Can sensory issues stand alone from ASD?

[Cattia]

My DS (almost 4)has some sensory issues which have worried me for a while. They seemed to be more noticeable last summer then have subsided for a while, but recently have been noticeable again (I'm expecting a new baby in the next couple of weeks so could well be he is feeling unsettled). The main things seem to be sensory seeking behaviours and they are:

He grinds his teeth during the day
He will walk around with his fingers crossed on both hands
When tired he will stomp and tip his head from side to side
He clears his throat a lot (like a habit) - he seems to have a lot of mucous but no recent cold
He's always been a sensory seeker - like to get very messy, likes to run and climb everywhere, likes to touch rough surfaces and play with different textures etc.

My question is, I know that all these things can be associated with ASD. However, maybe I'm in denial, but I just don't see any other symptoms. He is a highly social child. He loves his friends and always wants to be with other kids. He's quite a natural leader and others tend to gravitate to him. He is popular at pre school and he's the kind of child who if we take him out to soft play or somewhere he will easily make friends with kids he doesn't know.

In addition to this, his speech is good, no speech delay although he still has issues pronouncing some sounds. His vocabulary is great. He is affectionate, sensitive to the feelings of others and his teacher says his imaginative play is above average for his age.

He tends to be quite hyper, always on the go and this is worse if he is tired or over excited, but he can sit and focus on something if he's interested in it.

My question is, is it possible to have sensory issues or SPD with no associated ASD? Could it be associated with something else like ADHD? There is a pretty good chance he could be dyslexic as my DH has severe dyslexia and it passes down the male line.

I've never had him evaluated as nobody has ever raised any concerns about him, in fact his childminder and pre school teacher are very positive about him. My DH thinks I'm being neurotic, but as he starts school in September I'm worried about this being something that will affect him longer term.

Any thoughts welcome!

 

[alibaba24]

Hi

I have read about a lot of people getting spd diagnosis with no asd diagnosis . some people say if they are diagnosed spd usually later they will go on to have asd diagnosis.

If you DS is great in other areas I would think about how much of a problem it really is. My daughter was quite sensory age 3 . she just turned 5 and pretty much has grown away from it. bar her had dryer fear.

If it is not causing him any issue at pre school or stopping you getting on with your day or anything I dont think id worry too much x

 

[AngelofTroy]

The short answer is yes they can be completely separate diagnosis. Also many children have sensory sensitivities that don't effect their ability to cope day to day, and they may never get or need an spd diagnosis.
However, there is a strong link so if you would feel happier having him assessed for his sensory issues at least, then you should do it. Assessments for the child are always fun and games, so I guess I think there's no reason not to check with a professional.

 

[sequeena]

My son has spd and not autism.

 

[Cattia]

Thanks for the replies. I am just not sure whether to leave it until he gets into school and see how he copes then? I kind of feel that since he is happy and well balanced and it doesn't seem to be an issue for him then maybe it's best left, but on the other hand I don't want it to become a bigger issue. The autism link really bothers me tbh, although his childminder describes him as the most social child she knows so it just doesn't seem to fit? He's also just had his pre school assessment and is on track for everything so there seems to be no cause for concern as far as his caregivers are concerned.

The finger crossing and teeth grinding is pretty prevalent at the moment but it doesn't seem to interfere with his functioning in any way so I just don't know, does it sound like spd? He also hums and sings ALL the time and taps and jiggles constantly.

 

[alibaba24]

Thanks for the replies. I am just not sure whether to leave it until he gets into school and see how he copes then? I kind of feel that since he is happy and well balanced and it doesn't seem to be an issue for him then maybe it's best left, but on the other hand I don't want it to become a bigger issue. The autism link really bothers me tbh, although his childminder describes him as the most social child she knows so it just doesn't seem to fit? He's also just had his pre school assessment and is on track for everything so there seems to be no cause for concern as far as his caregivers are concerned.

The finger crossing and teeth grinding is pretty prevalent at the moment but it doesn't seem to interfere with his functioning in any way so I just don't know, does it sound like spd? He also hums and sings ALL the time and taps and jiggles constantly.

there is alot of people on the autism spectrum who are very sociable. Its a huge spectrum. Im not expert it does sound like it. the humming and singing could be like a vocal stim? If you feel its an issue there is no harm in getting him checked out. If its not interefering with his day then It seems pretty harmless. my daughter is constantly being reviewed and tested for autism at the minute just been told no further testing for autism will happen as it is unlikley in her case. there is days where I wish I had never pursued it because now she is having genetic testing etc . I am not saying this will happen to you by any means I am just saying try and decide how much of a problem it is because you will need to be firm with doctors as most will fob you off x

 

[sequeena]

It really depends on the individual there is so much sensory stuff it affects people differently. Thomas runs in circles, runs up and down rooms, rocks back and forth - those are his main stims. He is mostly a seeker he climbs, mouths things (anything from balloons to raw sweet potato), he licks windows, runs his hands over shelves in shops. I can't possibly list it all.

 

[Starry Night]

My son has many of the same sensory issues (teeth grinding is a big issue now) and we find out in 2 days the results of his autism testing. I don't think his sensory issues are really affecting his ability to function. We've always just gone and done what we want to and he is usually pretty good about it. He doesn't freak out at restaurants or anything. Hair cuts and nail trimming and washing hair is a different story, though.

Our son is very social too but I can tell he is fairly clueless about interacting with others. He plays AT other kids rather than with. Or he will be running around amongst them but isn't actually playing with them unless it chase or catch (with a ball). He also avoids eye contact and doesn't answer questions appropriately much of the time. At this young age I don't think kids can really notice the differences all the time so it's hard to see the differences for ourselves. He is happy and loves being around them. I don't know if his differences is enough for an ASD diagnosis though.

 

[Cattia]

Thanks so much, it's great to hear from others with experience, really helpful. My son's social interactions are quite reciprocal, so for example he will make friends in the park and invent imaginary games with them, usually role play stuff. He also is very adaptable, has no issues with new places, people etc. It's purely the sensory stuff but there is definitely something not normal about that. I think my first step will be to talk to his key worker at nursery who is away now until after Easter. I don't want to do anything unnecessary but at the same time I'm obsessing I er it myself and getting in a right old flap.

 

[alibaba24]

Thanks so much, it's great to hear from others with experience, really helpful. My son's social interactions are quite reciprocal, so for example he will make friends in the park and invent imaginary games with them, usually role play stuff. He also is very adaptable, has no issues with new places, people etc. It's purely the sensory stuff but there is definitely something not normal about that. I think my first step will be to talk to his key worker at nursery who is away now until after Easter. I don't want to do anything unnecessary but at the same time I'm obsessing I er it myself and getting in a right old flap.

this is what I done and put my anxiety through the roof. my best is advice is do not google anymore easier said than done i know

 

[Cattia]

Thanks so much, it's great to hear from others with experience, really helpful. My son's social interactions are quite reciprocal, so for example he will make friends in the park and invent imaginary games with them, usually role play stuff. He also is very adaptable, has no issues with new places, people etc. It's purely the sensory stuff but there is definitely something not normal about that. I think my first step will be to talk to his key worker at nursery who is away now until after Easter. I don't want to do anything unnecessary but at the same time I'm obsessing I er it myself and getting in a right old flap.

this is what I done and put my anxiety through the roof. my best is advice is do not google anymore easier said than done i know

Yes, I have health anxiety and general anxiety issues myself so I tend to google obsessively and come up with the worst case scenario. I guess for now I need to be content that he is happy and well adjusted and coping well in various settings (he goes to pre school plus two different childminders) then talk to his keyworker after Easter and take it from there. Thanks so much for all the advice, it makes me feel a bit better to get different perspectives on it rather than just going over it in my own head all the time.

 

[alibaba24]

I know exactly how you feel. I have anxiety over my daughter specifically and there is days it just absolutely consumes me and I hate it. It is a battle of wills to get some perspective and rationalise your thoughts some times i feel like i need to wage a war on anxiety just to clear my mind

here if you need a chat x

 

[Starry Night]

I have anxiety issues as well and have been driving myself absolutely bonkers waiting for the results. I think I've made my peace that it's probably autism but I hate not knowing for sure. My jaw is so sore from how much I'm clenching my teeth together. And I don't know why I'm stressing so much. My son is such a happy child and I know how to deal with his tantrums. A diagnosis isn't going to change any of that.

 

[Cattia]

I also have chronic jaw and neck issues from teeth clenching, I do it in my sleep. Crazy! I'm also expecting baby number three any day now so I think that only adds to the anxiety, wondering how the older two are going to cope and also thinking that if I have one child who ends up having special needs what if the next one has them much worse. This afternoon I just tried to relax and enjoy spending time with him rather than micro analysing his behaviour. He is so sweet and fun to be around and he has so much fun playing with his friends, I don't want to look back on these days and realise I spent them all stressing over what the future might or might not hold. I'm making a pact with myself not to google about it any more until after Easter when I've had a chance to chat to his keyworker. Thanks so much for sharing your own experiences, helps to know I'm not alone.

 

[Mummy2B21]

Hi your son has a few similarities to my son, he also has sensory issues, we are looking at asd/adhd. Constant on the go, climbing can be signs of adhd, my son like yours is incredibly socialable he loves other children mixing in and playing, will try everything and is a leader likes to be centre of attention too. He's very outgoing personality BUT we do have concerns over asd too, a lot of children that get diagnosed with ADHD can also have asd aswell along with spd. Because with asd a child is thought of as more withdrawn less socialable (they don't generally have to be unsocialable) and with Adhd they can be quite the opposite very outgoing etc.. So if a child has both which many do, symptoms can be counterbalanced which makes it difficult to tell the difference apart.. Your son could have asd & adhd, it sounds to me he may be more on the spd/adhd side of things .. But definitely get him seen if you have concerns hun make sure he does get the right support.
Asd is such a vast spectrum too he could be very slight but that still means he deserves the extra support.
I am on the spectrum myself (high functioning autism/Aspergers) I had Spd as a child but seems to have worn away as such in my adult years, it doesn't really affect me too much now. Asd is the difficult part I never was noticed as a child of having asd and I think I live my life very well dealing with daily living, family life etc but definitely definitely would advise anyone if they had a inkling their child was on the spectrum to seek the extra support for them as it will help them deal and manage with all the difficulties we face in daily life.

 

[Cattia]

Thank you. I have spoken to the health visitor and she has given us some forms to fill out as an initial screening. I've already done a million online screening tests like childbrain, AQ and CAST and he always comes out as no ASD but obviously it's not the same as being assessed by an actual person. I have also met with his pre school teacher and childminder. They both feel he has no problems and is very much on track. We have an appointment with the GP coming up too. So many people keep telling me that it's my anxiety that's the issue, I'm starting to second guess myself.