Hi. My 21-month old son was diagnosed with Global Developmental Delay with prominent sensory integration issues. He doesn't talk, doesn't seem to understand language, he doesn't imitate, he doesn't request (he just cries), he toe-walks, he likes watching TV upside down (his head on the mattress and his feet in the air), he's hyperactive, he doesn't react to sound all the time, he has poor balance and his gait is broad-based. On the other hand, he's very affectionate, he recognizes people, he can anticipate tickling, he remembers where some of the stuff he likes to play with are, he's very curious and he's even-tempered.

I took him to an OT and we were told that he has SPD. He was given a sensory diet which doesn't seem to work. I'm from a country where services for and resources about special needs people are scarce and expensive. We have been bleeding money since my son's diagnosis and now we're all out. We stopped going to the OT because we can't afford his services anymore. On top of that, we haven't even started PT yet because all the money we had was spent on the OT.

I envy those who live in places where the government provides care for special needs people. Where I live, people like my son don't stand a chance. I've resigned myself to the possibility that he'd never talk and never live a normal life.

I think the first think you need to remember is that he is only 21 months old. He is still quite young, and children do develop at their own rates. It's true that he might never talk, and that he might never live a normal life. There's also quite a bit of chance that he'll develop speech, that he'll end up seeming more normal.

He'll probably never seem fully normal, but many of us here aren't, and truly, we can be fully happy people even if we aren't normal, even if we are disabled, and even if we aren't fully independent. If he never develops speech, he won't necessarily be miserable and unable to communicate. If he never develops speech he'll not necessary be incapable. If he always needs help he'll not necessarily be unhappy. If he does develop speech he'll not necessarily be unhappy either.

Your son is a person like the rest of us who has his sensory challenges. He's young. There's a lot ahead of him. I'm sorry that I don't know how to help young children.

I'm only an autistic (no speech delay) adult with severe SPD. But I know that even though I'm not entirely capable I can be happy. I did have speech therapy as a child, but that's the only professional help I got, and that was just in school.

I also know that my closest friend had a speech delay - she wasn't speaking at 21 months, and is going to college now. She's still very much someone who needs help, but she's successful enough that people don't realize she's autistic at first glance, unless they read her service dog's patch.

But there's a lot ahead of him. It's not hopeless.

(Has the possibility of autism been looked into - the description there makes me wonder.)

Hopefully someone with children sees this and responds.

He sounds just like my daughter. at 21mth she clocked in at 6-7mth old development

the BIGGEST change in her started when we started renting and borrowing Baby Signing Time, done by rachael. none of the other signing videos out there grab her attention like the signing times
she has a deaf daughter named Leah.

that really changed our world.. she went from a fully uncomunititve to signing and with signing she learned that there is this wonderful world of give/take with other people..

since he like TV i would let him watch 1 video a day.. (or more if its a hit with him) we watched 2 a day.

she is now 2.5 and will now repeat near any word not all our clear but shes trying.. shes not to independent with her words you have to promp her, but its a HUGE diffrent..
from 21mths (6-7mth) to 30mth(11-15mth) BIG Change..

she also goes to OT PT and speach... but all but the PT was on hold till just 2 mths ago... she has very low tone and is kinnda a jelly, unless shes mad, then she can fight you like superman. it all started with the DVD's for us

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Also forgot to add..
if you live in the USA, when he turns 3 he will so to public school run pre-school where the teachers and adies are very knolagable on delayed children and he will also get speach thearpy there to.

my son also has SPD and is very speach delayed tho we found his was becuse he was deaf the 1st year of his life but he hears now but he is a avoider.

so when he hit 3 the school has alot of resourse that are free..

all so look for a early development program in you area.. ours here is called Infant learning program... Call you local WIC office they can help you locate yours... this is FREE, they will give your son a evaluation and if he scores low enough you get access to all there services.. we have a lady come out and work with my daughter.. my son also got this till the school got him. they come out 1hour a week on YOUR scedule and work with your child and give you support and resourse help

I am from the Philippines. There are no government-funded services for SPD kids here.

The developmental pedia who diagnosed my son said he doesn't seem to be autistic because he's fairly sociable and very attached to us, although we were also told he's too young to be diagnosed with autism.

He's not totally silent. He babbles.

Thanks for your responses.

Babbling suggests to me that he'll start speaking late.

I strongly second the use of sign even with that fact.

Is there Speech Therapy in schools for anyone who needs them? That's what I'd gotten. It wasn't anything to do with any diagnoses, it was just that I was hard to understand and needed speech therapy so I got speech therapy at school. (But I'm in the US)

As for the autism idea - he is young for that diagnosis. but if he's particularly attached to you that doesn't necessarily rule it out. We tend to go to extremes - most autistic babies go to not really interacting with their parents much at all, but some of us go to wanting to be held constantly. I was in that later category. It's a thing to look into as he ages.

Mostly I was curious because how people will try to help someone with autism is different than someone without, but its still important to remember that we're people, and that we will always be autistic and that we can be happy like this. It's not a curse, even though it is a disability.

If you can obtain a copy of Sensational Kids by Lucy Jane Miller, it may help you to implement practical everyday things that will help him. It may seem like the OT did not help, but it's still a good idea to keep doing the diet at home. I've read it's not uncommon for therapy to go on for a long time until you see a response. Ceasing the therapy altogether may be detrimental in the long run. I've also read some information about nonverbal kids with SPD and autism who respond well to communicating with picture cards.
There are also some good articles that may help you at: spdfoundation.net under Our Library.

Thank you all for your inputs. I'll look into sign and I'll try to find resources online to get us through while we look for means to resume therapy. I found a center with great facilities for SPD kids. Their services are expensive but I just applied for a home-based job and if it pans out, I'd be able to send my son to the said center.

I cannot rule out autism at this point because one of my husband's nephews is autistic, albeit a high-functioning one.

I'll support and care for my son no matter what his condition is. I'm just new at this but I'm sure I'll be able to do better eventually.

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There are no support groups for SPD families here. Glad to have stumbled on to this site.

Some kids just develop speech late. They go from babble to complete sentences. Sign language will help you until then to understand your child.

our OT says that kids develop large muscles before small ones and the tongue is the smallest... so I like to imagine that every time we go for a walk, or the playground or practice anything gross motor, it is actually helping my son's one day ability to speak.

I forgot, but at 21 months, my son was certainly not understandable.... heck at nearly 3 he's not!... BUT, I see progress and that is huge.

You are the champion of your son, I think you can be his biggest resource. And at the end of the day if he feels loved, isn't that what's it's all about?

*hugs!*

(07-27-2012, 08:16 AM)hopelessmother Wrote: Thank you all for your inputs. I'll look into sign and I'll try to find resources online to get us through while we look for means to resume therapy. I found a center with great facilities for SPD kids. Their services are expensive but I just applied for a home-based job and if it pans out, I'd be able to send my son to the said center.

I cannot rule out autism at this point because one of my husband's nephews is autistic, albeit a high-functioning one.

I'll support and care for my son no matter what his condition is. I'm just new at this but I'm sure I'll be able to do better eventually.

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There are no support groups for SPD families here. Glad to have stumbled on to this site.

I hope your job works out. I'm not familiar with how things are done in other countries, but if there is a center that treats SPD maybe they have some kind of financial aid or scholarships for families that cannot afford treatment? I think you will be able to find out a lot online to help you until you can get treatment again. Maybe your son has Asperger's (on the autism spectrum) there is a girl in my daughter's class that has Asperger's and she is very affectionate (and verbal). Like the one post said, sometimes children with autism are social and affectionate. Something to keep in mind when he is a little older. I know I have found there are so many more services in my state for children with autism than with any other disability. You're a good mom!