United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

I am dealing with some issues with my 7-year old son and I thought I would ask the opinions of the people in this community.

Andrew has always been a very active little boy and when he started school he had a little bit of a problem sitting still and things like that. It's a very common problem in young children, so we dealt with the best we could and assumed it was something that would get better as he got older.

He is now in 2nd grade and his teacher has some concerns with his behavior. He doesn't seem to be getting any better. He is not a serious behavior problem in school, but he has a very hard time sitting still in his seat. His teacher says he seems to always be moving and she feels that he sometimes doesn't even realize that he is doing it. We have noticed the same thing in settings where he is required to be still. At church, he has a hard time sitting still, he tries to lay down or slouch down or just in general be moving around. I know as he gets older it will become more of an issue if we don't get the problem dealt with now.

I guess the first thing one would think of is ADHD and that is a possibility, but it definitely isn't a cut and dry case of "Yes, he has it" and I am not one that would rush to medicate him.

I know that this injury is so all-encompassing and the reason I wonder if his injury may be related to his behavior is that as I watch him, he reminds me of someone who just cannot get comfortable. It's like he's always trying to find a comfortable way to sit. I was just wondering if anyone has dealt with similar problems and what they have tried or what things have maybe helped.

One thought I have had is maybe to try a Chiropractor. I have heard of children with ADHD type symptoms achieving good results after going to a chiropractor and I know that some with BPI injured children have brought them to chiropractors. If anyone would like to share their Chiropractor experiences, that would be great. What positive or negative things did you notice with chiropractor visits? Do you have any suggestions about how to find the right chiropractor? We live in a relatively small town, so we don't have a lot of options, but there are probably a dozen or more chiropractors and I don't know where to begin to find the right one.

Thanks so much for your support and input.

Connie

Connie,
Have you considered Sensory Intergration problems with your son? We adult BPI-ers have in common certain Sensory issues going on. Parents have pick-up on this issue and it has answered many questions for them. I will try to BUMP UP a couple of Topic threads on both Gerneral and "Adults with" Message Boards...I keep forgeting which Boards this Topicis on...BTW you are welcome on ALL Message Forum Boards.

HUGS,
Carolyn J
LOBPI/69

Connie
I have sensory issues and sitting still has always been a problem for me.
There is an entire thread devoted to sensory issues and bpi I'll look and see if I can find it.

No one wanted to sit next to me in church because I wiggled so much.
I think I was not comfortable and just could not find a spot.
I still fidegt all the time and keep moving.

Kath/robpi

Chiropractors can be harmful to a bpi child please make sure it is a pediatric chiropractor and they use the activator method no twisting or cracking it could do a lot more damage then good. Frankie was as I called it fidgey in class. Going to the chiropractor helped alot it relaxed him to the point that he would go home and sleep it also took away the pain he was having which in turn allowed him to sit still, Mare

I only have the activator used on me.
I would NEVER allow anyone to crack my neck or back.

I have T1 injury so Horner's still can create some problems for me.

I can't stand over head lights or light from a window on my right side. I know some other OBPI with Horner's who complain of the same problem

I prefer not to be in the middle of a crowd because I can't sense who is walking behind me or on my right.

Check to see where his seat is in the class room.
I just shut down in school when I was on sensory overload.
The best years in school were the years I was sitting back in the corner without anyone behind me and the windows on my left hand side.
I was more relaxed and more focused.

Kath robpi/adult

Second grade, that is when we found out that Brandon had sensory issues....I agree with everything that Kath and Carolyn have said. His sitting in the classroom is worth taking a look at. My son has to be at the very back with no one around him to his right side. In curch only my husband and I can sit next to him, otherwise he can't and won't sit still. Overhead lights...mmmm that was always interesting trying to get his pictures taken. WEars nothing but Jeans that have been washed 20-30 times or jeans bought from the thrift store that are already broken in. Tags???? No tags, ever, he won't even try something on in the store if it has tags. I thought for a long time that I had spoiled my youngest of 4 you all know the story the one that almost died on me, the one I Am so close too. I always thought he was being a "SPOILED BRAT" but that is not the case. Trust me, he still has his "QUIRKS" and trust me they are still very evident but we know how to work through them now. Oh, and don't ever think of coming up behind him and give him a hug, but he is the most lovable sweet child that you would like to meet. HE is so bad that I have clothes that I don't wear anymore because he won't come near me if I do....LOL !!! Oh, and my down feather pillows, well......mom isn't getting rid of those, so he just gets the regular ones....but some of us deserve a nice fluffy pillow....lol !!! GAYLE mom of Brandon 8 ROBPI

Connie:
This definately sounds sensory to me too. Go out and buy "The Out-of-Sync Child". The book is the bible of sensory issues and how to deal with them. Juliana is a walking sensory issue! Sounds, lights, lack of sensation, hot is cold-cold is hot, tags, certain clothes... ugh, I could go on! (Note: not only bpi kids have sensory issues-this book helped me with my twin with issues too).

Part of Juliana's 504 plan is "preferrential seating"--she gets to choose her seat.

Lots of educators don't believe in sensory issues. I DO! Juliana would stand to do her homework, to eat... Oh, don't get me started on brushing hair!!!!!!!

Three keys to dealing with sensory kids: be flexible, know they are not trying to be difficult-they can't help it, and have a sense of humor.

good luck,we're here for you,
claudia

Claudia,
Until you mentioned it, I never thought of his not sitting down as a sensory issue, he would watch tv in the middle of the living room standing up !!! Wow that is a new one. I think I will Buy the "OUT of SYNC child for his teacher to read.....definately an educator that does not believe in sensory issues !!!!

Oh yes, a sense of HUMOR is a must, because if you don't laugh you will do alot of crying...
and don't forget to take stock in the hair dye...I know that is what I needed after having to deal with BRANDON !!!
LOL
GAYLE

I just went on Barnes and Noble.com and they have the book and they have three others...one which caught my attention was Questions Teachers ask about Sensory processing disorder......hmmmm, I was thinking of sending his teacher the book "THE OUT OF SYNC CHILD" but now I want to send her all of them. LOL


Message was edited by: brandonsmom

Listen girls do they have a book for the Out of Sync Wife...
Well don't send it to my husband!
He thinks I have little quirks and there funny.
After 42 years I am not telling him anything different.

All kidding aside it is so hard to be comfortable in our own skin. It's hard to be different and have things that bother us that other people don't even notice.

It's good to have a sense of humor and also to understand the children are not trying to be difficult.
Sometimes it is so overwhelming and annoying as a child.

I have worked around many issues but I must pick my seat when we eat out and my friends ask where I need to sit in their homes.
I still hate certain materials ugh!
If I buy something and it's not too big I wear it once and that's it.
I'm better about noises now that when I was young.
I can't stand florescent lights!

We won't even go into how sensitive my sense of smell is..
I can smell things other people can't, I use to be able to tell what my boss drank for lunch. I rode public transportation to school and was late many times because I use to get off the bus or train if someone smelled.

So many thing for the kids to adjust to and then try to keep up with their peers.

Gayle my mother thought sometimes she was spoiling me because I am the youngest and she lost three children to traumatic births before me.
I was not spoiled I just could not get comfortable.

Kath robpi/adult

Thanks so much for all of your help. I have read about sensory issues on this board before, but never really thought they applied to my son.

I'm going to read the "Out of Sync Child" book and I have just talked to his PT. She wants me to see the OT that works with her. She has dealt a lot with sensory issues and should be able to help us figure out if this is the problem.

Andrew does not seem to have really extreme issues like some of you have talked about, but I can see some things that may indicate a problem. He has always hated having his hair washed and combed. He has always seemed to have a very acute sense of smell. Smells that I can hardly even notice bother him immensely. As a result of that he is a very picky eater. He sometimes watches TV standing up instead of sitting down. He prefers to wear shorts and a lot of times when he is wearing pants he pulls them up over his knees.

Anyway, thanks so much for pointing me in this direction. I hope we can get things figured out and find ways to help him. He seems to be very intelligent and I hate to see him struggle in school because of these other issues.

Thanks so much,

Connie