Arte, do you think he will put some cream on it to help with that? It sounds like he's developed lick eczema - heaps of kids get it around their mouths from licking their lips and from dribble etc, but if he's constantly licking the same spot on his hands, it's only natural he will get it there too. Maybe laying down some ground rules will help with where he does it? Or even get him some gloves to wear in public at least?
Not much chance with the cream, he has never liked having creams on and since I can't touch his hands now... unless I do it while he is asleep?
I tried some gloves today and they worked for a while until he took them off. Might give them another go tomorrow. I don't think ground rules will work, he can't even not do it when I am sitting 2 feet away telling him not to do it!
Arte, I'm really pleased that the lady is coming up to see you about this. Even though it's confronting for you, it will be reassuring to talk to someone about it. I hope you come away with some specific strategies to try and also an offer of ongoing contact if you need it. In the meantime, try not to stress over it. It's just a thing. Plenty of people have strange little soothing behaviours, some of them are more common than others (thing nail-biting, for example) but it's just a small part of an otherwise full and balanced life.
The cream while he is sleeping sounds good.
I think its worth persisting with the gloves, may take weeks for him to get it. Maybe if you worked it in the routine of going out? Shoes jacket gloves.
I hope the lady can help.
Hugs
Sent from my Galaxy with the barefoot princess covering me in kisses, so please forgive the mistakes
I really think he should be assased again. I don't know about OCD with him, the only experience I have is my sister but she's very much thought based.
It sounds spd to me. Either way. I think it's really important that you get him checked again.
This has nothing to do with anything you have done! I understand the guilt, I deal with it too, but there is nothing you could have done to prevent this. Xxx
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk so forgive spelling mistakes
Can SPD just appear when they are this age though? It has come on in the last 6ish weeks. Certainly is related to anxiety e.g. we went on a school visit the other day but even though he looked fine and liked it, every time the teacher spoke to him he licked his hands or fingers.
MD, I know it is just a thing, but he just has so many things! I am sure we will get thought it though. Sigh.
It may not be something that just appears, but I guess until this point, there have probably been a lot of little things in isolation that have happened/that he does, that you haven't really thought much about, but when you look at it all in hindsight and put it all together, then you start to see that it's been building for a while. He's had the clothes issue for a long time, and that's a sensory thing - he's told you he wont wear new clothes because he doesn't know how they will feel, yet he is completely comfortable in his older, worn in clothes. I just had a look at some info on it, and he ticks a few of the SPD boxes for sure, but not near enough that you'd ever say he had it - kinda like how most people will all have a few aspie or OC traits kwim? I found the info here http://www.spdaustralia.com.au/does-my-child-have-spd/. You may have already found it, but if you haven't you can see that he certainly doesn't have most of what they say on that list.
When you were at the school the other day, did the teacher say anything about the licking? If you make him go to school, then it might be a real problem and you really need to talk to the teacher about it and find out what they can do to help him. Explain that you are trying to find out what's going on. Otherwise he will get to school and they may just think it's misbehaviour and try to make him stop it. Or is it even possible to hold him back to start in the new year and give you more time to work on him and try to help him?
I haven't ever really thought SPD, he does some things but not enough to think that it is an issue. He won't wear the new clothes because he is 'not used to them'. He hasn't tried them on to find out if he likes the feel or not lol.
The teacher didn't say anything about the licking, but it is probably just passing odd if you only see it a couple of times.
I am very hesitant to delay school - he is angsty enough about it now and leaving it until the new year will only see him worrying about it for an extra six months. He isn't the sort of kid that would just put it from his mind. I am hoping I can get in enough school visits to make him more comfortable with it. He left the other day saying it was much better than he thought it would be.
I guess I just have to wait and see what this lady says next week. I am sure we will be able to deal with this, and the next thing, and the thing after that just like we have with everything that has come before. I am so tired
Last edited by Artechim; July 27th, 2012 at 10:32 AM.
Awww Arte it certainly hasn't been an easy ride with him that's for sure. The school thing is a catch22 - holding him back could give him a chance to work through what's going on, but yeah, like you say it could also give him an extra 6 months of worry.
Perhaps you could start a behaviour chart.
A daily chart sectioned into time frames, hourly or whatever, and you can mark your basic routine in, some people have a key for set behaviours Ie #- licks etc.
There maybe a pattern, when he is tired he may do something. If you could keep a food diary too it could help.
Just ideas, not sure how practical they are for your situation.
Keep in mind that some of us don't fit entirely into 1pigeon hole, but can be bits and pieces of a few.
My ds1 can't be pigeon holed but has special features in his personality we make allowances for.
Clothes are a mega for him too. 2nd handshops are a blessing because he can tell straight away if something is comfortable- and most tags are then soft or have been removed already.
Sorry if it doesn't make sense, the barefoot princess is covering me with kisses
Thanks Doubletrouble. We have a reward chart for positive behavior/housework which is going quite well. I can already see that he licks more when upset/anxious - just chilling out at home he only does it is someone touches him, but if he is getting worked up he will do it more.
I have had him low sugar since about April and it has made a noticeable difference. Now he has a dairy food in his lunch box and maybe a small ice-cream as a special treat once in a while and that is about it for sweet stuff.
School is another headache. He is already miles ahead of the other kids. At the school visit the other day they were learning to recognize letters, something he has been doing since before he turned 3. Then they practiced writing a letter - he is writing in (adorably misspelled) sentences. In the time the rest of the class copied the sentence the teacher had written for them, he had written two by himself and drawn detailed pictures to go with them. A few months ago his reading age was 6.4 and he has improved since then. It is going to be boring enough for him to relearn everything as it is, if I delay him 6 months then he is going to be so far ahead that he won't be able to join in at all.
People have told me that each 'lesson' is only 5-10 minutes so he won't get bored, but it seems to me that lots of little lessons on things he already knows will get boring pretty quickly. Guess we will just have to see how it all goes.
ETA, Trill, you saw this coming a mile away lol. So did I, but it was either help him learn or he just disappears into his room and practices by himself.
I had DD2 assessed recently for SPD, I did a questionnaire that was graded by an OT and specialist teacher, she's boarderline for two, tactile and vestibular (both sensory seeking).
She also doesn't like new clothes, unless she picks them herself, hates woollen clothing has done since quite young.
As she's boarderline we don't need to see an OT but thats who I'd recommend you seek out for help
He is very lucky to have such a devoted mummy
I think you are doing a great job.
Agree that keeping him home from school doesn't look like a good thing for him and you will get a well earnt break.
Once the assessor has been i hope you will have more answers and then talking to the school will be good. I think once the teachers know him they can help too. He sounds Like a very special wee soul
Sorry if it doesn't make sense, the barefoot princess is covering me with kisses
It might not be an issue though Arte. If the classes are that small, then there should be no reason why the teacher cann't extend him - much different if it was a close of 20+ kids, but in a class as small as that it should be no problem.
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