Sensory Processing
What Do I Do if I Think My Child Has Sensory Processing Disorder Symptoms?
Almost every week, I sign into Coordi Consultations for a meeting with a new parent who says, “What do I do if I think my child has sensory processing disorder symptoms?” 15 minutes later, I can see the parents take a deep breath.
Then, their shoulders drop down in a moment of relief. Sometimes, all it takes is 15 minutes of talking through their worries to help them to feel encouraged.
Being a young parent is scary and challenging enough as it is. Add to it the barrage of mixed signals that social media puts in your mind. Every day, there’s something new to worry about.
Is this behaviour normal? Should I be worried that my child does this?
Perhaps you’ve seen an infographic of milestones for babies that your baby didn’t match up perfectly with.
Maybe your toddler is such a picky eater that mealtimes have you pulling out your hair.
Could it be your child’s quirks and meltdowns are making you wonder if there’s something deeper going on than a typical growing pain.
Or, maybe you’ve taken our online sensory processing disorder assessment and your results are confusing or concerning.
It can be hard to know for sure whether your child is exhibiting totally “normal” phases of maturity. Or, if there might be something more going on, like sensory processing sensitivity.
If you notice sensory processing disorder symptoms
So, what can a parent do if they think their child is showing sensory processing disorder symptoms? The answer might be simply starting a conversation with your pediatrician or an occupational therapist, like me.
Fortunately, my team of occupational therapists at CoordiKids has revolutionized the way parents can get advice and strategies for helping their children gain a well-rounded development.
We know how busy the average family is these days. And, we know how hard it is to get everyone together at the same time.
So, we decided to take away every obstacle to seeking help by creating our online consultation program: Coordi Consultations In this way, we can offer a virtual assessment for sensory processing disorder through TeleHealth.
Download a free copy of the Sensory Processing Disorder Checklist:
In the meantime, here is some more information about sensory processing disorder:
Some Quick Facts About Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)
✔️ Anywhere from 5-16% of school-age children have sensory processing disorder symptoms.
✔️SPD is fairly common among children with anxiety, autism or ADHD.
✔️Sensory issues in children can be overwhelming, cause anxiety or even pain.
✔️ The following are possible risk factors associated with SPD:
- low birth weight,
- prematurity (less than 36 weeks gestation),
- prenatal complications,
- maternal stress, maternal illness, or maternal use of medications,
- delivery complications,
- assisted delivery methods,
- ethnic minority,
- living with a single parent,
- lower socioeconomic status (which means the family has limited access to resources and may have increased anxiety)
A Free Consultation With an Expert – From Your Mobile Device, Anytime
With the development of Coordi Consultations, I’m able to speak face-to-face with parents whenever is convenient. We can connect from the comfort of mobile devices, whenever and wherever suits.
Simply book online. We can use Skype, phone, or online conference options. We hope that it’s the first step in answering “What do I do if I think my child has sensory processing disorder?”(Note that some insurance policies cover these online consultations.)
What’s more? I regularly consult with speech pathologists, dieticians, doctors and psychologists who assist me to offer specialized advice as well. And, I make it a point to discuss, with your permission, with your child’s team members, to find the best options for intervention for each child and family.
Team members often include a child’s medical doctors, pediatricians, psychiatrists, teachers, physiotherapists, podiatrists and behavioural optometrists. In addition, we plan to have a team available early in 2020 for you to access more services from a wider range of practitioners via Coordi Consultations.
What are Some Things We Can Discuss via Virtual Consultations?
Sometimes, it’s just a matter of parents needing someone to talk through their child’s suspected sensory processing disorder symptoms.
There is great advantage in talking to us about worrying behaviors or challenges. There are many free consultations in which we simply have a conversation about various topics.
These include:
- what types of challenges a child might be facing,
- whether or not occupational therapy can help,
- and even finding a local practitioner to help, whether or not it’s us.
Sometimes, hearing a parent’s story will let me offer a variety of options. I’ll say, “Listen, I recommend this, or you can try that.”
There are a wide range of interventive options for a wide range of challenges. I might encourage you to use one of our home courses. If it’s appropriate, I’ll let you know which CoordiKids course will help.
But, sometimes it may not be the right type of therapy for your family’s needs. Then we can recommend something else. Some parents can schedule a virtual assessment for sensory processing disorder.
Online consultations are not a sales pitch – it’s truly an open-minded discussion for parents to voice their concerns and hear from an expert.
I can help you identify the ideal practitioner in your area, and I can talk to that person to find out if the type of therapy they offer will be the right fit for your child’s individual needs.
We have after-hours appointments for working parents. We even have middle-of-the-night appointments for our friends in time zones across the world.
(There are no additional charges for after-hours appointments)
Next Steps If I Think my Child Has Sensory Processing Disorder Symptoms
Let’s just have a chat. Schedule a free 15-minute chat with me (or another of our delightful, caring occupational therapist providers). Tell me what concerns you have, and I’ll give you my honest reaction.
We can sit down with both parents or caregivers of the child and work out some at-home strategies as well. I regularly send additional form or online assessments to parents and teachers. And, I provide classroom strategies and consults with the teacher if necessary.
Sometimes, a Coordi Consultation might be used to collaborate with your child’s current in-person therapist. If you’re considering adding on the in-home digital program of Coordikids, I can collaborate with your child’s therapist to make sure that we’re addressing the goals in the same way.
The Role of Paediatric Occupational Therapy
Keep in mind that Paediatric Occupational Therapy involves the therapeutic use of purposeful work, self-care and play activities to help children achieve their goals in the areas of:
✔️ Living
We help children increase their independence in daily tasks such as dressing, grooming, mealtimes, hygiene and other household or school activities.
✔️ Playing
We help children develop their physical abilities, creative thinking and social skills – all essential for confident interactions and successful play.
✔️ Learning
We promote the student’s ability to take in and organize information, express their knowledge efficiently and learn as independently as possible.
Our Wish from CoordiKids
We support you in finding the best options for interventions in all the areas of your child’s life. And, as a mother and grandmother, I often give practical support to worried and tired parents.
I hope you’ll find our programs and articles helpful. And, I hope you’ll share the information with friends and family that might also be able to benefit from them.
Marga Grey, MSc OT is a paediatric occupational therapist with a specialization in sensory integration. Read more about Marga’s background and CoordiKids,
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