SPD Support Forum

Hi, I've been looking around the site for a couple of days and I figured I would join. First thing, I'm not 100% sure that I have SPD, it was what the psychologist at my school was leaning towards when I ran out of free sessions (we get two before we have to pay and I can't since I'm on my parent's insurance) and it makes the most sense in regards to my symptoms.

Basically I've always had the symptoms, and when I was younger my teachers asked my parents to get me tested for autism and ADD because I suppose I acted strange to them. For one I really liked to just be by myself rather than other students. The main reason though, was probably that I freaked out if anyone touched me. Anyway, I've never been diagnosed with either of those, since my parents think psychology is garbage, and that people with any sort of mental issues should be locked up and kept off the streets, and that I couldn't have any since I was their kid and they're normal.

Most of my symptoms match perfectly with a diagnosis of Asperger's, which I might also have, but I've never been diagnosed with, such as my issues with needing to wear specific clothing and aversion to noises, which may be SPD instead or both, I have no idea. Anyway, according to the psychologist the main thing that suggested SPD was my problem with textures. I can't eat eggs, yogurt, soft breads, or certain vegetables cooked without gagging on them (and it's got nothing to do with taste because I used to love yogurt), and I can't touch glass, paper, chalk, dirt, or wear latex gloves without my hands and mouth going completely dry. I can't stand it when my hands are dry, I can't really focus on anything else until I do something about it. The aversion to touch has gotten worse as time has gone by, I never liked being touched, but now I tense up if anyone so much as taps me on the shoulder. Additionally though, I have a problem with touching pretty much anything. If I bump into something it feels off and I have to rub or even scratch the area to make the feeling go away. Even walking or just sitting it bothers me that something's touching me. I'm fine with laying in bed though, thankfully.

Anyway, I don't really have any money for OT and I was wondering if anyone had anything that they do that reduces their symptoms? Mine have gotten a whole lot worse over the past couple years and this summer they've gotten to an unbearable level. I think it might be a stress thing, and there's nothing I can do about it until I move out of my parent's house in late September.

Enough about that, my hobbies are hanging out with my friends, playing video games, and reading (which sucks because of my problem with paper). In my spare time I like to write, though I'm not very good and I would never share it with anyone I find it fun.

So anyway, I figured I'd sign up and try and meet other people dealing with the same sort of things.

Do you buy books or read them from the library? Are your parents supportive of reading habits?

At this point, especially 'cause you like reading anyways, I'd recommend reading books about SPD. Sensational Kids is the one that I have read and recommend. The Out-of-Sync Child is the other go-to book about SPD at this point, though I've not read that one. Because you have hypersensitivities primarily and are willing to read paper books, Too Loud Too Bright Too Fast Too Tight is one that focuses on hypersensitivities and does get more into adult SPD.

When it comes to reading - if you can afford it and it fits with what you read, I am extremely supportive of ebook readers, especially for people with sensitivity to paper. I sometimes can handle paper and sometimes can't at all. I read on my kindle always. The cheapest kindles are only $79, and while I don't know if that's something that your family would support, my kindle has been absolutely amazing for me, and I've likely saved the money my parents spent on it by this point. (My favorites are the kindles, but other eink ones are also worth looking into. Eink is amazing though, and ebooks don't feel like paper). And well, its easier to get parents to agree to that than therapy.

When it comes to the idea of whether you have Asperger's on top of SPD. Feel free to list as much about that as you want. We have parents of autistic children on here as well as autistic adults, as well as people who have only SPD and who's children have only SPD. I'm one of the autistic adults, and SPD and ASDs are a special interest.

As for reducing symptoms - yes, you can work on implementing a sensory diet without their help. What do you react well do? What makes you feel better sensory wise? Do different types of movement help? Does deep pressure help? Do your joints feel out of place and making them feel more in place help? Are you more stable after you've done hard work? Are there things that if you touch they make the icky feelings go away? What is positive rather than only what is negative? Figure those out?

Quite a few of us react very well to weighted blankets or other weighted products. Instead of going to a full weighted blanket (which is expensive or requires making yourself), trying to replicate that input with what's around the house is an option. I react very well to fur when it comes to touch. Eating applesauce or pudding through a straw is mentioned in Sensational Kids - that seems worth trying to me. My OT has found I'm more verbal if I don't sit in normal chairs and thinks I shouldn't have normal chairs - swings are best, then exercise balls, then rocking chairs. These are the types of things to look for.

Other people can probably help more with this part because I'm having quite a bit of difficulty converting thoughts to words, but hopefully that's something to start with. The books help a bunch too, and are worth reading.

Thanks for the suggestions! There are copies of all the books you mentioned, I'll have to wait until they get checked back in.

As for the Asperger's, like I said I'm really not sure if I have it or not. Some of the things that match though, are things such as not making eye contact, needing to follow a schedule, and just the ones that fit SPD as well. Some people have commented that I toss my head a lot when I'm sitting still, but I've never really paid attention or noticed it. I don't have really any of the difficulties like understanding social cues and keeping conversations going with others. I usually avoid these situations, but if I'm forced into them then I do just fine. From what I've read that seems to be a major part of the diagnosis though. I brought it up with the psychologist and they said that it fit just like SPD did, but focused on the SPD after the first time we met and never really gave me an answer one way or the other.

As for your suggestions about the diet, I'll have to see about some sort of diet. I'm probably fine right now since there's always something around the house that doesn't bother me and hopefully I can hold out until I start living on campus, I seem to do better there. I'm not exactly sure what you mean by pressure helping. It feels worse to get tapped lightly on the shoulder than it does to get hit in my opinion. My joints never feel out of place that I'm aware of, it just feels like my skin's crawling if someone touches me or I touch something. As for hard work, I am less likely to react as badly to touch if I'm tired out, I haven't really paid attention to eating after hard work, I'll have to see. As for getting rid of the feeling, it generally goes away if I rub the spot or scratch it as I said before. I only ever really have a problem if my fingers dry out and they can't slide against each other. They sort of catch on each other, if that makes any sense. I'm not sure exactly what you mean by positive rather than negative.

I do actually really like having more weight in a blanket and in the winter I'll have several layers of blankets on at once. I can't do that in the summer because it gets in the 80s though. I'll have to see about a weighted blanket, that might be a fun crochet project.

Thanks again.