SPD

First of all - thank you everyone for your advice, thoughts, comments, and support. You have NO idea how helpful it was to me!!!

The assessment went as I expected - the psychologist suggested the possibility of ADD. The next step going forward is a TAT team which consist of myself, Alex's teacher, a school physiologist and another second grade teacher. We monitor Alex's ability to concentrate as well as other behaviors at school and home that might help us reach a conclusion. If we conclude Alex may be at risk for ADD, he will then go to see a child physiologist in Sioux Falls who specializes in children with ADD. She added that Alex is doing very well in school and his grades are good, but she's worried that as his education continues and the work gets more difficult, he may struggle.

I took Alex to see his pediatrician to rule out any other issues such as hearing or eyesight and in addition, I wanted to talk about some other health problems Alex has been having. Alex complains of frequent stomach pains and headache and....as some of you who have sat with Alex at night may already now....since the age of 9 months, Alex has banged his head as he falls asleep. I know it sounds weird and when he first started doing it, I totally freaked and talked to his doctor about everything from seizes to autism. Everything was ruled out and his doctor said that he'll probably just grow out of it and I shouldn't worry. Well, he is now 8 and he still bangs his had to go to sleep and I was concerned that the headaches could be related to that.

His pediatrician thinks that Alex is a very high anxiety child - which is true. Alex is a worrier (probably due to living with a neurotic mom) and is very sensitive to people around him. If a kid at school is having a difficult time, Alex takes it almost personally and internalizes it. If another kid is sick, Alex feel sick...if another kid is sad...Alex is sad and does his best to make everyone around him happy. I use to think it was a good thing and actually was quite proud of my little man. He was a do-gooder! However, it seems have turned to being harmful to his own health. For about the last year, I've been working on adjusting his own cognitive mind to shape his thinking by telling him that he's not responsible for other actions/thoughts/behaviors - only his own. He was also very young when I left his dad - less than a year old - but that year was filled with violence and turmoil. I've always wondered if this didn't put Alex's little sensory ability into high alert and it's just never kicked back into "normal" range. I had him see a physiologist for awhile last year because of some of these issues, and she concluded he was healthy and added that if I'm okay, Alex will be okay. In other words - don't be a nut job and be all anxious around your kid....or at least that was my interpretation.

His pediatrician's nurse suggested I research Sensory Integration Dysfunction and look at hypersensitivity to movement. Get this - here is the checklist....
2. Hypersensitivity To Movement (Under-Responsive):



__ in constant motion, can't seem to sit still

__ craves fast, spinning, and/or intense movement experiences

__ loves being tossed in the air

__ could spin for hours and never appear to be dizzy

__ loves the fast, intense, and/or scary rides at amusement parks

__ always jumping on furniture, trampolines, spinning in a swivel chair, or getting into upside down positions

__ loves to swing as high as possible and for long periods of time

__ is a "thrill-seeker"; dangerous at times

__ always running, jumping, hopping etc. instead of walking

__ rocks body, shakes leg, or head while sitting

__ likes sudden or quick movements, such as, going over a big bump in the car or on a bike

Always running jumping....like's spinning...in constant motion? Isn't that every boy? Alex likes amusement rides...he loves to swing high on the swings...likes to take his bike over ramps...but does this warrant a medical diagnosis? None of his behaviors seems to have a negative impact on his life so how much of it is abnormal? And what in the heck is a normal kid?