanks for all the good news updates!

My son matured leaps and bounds in time for 6th grade I think crossing the right i's for your unique child at the right time in those crucial years can pay big dividends, as you've seen.

I hear good things about CBT but I do not, unfortunately, have any referrals for you.

No idea on the other two. I can imagine my son enjoying epson baths ... and telling me I was nuts if I tried any type of brushing therapy but that is about it. Haven't tried either; we're just on a nice, even keel (my son is 14 and in High School now) so the motivation isn't there to look further.

Terrific, BJ!

We are very happy with the comprehensive program at the PDC at Illinois Masonic in in Lakeview, DS is currently in therapy where we're working on rigidity issues. IDK if it's strict CBT, but it's as close as DS will allow it to be - and it's covered by our insurance.

epsom salt baths -- there are no complications that I know of. they make cremes for kids who are difficult to bathe. you can soak your feet etc. instead of a whole bath. you can also put epsom salt and water in a spray bottle. do it before bed.

Hi BJ-

Glad to hear things are going pretty good. Sorry I can't give any advice on any of the questions, but I will share what I know about the brushing. My son's OT started it on him when he was only 18 mos. old. It was a small soft brush that she left with me (not sure where she got it from, maybe an OT catalog or something.) She told me that you need to brush only over the skin, not clothes to skin. Press down when you brush in order to give deep pressure. It is supposed to help regulate the system.. I am not sure how much good it did, but from time to time I will bring it out and just brush his arms and legs and he loves the way it feels. He is 6 now. I need to remember to do it more often cause my son does get pretty keyed up at times. That is all I know, maybe you could check with your OT at school.

Good luck!