Hi

I'm Cheryl and my son is Owen, hes 7 this year and just been diagnosed with SPD alongside his dyspraxia and possibly has Newsons too. We live in Malvern in the UK.

We've heard it all - "hes just naughty", "hes doing it on purpose", "he doesnt need intervention he needs to learn to deal with the world", "next time it's permanent exclusion". We've been called to "retrieve" him from school within half an hour of him arriving there, with him screaming behind a cupboard and 4 members of staff containing him!

We're currently on his second primary school, hes been excluded more times than I can count and has spent most of the last 2 years on a part time basis at school. Hes currently in for an hour a day and half the time doesnt even manage that. He has specialist conductive therapy 1 morning per week, the staff there have been fantastic with him and hes so happy when we are there Am currently fighting to get him permanently placed in an environment better suited to his needs. It would be interesting to hear if any of your children have got places at specialist schools and how it has helped them or what things have helped them if they are still in a mainstream classroom.

Think the biggest thing at the minute is trying to get school to understand. Even after having 2 1/2 hours meeting this week with EP, OT, CCD, CAMHS and behaviour team school STILL were saying how will movement breaks help him, why would noise affect his behaviour, how will a sensory diet make a difference.... if I as a parent can understand what the OT is saying about sensory overload and how it will help him to give him planned sensry activities throughout the day why cant trained professionals "get" it. To be honest it seems like they just dont care and all they want is a child that conforms and fits in their box.

Well I've started reading, Out of sync child and Sens-sational kids for starters. And I'll begin reading through posts on her, hopefully learn from tried and tested strategies that you all use.

Hi Owensmum,
I am fairly new on here and new to SPD, I think my little man who is 5, has something else but not got there yet.
I read your post and it sounds like your school hasn't dealt with a child with these kind of problems, I am fortunate my kids school were the ones who thought it was SPD and they sent him to OT.
Maybe when he gets in school they are noises that sets him off and once they are in that zone, well my little man takes ages to calm down and he has trouble explaining what's wrong.
Can your son explain to you what happens or not. Most don't know by the sound of it.
I feel for you, are there any other schools nearby that you could talk to and see if they have had any experience about children with special needs.

Mum of 5

Hi - yea you're right he has no clue really whats happening to him and cant express any kind of need - CCD team are implementing pictoral communication in school for him. But in any case once hes flipped they ring me to fetch him home as he cant calm himself down and has to be isolated untill he burns out.
OT is going in again on tuesday to try and explain again what SPD is to school but I think quite frankly they dont care anymore. I am leaving him there untill we get his statement through then I'll move him again, although I have made it prefectly clear I want him out of mainstream and I will fight them untill that happens

Think the thing with SPD is how much it could be mistaken for so many other things. We started off life being told it was autism - he then got a diagnois of dyspraxia with hypermobility and hypotonia - went back to CAMHS who still say a spectrum diagnosis would be beneficial to him and are looking at Newsons but in the meantime hes been seen by OT who picked up the SPD. hes been tested for epilepsy as his "stims" are so pronounced we thought he was fitting but they confirmed its definitely an overload and not epilepsy.

At the moment I think my most positive thought it that he will be spending 6 weeks at the PRU as hes at risk of permanent exclusion and at leat they have secialist teachers there who will be able to tell his school he isnt doing it on purpose and prove what i keep telling people that disciplline and rewards dont work with him - he couldnt care less - and that fits with Newsons