For a while, Carter’s been seeing an Occupational Therapist. His friend Maddie explains that it’s to help with his “snit fits.” Which is partially true. Carter says it’s just fun, and helps his hands get stronger, which is also true. I explain it as helping him feel more comfortable in his skin, which I also believe to be true. The reason on his insurance forms is sensory integration disorder.
It isn’t the hugest challenge any family has faced. Carter’s engaging, loving, funny, entertaining and brainy, and I feel blessed to get to hang out with him. There are areas of his life though, that seem to challenge him more than others. It isn’t a constant challenge- as my step-mom pointed out, he is capable of pulling it all together for long enough stretches of time to have lovely, harmonious sleep-overs. The only trouble he has at school is when they don’t let him lie down during gym class, which would be his preference.
Still, at the urging of his Occupational Therapist, Carter had a physical therapy referral last wednesday. The Physical therapist bent his legs this way and that, rolled him about, asked him to push, run and jump and nodded knowingly. Everytime I said something to the physical therapist, he’d say something like, “Oh, yeah, of course.” Everyone in the room “got it” but me. Someday I’m going to get some sort of google chip put in my brain so I can google without anyone reading over my shoulder, or without interrupting conversation.
Here are the tidbits of information the OT and PT had available to them:
- He “w” sits frequently.
- History of “hip clicks” as an infant
- Knees that apparently bend forward as well as backward, same with elbows and ankles
- Lots of Sensory Issues including sensory-seeking behavior (bouncing off the walls, extra loudness)
- Preference for bland foods.
- Late motor development in some skills, for example, he didn’t jump with both feet until well into his fourth year. (Archie has been doing it for a while now)
- Running, skipping, or otherwise moving with his arms straight by his side, robot-like. (The physical therapist explained the arm thing as the only way Carter can keep his trunk stable while running, because he’s so loose.)
There’s more, it’s just I’m tired, and I can’t remember all of it. I’m sure I’ll come back and keep editing this entry as it returns to me.
Then I came home and started thinking, and of course, googling. My dad keeps asking if Carter sees an OT because of his birth experience. I asked a few friends, and my friend Sue responded with this link.
Holy Blue Babies, Batman, there’s a link. If you click on the 2006 slide show, and have the patience to wade through it, there’s all kinds of information on the cerebellum and sensory integration– issues from physical to emotional to sensory. . . . it’s fascinating. It’s still new, and I’m sure they’ll keep learning more and more, and I’ll keep googling.