Well Child visits

I forgot to update after the kids had their Well Child checks. We took them to a combined appointment, Seamus' 4yr and Kieran's 15mo on July 19th. Kieran is doing great developmentally and is where she should be for her age. She is still really small and dropped percentiles again, which the doctor wasn't too happy about. Kieran is now 19lbs 8oz which is the 7%(according to the nurse, the doc said 5%. She was the 10% at her 12mo appt), and is 30" tall which is the 25%(or 20% according to the doc. We still aren't sure why she doesn't gain weight well cause she eats like a horse, more then Seamus at most meals. She did stay on her growth curve for her height though so the doc said she was at least growing well in one aspect.

Seamus is still my big solid boy. He is 47lbs (95%) and 42" (85%), so his height to weight ratio is pretty even, so the doctor isn't too worried about that, which is a relief to me since WIC likes to mention how he's over weight (doc said no, not with how tall he is). Seamus of course is still having development issues, and behavior issues. We got the referral that his Speech Therapist asked us to get to go see an Occupational Therapist for Sensory issues. I of course was naughty and did some googling(is that a word? lol), and I found something very interesting, Sensory Processing Disorder(SPD). While reading I noticed that SPD had some similarities to Autism, and a light bulb went off in my head...if the Speech Therapist(and OT who watched him one day on a "non" official screening) noticed how he was right off the bat with nothing from me, then something is going on and its not in my head. SPD is similar to Autism where it has different "categories" if you will.
The Hyposensitivity to movement sounds alot like Seamus(* next to each like him):

2. Hyposensitivity 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

Some other parts of SPD that are Seamus through and through, or how he was as a baby/toddler:

-distressed about having hair, toenails, or fingernails cut
-as an infant, did/does not like to be held or cuddled; may arch back, cry, and pull away
-prefers hugs
-may overreact to minor cuts, scrapes, and or bug bites
-is a picky eater, only eating certain tastes and textures; mixed textures tend to be avoided as well as hot or cold foods; resists trying new foods
-may not be aware that hands or face are dirty or feel his/her nose running
-may be self-abusive; pinching, biting, or banging his own head (this was a baby/toddler thing, the last year or so he doesn't do it as much)
-thoroughly enjoys and seeks out messy play
-may be afraid of the dark (extremely, he has to sleep with a night light and the regular light on)
-may be a messy dresser; looks disheveled, does not notice pants are twisted, shirt is half un tucked, shoes are untied, one pant leg is up and one is down, etc.(so much that I don't know how its comfy, and he doesn't seem to notice)
-has a limp, "floppy" body (as a baby/toddler, had very week muscle tone, always noted by his OT, PT and Pedi)
-frequently slumps, lies down, and/or leans head on hand or arm while working at his/her desk
-difficulty simultaneously lifting head, arms, and legs off the floor while lying on stomach ("superman" position) (again bay/toddle thing)
-has poor body awareness; bumps into things, knocks things over, trips, and/or appears clumsy
-poor gross motor skills; jumping, catching a ball, jumping jacks, climbing a ladder etc. (had issues with all of these, still has issues with jumping jacks and catching balls)

Sensory Seeking Behaviors(these are what Seamus does):
-seeks out jumping, bumping, and crashing activities
-stomps feet when walking
-kicks his/her feet on floor or chair while sitting at desk/table
-loves to be tightly wrapped in many or weighted blankets, especially at bedtime(he was swaddled nightly till 10mo or he wouldn't sleep at all, and off and on till 1, and even now likes to be in his blankets tight)
-loves/seeks out "squishing" activities
-enjoys bear hugs
-excessive banging on/with toys and objects
-loves "roughhousing" and tackling/wrestling games
-would jump on a trampoline for hours on end
-grinds his/her teeth throughout the day
-loves jumping off furniture or from high places

Signs Of Auditory Dysfunction: (no diagnosed hearing problem) His seems have a lot of Hypersensitivity and 2 hyposensitivites.
-distracted by sounds not normally noticed by others; i.e., humming of lights or refrigerators, fans, heaters, or clocks ticking
-fearful of the sound of a flushing toilet (especially in public bathrooms), vacuum, hairdryer, squeaky shoes, or a dog barking
-started with or distracted by loud or unexpected sounds
-bothered/distracted by background environmental sounds; i.e., lawn mowing or outside construction
-frequently asks people to be quiet; i.e., stop making noise, talking, or singing
-runs away, cries, and/or covers ears with loud or unexpected sounds
-often does not respond to verbal cues or to name being called
-appears to "make noise for noise's sake"


Those are just some of what fit well for Seamus, the list and categories are long. We were bumped to the top of the list for the OT since Seamus is already receiving Speech through the same place. The OT is on vacation till the middle of the month but hopefully we will be seeing her at the end of the month, especially since she already watched him one day and said that something was going on and he really needed an eval done.