Pediatric Therapy Center

And there is something more to tell....

Our meeting today was reassuring and comfortable.  After reviewing the mountain of paperwork we completed we were invited into a gym/play area.  The owner of the facility (an occupational therapist) met with us.  As we sat and answered a bunch of questions, she allowed Espen to explore on his own.  He did what he would normally - go every where at the speed of light.  Touching and moving things.  Interacting and talking to people all over in other sessions.  Then she took him in a little room and they colored and cut and she tested his fine motor ability.  Then she talked with us. 

Espen has a sensory perception(or integration) disorder.  Think of it as a giant issue if you will.  All of the senses (touch, movement, sight, sound, taste, body awareness, pull of gravity) are not interpreted or processed by the brain.  The result then in Espen's case is being over responsive to input (high pain threshold, unusually high activity level, extreme difficulty with fine motor tasks such as coloring and eating, self-regulation issues like not able to calm down very easily and social problems).  So while there is always speculation that he is "normal" and that I am overacting or that I need to spank more or punish more -it is not the case.  For him spanking is a joke because it doesn't hurt.  And his extreme activity level is a response to stimuli. 

If normal is a bell shape, Espen scored 2 steps outside of the bell on being overly responsive to stimulation.  His senses are getting worked overtime and he has not yet determined a way to cope with it all.  We have recently seen lots of acting out, angry outbursts, crying tantrums.  He has complained that school is to loud and he wants to escape.  I can not take him to the grocery store or mall or any store because the lights, sounds and smells drive him crazy.  He has a very difficult time playing with any other children because he has a real hard time recognizing his strength or where his body is flying and he hurts them.  It is a sad thing to know when he is in the playground with others, if they cry it is because of Espen.  It is hard to explain to a happy friendly little boy why some parents have not wanted him to play with their children.  His fine motor ability is fairly low.  He can cut and color but not with any great ability or agility.  And the tasks are so taxing on him that he gets very mad and acts out very quickly. 

She explained it in a good way for us.... if you are driving in a snowstorm with the radio on and the kids start talking or screaming what do you do first?  Turn down the radio?  We naturally start to limit the stressors.  Espen is getting all the stressors and stimuli all the time and can't process it or turn any of it off.  Walking and feeling the air and seeing the sights is not enough for him.  He walks, then runs faster & faster so he can feel all the wind and then throws himself to the ground so that he smashes into it because THAT feels AWESOME to him.  More is better when you don't get the connections in your brain.   So wow... that is good to know... where do we go?

We have scheduled therapy sessions.  Three a week for now.  It will drop down to 2 a week at the first of the year and then space out as he starts to understand and as we start to be able to help him.  It is occupational therapy.  He thinks it is a giant play place.  The therapist will have activities that challenge his ability to respond in an organized way.  And teach him the awareness of appropriate responses.  It is a neat system.  We have "homework"  and a sensory practice at home too.  We have to get a routine developed that includes time every couple hours for activities that help readjust his brain so that he can function in "normal" parameters.  It might take a few weeks for us to figure it out and start to really learn what helps & what doesn't.

For him it will be play.  Hopefully for us it will mean a child who can sit for a couple minutes quietly.  Who we can play puzzle, games and color with.  Who won't do risky things like climb on the deck railing or the top of the slide at the playground.  Maybe we can teach him about stranger danger and not running in the street.  Maybe he can play with little people and not hurt them.  Maybe I can go to the bathroom without worrying about what he can get into or out of while I do it. 

Even if you think it is a bunch of bull, we need to try.  I can't go on the way we are.  I feel like I scream at him all the time and that we are on a road to destruction and failure at school.  I feel like if we don't do something, even as vigilant as I am, he is going to be hurt, burned or poisoned.  It is only a matter of time. And I want it to be better. 

Thankfully our insurance covers 50 visits a year.  That is why we are getting so many in before the end of the year.  We start the 50 again in January.  We have a co-pay of $25 a session.  So while $75 a week is maybe not much, it will be a stretch sometimes.

The good news is that we have been doing some things really great!  In his case, gross motor development and exertion are a very calming thing.  And the water.  The stimuli of the world is not heard under water.  If you have ever seen him in the pool or bath you recognize he can be under for an extraordinary time!  It is quiet there!  So we will continue with swim lessons.  And I think skating lessons we will continue as long as I can earn that bit of scratch at Deitze.  Because we recognize the importance already of those activities. 

So I tried to think of all your questions.  I am sure I forgot some.  Ask away.  It was finally nice to not be judged as a bad parent.  It was finally great that someone heard our concerns and made us feel heard.  It was nice that they accepted Espen and his behavior as his normal and want to not take that away but help him fit into the greater world.  These people didn't want to medicate my baby but want to help make him feel connected to himself! 

That is where we are at now... and we start on Monday... three sessions next week.  We are going to work with the teacher at preschool and see what happens from now until December 20.  Then we will make the decision about preschool  It will be a busy week of learning and trying.  And our regular schedule.  And I am already exhausted! 

If you want to read more... sensory processing.