Question for parents with a child that has Sensory Processing Disorder

[Guest]

I have a question for those of you that have a child with sensory issues or sensory processing disorder. My son Aiden is 16 months old. His nutrition still comes 99.5% from nursing. Developmentally he is advanced for his age. I started solids with him around 9 months, and we took it very slowly. He's never been into solids. At first he threw it all on the floor, but now he stuffs it all in his mouth, chews it up, and holds it like a chipmunk. He's a pro at dipping things in ketchup. Ketchup is one of his great loves along with bananas, hard cereal, crackers, dairy free ice cream, dairy free chocolet chips, potatoes, french fries, green beans, chicken nuggets (sometimes). Those are all foods he chews & swallows with no problem.

 

I've followed a baby led feeding approach since we started so he's always been allowed to explore with his food by feeding hiself. I've never spoonfed him. He still nurses on a typical work day in the morning, at lunch, when I get home, a few times after that, bedtime, and throughout the night. I've had people say (people that aren't breastfeeding a toddler) maybe it's time to stop breastfeeding. I don't believe nursing to be the problem at all. All of my friends nursing toddlers have all just naturally picked up on solids. They love solids and gradually decrease their nursing. However, I really feel that if Aiden stopped nursing right now he'd drop in weight big time and he's already so small when compared to other toddlers his age. When compared to his age group his weight is no longer even on the charts. When compared to his height for weight he's up their pretty high on the charts.

 

I want to continue nursing Aiden, but I think he needs to start eating too because I feel that he's not gaining very much weight because I'm giving him all I can give him, but he needs to be eating to make up for the rest of his calorie intake.

 

So that's where my questions are. What is the difference between picky eating and picky eating due to sensory processing disorder? Should we see an OT now or should we give it until he's about two? I don't really see many other signs of SPD other than he doesn't like his hands getting dirty and wants you to wipe them off if he gets them in mud, etc. He has a sand/water table and I just recently put sand in the table and he enjoys that.

 

I asked the OT who works with the children at my school about this, and she said he certainly does have some sensory issues if he's doing this. Aiden reminds me of a little me sometimes. My picky eating was always just seen as me being a picky eater, but I know now it was really probably due to SPD. Aiden also loves baths, but he absolutely hates getting his hair rinsed due water getting in his eyes....even if I lay him back so that doesn't happen he hates it. I wouldn't take showers for the longest time as a child because of the water getting in my eyes/on my face...it was always baths

 

I can't find a SPD forum that gets frequent usage otherwise I'd post this there.

 

Carolyn

[Chemar]

Hi Carolyn

 

 

good for you for still nursing! In fact, it is only in modern times that people nurse for such short periods and in more traditional cultures, it is not unusual to have a 2 & 3 yo still nursing, even tho yes, they have begun with gradual solid foods. I am a vocal advocate for breastfeeding for as long as possibly into toddlerhood! As long as the mom is staying healthy and on a good diet, there is no better start, and then supplement, for those early years than mother's milk

 

picky eating could be related to the sensory dysfunction, but sometimes can also be the body giving messages about what it likes and doesn't, so it is a fine line between encouraging him with more foods for the sake of his health, and also letting him decline what he does not like.

 

I think the key is to just start experimenting with many foods and vary the way you prepare them for him. he may not like it one way but love it another...my kids are still like that!

You can also finely chop into something he likes and see how he responds? my oldest son was a lot pickier than my son with TS, who does also have sensory integration dysfunction.