SPD and jerky hand and foot movements .

[*charmalea*]

i did a thread a few weeks ago about DD . and some things have come to light after advice from parents that it could be a SPD , in sensory seeking .

i just have another question . ive noticed this before with DD but the light bulb only came on this morning .

DD will sit in her car seat and her hands and forearms and feet will make movements , almost like on their own , remember when new borns make funny movement with thier hands when the discover them ? thats kind of what it looks like , jerky movements .

i was happening in the car and i pulled over and watched her for a second , i dont think she noticed it . or me looking at her . i was scared i thought she was having a minor fit . ( thats what it looked like )

so are SPD and hand/feet movenments related ?

and please dont laugh or make fun . but is SPD something that needs to be dx urgently? . also there is a link between SPD and Gifted childeren . if you are the parent of a gifted child . who is older than my DD (2.6) can you PM me .

i have a feeling this is what DD is . anyone who has met her can pick theres something different about DD but not quite sure what .

i have a pead appt on the 14th of april . but i want to see if i should push for an earlier appt or if its just me who thinks its urgent .. kwim
tia

[christy]

SPD can affect children differently. My DD1 has SPD as well as autism and is know to do flappy movements, not necessarily jerky ones.

I would suggest seeing an OT who specialises in SPD or paediatrics. Paediatricians don't all work with SPD, and often I've been told that there is no such thing. OT's are the ones who do the assessments and diagnosis of. Check out online for an SPD checklist and bring that with you to the paed if you want a referral. Check the Autism Australia information out for OT's who work with SPD. 80% of Autistic children have SPD. That is why it is so related.

I had DD1 in at the Brisbane Mater Childrens for an interdisciplary assessment. She had a hearing assessment, speech assessment, OT assessment, Paediatrician assessment and physio assessment. It was very comprehensive and gave us a great place to start from. People who work with kids with different issues including high IQ's find the pieces to the puzzle and put it together.

[MistyFying]

*charmalea* jerky movements can also be associated with low muscle tone.

[HotI]

A neuro condition could cause symptoms like SPD (i think you are talking about sensory processing disorder) as well as muscle jerks. Or there could be a primary condition of SPD where muscle jerks as a symptom.

If you can record your DDs movements, it might help the Paed work out what the cause might be. Also noting when they are more likely to occur; at rest or play, day or night, after or before food, when tired or active... If you talk to her when she is experiencing them do they stop?

[*charmalea*]

Thanks guys. Christy, I am sure dd is not autistic. Once I started to notice her behaviour I thought it was autisim as it runs in my family , or it was ADHD . Neither of them seem like dd. The Check list I have for SPD Is quite a long one and I have noticed a big pattern when checking off the list . I have a checklist for " gifted " kids too and have checked all the ones dd can do . But if I do all the tests and we find dd is gifted . From what I have found , there's nothing you can do .

I did see her do the same movements this afternoon on the drive home from kindy . I told dh and we are going to observe her when we go on the drive to the coast for a weekend away . If I see it I will tape it . Thanks for that idea

What are the signs of poor muscle tone ? Dd has always met her milestones and then some so I'm not familar with it . Her tummy muscles are that great as she has the biggest pot belly around lol . But can climb better than a monkey so I don't know if It could be .

A Neuro problem? I can't see the pp so I forget what it said . But I did think it could be neurological the movements seem invoulintary and not like hand flapping . And they stop when I engage her in a conversation . If she's doing it and I call her name , she will look at me and say "what" but her hands and feet keep moving . But if I make her look for something or talk back to me she will stop . Kwim?

Just another Q . Forgive me if I sound dumb but if she is sensory seeking , do I let her do her thing or so I try to stop her ? ie : rolling around through the grass or flipping upside down over and over when she's being held

[christy]

What we've done is OT exercises to help her not need to sensory seek as much. When it is appropriate, we let her go for it, when it isn't (in school etc..) she needs the support through OT stuff in order to not need to do it.