Sensory Processing Disorder.

This blog was first on my myspace blog but I decided to move it here.

I read up about it and the boys have a lot of the symptoms of it. I kinda get excited because we have a name for what is going on with them. So I look at the treatments and a lot of them they are getting from the Occupational therapy they are receiving through the school . So now I am even more excited.

They have made a lot of progress since the beginning of the year. They are writing better and have a lot more motor skills such as hopping on one foot, skipping, galloping, balancing. Michael has been writing more of his homework instead of typing it. This is big because he used to freak when I just asked him to write his name.

So I am taking them to school this morning and I see the OT person. We are chit chatting about the boys and I mention this disorder, SPD. She says that they thought that is what the boys had but they are not responding to traditional therapy. She says that none of the standard treatments are working. She then proceeds to tell me that the boys are a phenominon and that none of the OT people at her work can figure them out. She said their intellegence levels are way above average but they just can't focus. They can't finish their work independantly and can't sit still. They did give Michael and exercise ball to sit on during class to help him since he can't sit criss cross applesauce without being really fidgity. The ball has helped some and he is participating more in class discussions etc but he is the only child sitting on a red excercise ball during class.

So I tell Charles about this. His reaction is that we should stop therapy if they don't have a solution or a cause of their behavior. He is worried that all this singling out and being pulled out of class for therapy is making them selfconscious. They already have a hard time with social situations and he feels that they are being set apart too much. He wants to boost their confidence and he feels that therapy just keeps telling them something is wrong with them.

Well I totally get his point and can see his side. But I am also worried that stopping therapy may be wrong. First of all we have a crappy HMO that won't pay for shit. No therapy is offered. We have taken them to the doc and to a neuropsychologist and they were supposed to have a CAT scan but the group never approved it. The therapy provided is at the schools cost. So we pay nothing. They work with the school and have the boys work tailored to meet there abilities. What happens if we go to the school and say thanks but no thanks. Maybe they won't be as helpful kwim.

So I really don't know what to do next. All I want is for them to be able to function at school, do their work and be happy. Right now none of those things are happening. They hate school and say it is boring. Well it doesn't get any better than Kindergarten. So what do I tell them. Guess what you have at least 12 more years to go.