SPD Support Forum

Hello!

What brings you here?
I'm in need of information about SPD and found this forum to be promoted as a good place for it.

What is your relations to someone with SPD?
I have no official diagnosis of SPD, but I find it very possible that I may have some sort of SPD.

Share a little of your journey if you'd like.
I'm an adult official diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, impulse control disorder and encopresis. I find it possible that Asperger syndrome may account for some of the SPD like symptoms, and I also find that the impulse control disorder, with encopresis as a result, may be better described by SPD symptoms, in which I search for information about.

My clearest SPD-like symptom is my resistant to some given textures in food. If I eat food which contain bones or gristles, I automatically and uncontrollable puke. This make me unable to eat food like fish and chicken, and I often puke because of gristles in various meats. In addition to this I have many of the more common symptoms on the checklist.

Is there any immediate help you need?
I was examined for my encopretic and enuretic behavior by a psychologist and he did not figure out the mechanism behind it for sure, he concluded with a diagnosis of impulse control disorder because that was the diagnosis he found to describe it best based on the classification. It is for sure some psychological mechanism in it; it is not a result of constipation, and based on my own understanding of it I find it possible to be an SPD-issue, something which I want your views about.

The self-experienced mechanism behind my encopretic and enuretic behavior is the need for doing it and the need for diaper based on some sort of wordless stimulation need (In the same way as I need much tactile stimulation, stimulation by music, social stimulation etc.). It is for me something which I would independent of reading about SPD called for sensory seeking. This was taken into account by my psychologist, but which unfortunately did not match anything in the classification manual. OCD was considered by the psychologist, but because I did not do it because of anxiety but because of need for sensory stimulation, this disorder did not fit.

I am ashamed by the behavior and have strong difficulties accepting it. Of that reason I search for an answer to it, and if this behavior may be part of an SPD issue I'm happy to learn about it, and learn about possible ways to manage it.

SPD doesn't run your life! What are you or your child's gifts? Interests?
My interests are in autism spectrum disorders and music technology.

What do you like to do in your spare time? Any hobbies or interests?
Being with friends, reading science, playing computer games (rpg, strategy and simulation) and with lego, watching movies.

Welcome. My daughter was diagnosed with enuresis and less often suffered from encopresis. We saw five specialists, none of whom could figure why she could not control her bladder and intermittently her bowels. We discovered some food sensitivities over this past winter, and she is now able to control both bladder and bowels. If you're interested in hearing what foods/additives were causing my daughter's problems, just ask and I can post more details. I have no idea if food sensitivities could be contributing to your encopresis and enuresis, but if you want to experiment with it, keep a food diary for four weeks, including the time you eat, what you eat, and the time you have an "incident". After a few weeks of keeping the diary go back and see if you can find a pattern--are there certain foods that commonly precede an incident.
Those with SPD that have a poor interoceptive sense often can't feel the urge to use the toilet until it's already out. There's a good article on this website about the interoceptive sense. There are many theories regarding therapies that may help with the interoceptive sense. One that we use is Therapeutic Listening. Another is Interactive Metronome Therapy. I'm sure there are others as well. Although we asked numerous times for our OT to address this area in therapy, she was not helpful in this regard, which turned out to be ok for us because it was food/additive related.

Thank you for answer. I do not think it is directly some food sensitivities. It is irrestible urge/impulses to do the inappropiate behavior based on the need for certain sensory stimulation (which is conscious but very hard to resist. If resisted; using the toilet instead, the urge get stronger and stronger each time until I eventually get a heavy meltdown with depersonalization, derealization, hallucinations and so, and then I wet/soil myself anyway. This was tried once in therapy and concluded that it was not a good mean to solve the problem). For me it fit somewhat the description of what may be common in teens and adults with SPD according to the checklist here: "may still engage in 'childish' coping mechanisms". I think it happen mostly when I'm under stress (which is a common thing in Asperger unfortunately), and the stimulation I get from the inappropiate behavior seems to functions as the best working coping mechanism I have available. In other words, when I find myself stressful the need for a given sensory stimulation present, and I solve the situation with the inappropiate behavior which gives me the sensory stimulation.

I have in addition some problems with the introceptive sense; if it is some sort of sensory discrimination issue or a hyposensitivity I do not know for sure. I have a hard time to tell the differences between urges likes needing the toilet, being hungry, being tired and so. I'm aware that it made me wet myself sometimes in the childhood, but as an adult this has not resulted in anything other than physical pain.

I have considered occupational therapy, and your tips for Therapeutic Listening and Interactive Metronome Therapy sounds interesting, and something I will look further into.

(02-27-2013, 10:42 PM)LAC1961 Wrote: [ -> ]Welcome. My daughter was diagnosed with enuresis and less often suffered from encopresis. We saw five specialists, none of whom could figure why she could not control her bladder and intermittently her bowels. We discovered some food sensitivities over this past winter, and she is now able to control both bladder and bowels. If you're interested in hearing what foods/additives were causing my daughter's problems, just ask and I can post more details. I have no idea if food sensitivities could be contributing to your encopresis and enuresis, but if you want to experiment with it, keep a food diary for four weeks, including the time you eat, what you eat, and the time you have an "incident". After a few weeks of keeping the diary go back and see if you can find a pattern--are there certain foods that commonly precede an incident.
Those with SPD that have a poor interoceptive sense often can't feel the urge to use the toilet until it's already out. There's a good article on this website about the interoceptive sense. There are many theories regarding therapies that may help with the interoceptive sense. One that we use is Therapeutic Listening. Another is Interactive Metronome Therapy. I'm sure there are others as well. Although we asked numerous times for our OT to address this area in therapy, she was not helpful in this regard, which turned out to be ok for us because it was food/additive related.

I hope you find something that is helpful and improves your quality of life.