How can you tell if it's SPD or ADHD? I was talking to another mom who said her son was diagnosed with ADHD. She described him and he sounded almost exactly like my younger son. I've always seen my younger son's symptoms as seeker behavior. Now I'm wondering if that's a correct diagnosis.

Will his OT be able to tell me if it's SPD or ADHD? Or would I have to see someone else about that? Or maybe ADHD will eventually fall under the SPD umbrella, all related.

I have a meeting with the school social worker about my younger son's recent evaluation for SPD from the OT center. So I'll definitely bring it up to her.

Just curious if anyone has experience with this.

---

I may have answered my own question when I looked elsewhere on this site:

"If the child or the adult does soothing or stimulating activities that should be calming, and no matter what, they can't calm down...if provided with deep pressure, and heavy muscle movement, and they still can't slow down. If they simply can't focus and pay attention (with the exception of hyperfocus) - No Matter What You Do - it's probably ADHD.

This informal school of thought was that sensory activities will not calm a child or adult who is ADHD. This was how we differentiated between the two, in an unprofessional way. The way a family can tell what's happening and possibly be alerted to seek further diagnostic help. Not the DSM IV criteria, or diagnostic procedures performed by a professional, but parents and adults who were questioning.

Dr. Lucy Jane Miller, in her recent (Putnam, 2006) book "Sensational Kids : Hope and Help for Children with Sensory Processing Disorder", outlines very clearly, according to her research, what she believes are ADHD symptoms and what are SPD symptoms. Which behaviors and symptoms stand alone, and how they can overlap.

Dr. Miller wrote:

"Defining the difference between ADHD and SPD:

Cannot stop impulsive behavior regardless of sensory input.
Craves novelty and activity that is not necessarily related to specific sensations.
Does not become more organized after receiving intense sensory input.
Has difficulty waiting or taking turns.
Waits or takes turns better with cognitive rather than sensory input.
Tends to talk all the time, impulsively interrupting, has trouble waiting for turn in any conversation."
Meanwhile, a leading OT who is also a published SPD researcher reported to me: "I am seeing significant improvements in diagnosed, medicated ADHD kids, using Sensory Integrative Therapy only. They are calmer, more focused and attentive, and we are going to do a study on these kids to find out just how much they are improving!"

And she and a couple other fine researchers did just that. They did two groups, starting with the SIPT test (Sensory Integration and Praxis Test) treating a little over half the kids for six months, then retesting. A majority of these kids did indeed respond to treatment and some were able to go completely off medications. These children did respond, neurological changes did appear to occur and they did show improvements per parent report and clinic testing.

Here is an article on that study:
ADHD Improves with Sensory Integrative Treatment Study (PDF format - 18.5KB)

In the control group of kids (pre- and post tested, but untreated), the results showed most stayed the same or declined more during the six months they were untreated, even though they were on medications. So this changed, and opened a new door of possibility for how I perceive ADHD. The bottom line for me now, is that Sensory Integrative Occupational Therapy that helps SPD may also help with the treatment and potential to improve behaviors and symptoms commonly associated with ADHD.

SPD Symptoms
SPD Support Hosts
Regardless of the diagnosis - Is it SPD or ADHD? Many of us now recommend Sensory Integrative OT therapy, as one treatment option that research shows may be effective. Are there other possible and credible forms of treatment? Of course! Medications, diet, nutritional supplements, chiropractic care, cranio sacral therapy and a wide array of products in use today including: Interactive Metronome, Neurobiofeedback, NeuroKinesiology, Listening Therapy, and more. All of which could potentially help both the ADHD and the SPD child. With so many companion programs available today, that were not available just a few years ago, we may actually address and improve, remarkably in some cases, the neurological processing, possibly rendering medications as unnecessary."

Lynn we are dealing with the same thing. For my daughter, she needs the extra congnitive stimuli and the extra sensory stimuli so I think she actually has both. Have you read Lucy Miller's Book Sensational Kids, in the back she has a section that talks about SPD and ADHD together and it sounded very much like my child. I haven't done much with regards to ADHD because my daughter is only 5 and it is a lot harder to dx at a young age than SPD is because ADHD symptoms tend to be more behavioral and difficult to pick out from just immaturity whereas an OT can do specific tests regarding balance, proprioception ect even on a very young child. I am really wanting to look into alternate therapies for us like Interactive Metronome, OT alone is not really cutting it...I'm supposed to have a phone conference this afternoon with her OT because she is not seeing the progress she had hoped to see with SI therapy for my DD either.

Sounds like my son as well - Technically he is just barely old enough to be tested for ADHD - my pediatrician's comment was that he would rather started with SPD and seek therapies first and then if those are not enough to look at ADHD. Bottom line is that ADHD tends to be treated with meds but can be helped with OT... if a kid doesn't have ADHD the meds won't work... or so they tell me.

When I was growing up we had a few kids that were constantly bouncing out of their seats and talking. These days they would be classified as ADHD, but I personally bet they were Sensory Seekers. When they were allowed to roam around the class during the class they were actually able to participate. It was only when they were imprisioned in chairs that they melted down.