Hi all,

Let me first say that I am so glad to have found a group of individuals who have the same difficulties (I hate that word) that my son does.

We first found out my son has SPD when he was in kindergarten. His teacher was concerned about his lack of focus and outbursts in class. He then began violently threatening a classmate who would hug him daily, telling her he was going to break her arms or rip off her head. His teacher informed us if this behavior did not stop, he would be expelled, and she asked that we have him screened for ADHD. So we did. He was nearly diagnosed with ADHD but then his pediatrician asked a few more sensory-related questions and asked me to read The Out of Sync Child. Reading that book was like reading a book about my own kid. I finally understood why he didn't like to be touched, why he stood 10 feet away from other kids at the back of a line, why he didn't like playgrounds, why he folded his ears over and balled up when we'd go somewhere that was loud, why he enjoyed things that smelled or tasted bad to me. I went back to his doctor knowing, without a doubt, that we knew what the problem was. I wish I would have known then that it was only the beginning.

I feel like I could write a book. The Struggling Mother with an SPD Child. Right now, I'm stuck. I'm at a loss of where to go from here. He was diagnosed 4 years ago. The first year, we did 6 months of occupational therapy. He came out of it like a new child and I was so grateful. He was making new friends, standing in the middle of the line, participating in singing (with some difficulty)...he was coping. We have not put him in occupational therapy again since then.

Fast forward to a year ago. His best friend since 1st grade moved out of state. My son became very withdrawn and depressed. His attitude and grades at school suffered a lot. His relationships with other kids suffered. We had him evaluated for ADHD along with depression and anxiety. He was diagnosed with all 3, but the ADHD being mild enough to not need medication. So, we put him in mental health therapy to try to get him over this hump. He's been doing play therapy since December. His therapist finally decided he should be on a low dose antidepressant, but his pediatrician does not agree. So on my own, I started doing more research about SPD and found a lot of his current problems are related to that diagnosis. He didn't have these issues when he was younger, so I didn't even think to put two and two together. Now, he has difficulty making friends. His reasoning is that he doesn't want new friends because they'll only stab him in the back. He refuses to play sports. He has no self confidence/esteem. NONE. He is so hard on himself and always feels like he is going to fail.

I want to put him in occupational therapy again, but I am not sure if my insurance will cover it. I don't know where to go from here. I feel like I am failing him and like he is suffering and I can't fix it. I'm sure many here have gone through these same feelings and can relate. So here I am, looking to do more research and hopefully get some guidance on how to help my only child to cope again.