Sensory Intergration and Visual Processing

http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/index.html

This is a really great website with good positive ideas
GOOD LUCK.

I have 6 kids and five of them have sensory issues, two of those with visual processing disorders. Of course the ADHD meds didn't work because he doesn't have it. This is something that hapens frequently - kids are misdiagnosed and/or mismedicated because of the sensory issues. I think the last statistics I saw said that something like 85% of all kids diagnosed with ADHD had misdiagnosed sensory issues and if those were targeted the child would not need medication.

Have you read the book The Out of Sync Child or The Out of Sync Child has Fun? I highly recommend anyone with a child with sensory issues read them. My kids were on sensory diets for years (not eating type of diet, but actions). Have the OT's talked to you about this and had you do this with your son daily? Does he have an IEP that includes a sensory diet during his school day? I'm not one to be able to help with the kids at school issue because my kids are homeschooled, partly because the few years we did try in regular school were horrendous and my oldest two were teased terribly.

I hope this helps. I'm just in Roseville, so if you ever want to talk more or get together, just e-mail me privately and we'll work something out.

I believe my son has sensory processing disorder, although not as severe as some. The schools are not really set up to identify it or work with it, unless you get lucky. I have done some reading on the internet and started applying things myself, even teaching the teacher what she can do to help him succeed. I wish I had more specific information for you, but all I can say is educate yourself and continue to advocate. I didn't suspect that medications would work because they are looking at the symptoms. Have you tried any natural supplements? I know some people who have had remarkable results with autism and ADD/ADHD just by getting proper minerals and enzymes in their little brains. I know my son does much better when he takes his "super juice". Anyways, good luck and don't give up or give in.

My son has some visual and also auditory processing problems, a speech problem and some sensory issues (mostly to sound). When he was young, he didn't speak until he was maybe 5. At 6 and 7 his speech was unintelligible. it was like he made up his own language. He is 11 now, and doing very well in Sp. Ed.. Academically, he is behind by a few years, but he is well liked by the other kids, very smart, very kind, very creative..and still a goofball who laughs when nothing seems to be funny to anyone else. =)
I have known children who were misdiagnosed and behaved bizarrely at young ages, but became pretty normal as they got older.
I don't know the details of your son's case, but be careful about experimenting with medications. I am not against medication, I just think there needs to be a very clear diagnosis---it shouldn't be a guess or experiment or to appease teachers or administrators who find a child demanding...The school asked us many times if we had "considered medication" for our son. But wasn't sick, just a little weird and confused, and he just needed a slower curriculum and more patience.
I think a lot of kids are just strange and/or difficult---NOT sick. Everyone seems to want to think that odd children need to be "cured". I think there are ways of helping children learn, adapt or cope, without considering them ill.
I read an amazing book called "Raising Blaze" by a mother who struggled with a very unusual boy, and I definitely recommend it as a book to make a parent think differently about their child, and about "the system".

Hi! I would look into the physical diet as well. Our OT told me that new studies show that sensory integration issues can arise from issues with the gut. Think about it: Cognitive development is a complex process. If the body is not able to digest all the nutrients necessary for physical and brain development, problems will arise. After I removed the foods that my son is sensitive to from his diet, he stopped falling sick and made significant improvements with the sensory integration issues. It took quite a number of months though for the effects to be seen. We're also doing SAMONAS, an auditory integration therapy, and are quite happy with his progress. I don't know if this works with visual processing disorder as our issues are more tactile, auditory and self-regualtion. But I understand that the auditory, vestibular and other intricate systems are closely linked, so it would be worth exploring.

This are 2 great options:

1. http://www.nacd.org/

2. http://www.iahp.org/

I have a child who is 7 with this problem. Like others who said, she would respond to a question totally off topic. She uses words out of context, has a limited vocabulary (for a child her age it should be better), has problems with complex multi syllable words and doesn't understand social cues to the level others her age normally would.

She was born with thrush, a fungal infection. Although the doctors only treated the bumps in the mouth, she also had it on her bum when she had a BM, which convinced me she had it internally (gut). However no doctor would aknowledge that. I learned recently fungus has the same protien chain as celiacs disease, so both can cause damage to the intestines and both cause similar symptoms and both benefit from the same diet along with MG supplementation. Fungus has been blamed by some doctors for ADD/brain fog type problems. I dunno if it is the cause for my child's problem. She also got very ill for 3 months after a double vaccine at 5 months.

I also recently started giving magnesium malate and rubbing magnesium oil on my kids skin to increase MG levels. MG can detox heavy metals (I recently read it is good to give before vaccines)but it is also low when kids have been on ABX (which my dd was)and MG deficiency symptoms are confusion, IQ loss, innatention and aggitation, tantrums, ADHD, sensitivity to noise, recurrent ear infections and prolonged lung infections after a cold, constipation, teeth problems and fungus... all of which my DD had/has problems with. After researching MG, I have a lot of expectation for this supplement. I also give Cod liver oil and vit B supplements, liquid, under the tounge. And probiotics during MG supplementing to increase its absorption. The MG with B6 together helps with serotonin.

I want to add that I homeschool my kids and I can see that she is gifted in many ways, just different ways. I worried about her acceptance with other kids but so far all the homeschool kids are really good with her and she has good freinds. My DD is quirkey, but with lots of attention and love and patience she has gotten through. The patience is the hard part for us sometimes. I know she will do great things someday.

I would think twice about ADHD medicines, which doctors tend to keep increasing or adding different kinds when the kids don't respond to it. Many times the doses are increased or mixed to such a point that the kids get serotonin syndrome (overdose poisoning), and the neurological damage is irreversable...head rolling, shrugging, tics and twitches,tremors,aggitation, depression, headaches, failing motor skills, slurring speech, hyperflexia, and akathesia (can't sit still- which is the leading symptom).

God bless,
Gail

B.,
My son has mild add and a processing disorder. He does not always make sense either, or he will say something that is totally irrelevant to the converstation and think that it makes sense. Most of the time people don't realize that he is in a special ed class. I spent years wanting a diagnosis, finally got one at the age of 12, and then they tell us there is nothing they can do for the processing disorder. We have noticed there is a big difference in the way he is off of his medicine. I can literally see his brain spinning like he can't slow it down long enough to think. Things that have helped are we know he is a visual learner. Anytime we can we make something visual for him to grasp what he needs to learn. For math we took a giant metal screw and put nuts and bolts on it that could slide.
This way he could learn his addition and subtraction. WE also only give him two things at a time to do. Like brush your teeth and take your meds. The next two would be make your bed and get dressed and so on. He was also very hard to potty train, that's when we really started to grasp the idea that there was something wrong. I wish you luck, what ever you do though expect great behavior from him. We have expected him to behave the same way his sisters do, and he has had many out of control classmates over the years, it makes it difficult for every one when kids that have special needs don't behave, unless there is a medical reason. Good luck
W. M;

I have a child with sensory issues and just last week his Behaviorist recommended the book Building Bridges Through Sensory Integration.
I do not have the book yet or know much about it but thought I would pass along the information.

Try some of the support groups at Parents Helping Parents in San Jose: www.php.com

They have a library, so you save yourself some money by borrowing them, instead of buying.

A lot of kids with non-verbal learning disorder or aspergers syndrome have sensory integration issues, so those groups may help.

I can't offer my own personal victory story because I have none. I wish there were more resources around for you.

The only thing I can offer may seem like crazy advice, but Oliver Sacks is a real person. He is the biggest guru in this country in sensory processing. I wonder if you could get a recommendation from his office to see someone local to where you are about your child's issue? He is supposed to be a very nice guy, although I am sure he is inundated with requests. He is on the east coast, and should not be hard to track down.

Hope that helps.