SPD Support Forum

I apologise if this thread is not suitable for here but have no one else to ask.

My 5 yr old boy is the one who has SPD. SPD is sensory for all senses.
I worry about the fact that he constantly has his hands on his "Bits" . When he was a baby it had a mind of its own and looking back with the dx of SPD it now makes sense.
I know boys are always checking to see if they are still there but this is more than that. He constantly plays tent poles, always squidging it from morning to night, (don't know about in the night, I don't sleep in his room thankfully), it gets sore at the base. Am constantly remind him to leave it alone, especially while at table eating. I presume it annoys him. If it is this bothersome at the moment god help me when he gets to teens. HELP: is this always going to be the case, will it get less sensitive, is there anything that helps, any help and info would be appreciated.

Jaffa

I am not a man, but it is possible that he is sweating in his groin region and that is causing annoying rashes. You might want to try to have him baby powder the area every morning to see if that cuts down on the irritation.

I have problems under my breasts with sweat. I used baby powder for a long time. Now I use deoderant and that keeps the rashes and open sores from occuring.

Just a thought, but have you considered getting him overalls? I know that's the American term for what I mean, but not sure of the Brit term for these: http://tinyurl.com/overalls4boys

I try to go with as many non-confrontation strategies as possible, and making it hard to get his hands on "the gear" might slow him down a bit.

Also, chat with your pediatrician to see if there is a cream that might ease the rash.

Thank you beck will give the talc a go.

Marci they are dungarees in uk, but he has problems getting to the bathroom, gets there only just in time, so think this would be more trouble getting out of, but the idea was great had he been ok at going at the "right" time, if you get my drift.

Only get to see his paediatrician every blue moon these days but will get a dr appt.

Jaffa

(03-23-2012, 08:46 PM)beck7422 Wrote: [ -> ]I am not a man, but it is possible that he is sweating in his groin region and that is causing annoying rashes. You might want to try to have him baby powder the area every morning to see if that cuts down on the irritation.

I have problems under my breasts with sweat. I used baby powder for a long time. Now I use deoderant and that keeps the rashes and open sores from occuring.

I too use deodorant in my breast area. It seems to help best. I also use a deo stick of Himalayan salt. It is a natural bacteria killer.

An avoidance of synthetic clothing is a must and wear breathable fabrics like cotton next to the privates. Underwear should not only be made of cotton but also must fit snugly. Underwear should not be too loose as this will make your thighs rub against the groin and cause even more sweating and irritation and rashes. Snug fitting underwear will be a barrier between sweat and skin, absorbing moisture and letting it evaporate with little or no irritation. (I learned this from a Doc as a kid when I had a self contained flesh eating bacteria ravage all my moist places on my body)

Hope that helps!

Have you tried getting him fidget toys and maybe hanging them off his belt. Here in Aust there are some squidgy toys in a soft plastic with spikey bits and a ball that lights up in the middle that may have the same sort of squidgy feel.

Hi Jaffa,
Seeing your paediatrician (and being totally honest ) sounds like a good first step, and get treatment for any skin irritation. Naturally there are a lot of sensory issues involved with this. Does your son have any other learning or cognitive difficulties? it's going to be hard to find a replacement for this convenient, and pleasurable, activity as your son gets older so it's good to address it now. Has he seen an OT - do you have a sensory diet? Other sensory input may help to reduce the need to 'play' - fidget toys and other distractions that keep hands busy are a good strategy. He may also benefit from daily sensory input activities like heavy work, linear movement (bouncing, swinging, trampoline), deep pressure, weighted therapy, you should be guided by your OT. Remember a sensory diet is like a food diet, it won't work if you just stick it on the fridge door, you have to follow it every day.
Also make sure you include specific teaching, about private and public, esp. if there is a learning disability. If this doesn't work you may need to try to get a behavioural psychologist involved.

Bernadette.