Hi,

I am a mum to a 6.5 year old boy with SPD and ADHD (formally diagnosed with both). Earlier this year we started OT, and we have two of them for him. One for writing and fine motor skills who comes to our home, the other for the 'heavy' muscle work, obtacle courses etc at an early intervention centre. Keeping them separate makes it easier for him to get mentally prepared for what king of OT he will do each session. They are both fortnightly on alternating weeks, so he has one session a week. After several months we were seeing lots of improvement, until 2 months ago when his little sister was born. He's regressed so much his behaviours are more extreme than they were before we started OT. We just can't give him as much time as we used to, so this is having a huge impact.

We haven't been overly strict with his diet, eliminating artificial colours and tomatoes (a big one for ADHD emotional meltdowns) completely, while minimising additives and preservatives a large amount. We didn't want to restrict his diet so much that he felt he was missing out on 'everything'. With all the new behaviours, though we are considering the GFCF diet, which is going to be tricky as he eats considerable amounts of bread and milk as he is a rather fussy eater.

I guess it is going to have to be a gradual process. We had hoped to try this later as he matured a little so he could be more actively involved in the decisions regarding his diet, but the last couple of weeks are making this less likely. His disruptiveness in class and social interactions at school are in need of intervention and help now.

I could write pages, but I guess these are the key points about where we are at right now. Looking forward to learning more from others who are 'in it' rather than those whose job it is to help without knowing how it all feels.

Cheers
V

Welcome to the site vizbizz I am so happy you found this site. I am a mother of three little girls ages 7, 4 1/2 and 2 all with SPD (My oldest has ADHD and my youngest has autism) I myself as well as my husband have both recently been diagnosed with SPD.

I can relate to your initial thinking about not eliminating all the artificial ingredients and salycilates (tomatoes), but it really does work if you just pull the trigger and do it. My 5 y.o. daughter has been on the Feingold diet for seven weeks, and we've had 3-4 weeks with no tantrums, less sensory-seeking behavior, and we feel like we have our daughter back. I agree, it's not easy to go all out, but it's so worth it! Spending weekends with your child when they're cheerful and focused and not having tantrums is so wonderful I can't even describe it. OT and Listening Therapy had definitely contributed to my daughter's success, but the Feingold diet was the final piece of the puzzle that brought it all together.

(12-04-2012, 12:19 AM)LAC1961 Wrote: I can relate to your initial thinking about not eliminating all the artificial ingredients and salycilates (tomatoes), but it really does work if you just pull the trigger and do it. My 5 y.o. daughter has been on the Feingold diet for seven weeks, and we've had 3-4 weeks with no tantrums, less sensory-seeking behavior, and we feel like we have our daughter back. I agree, it's not easy to go all out, but it's so worth it! Spending weekends with your child when they're cheerful and focused and not having tantrums is so wonderful I can't even describe it. OT and Listening Therapy had definitely contributed to my daughter's success, but the Feingold diet was the final piece of the puzzle that brought it all together.

Wait, wait, wait! (I'm new to this, so bear with me) I had heard that artificial colors can wreck havoc, but I hadn't heard that tomatoes can have a negative effect! My son LOVES tomatoes. I am pretty sure the kid has eaten his weight in them in his 5 years! He hasn't been formally diagnosed with anything, but Dr. Mom (me) is pretty sure he has at least SPD and possibly ADHD. Oh please please please, say it isn't so! I do NOT want to have to be the one who breaks the news that tomatoes might be bad for him....

Sorry for hijacking the thread....I just saw that, and I needed more info. To the original poster, I'm glad to have "met" you, and hope that you find the key to your childs behavior at school soon so that you can come up with a plan to correct it! I'm really no help in that area, as I'm still in the process of figuring out my own child and coming up with a game plan!

If you want to read more about the connection between salycilates (tomatoes is only one vegie high in this) and ADHD/Sensory issues, you can access lots of information at: feingold.org
My daughter had the same love of tomatoes and ketchup was one of her basic food groups, but after 8 weeks on the Feingold diet, she loves what she eats and doesn't even mention the things she can't have any more. She also can tell she's feeling better, calmer and happier, and if someone tries to feed her something not on the diet, she says, "No, that's not good for me."