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Way to Grow

June 16, 2017 by Barbara Luborsky, OTR/L

Helping Those “Fall Through the Cracks” Kids

Mike is an intelligent student, with good ideas. However, when he tries to write, he struggles to produce even one paragraph. Homework time is difficult-the classroom teacher says homework should take 30 minutes, yet Mike struggles for 90 minutes every evening; often these sessions end with tears and yelling. In class, he always fiddles with something in his hands, chews on a pencil or taps on his desk. He fidgets in his seat almost constantly. He consistently gets Cs on his report card and does not qualify for Special Education services.

Sally always gets in trouble when it is time to line up in the classroom. She can’t stand still and moves in and out of the line, even after multiple reminders to line up quietly.  She often pushes or shoves classmates roughly, breaks her pencil lead, and bumps into other children’s desks. She has trouble making and keeping friends and is not invited to birthday parties or play dates.

Students like Mike and Sally have difficulties succeeding at school but often fall through the cracks because their issues, while quite challenging to them, are not so severe that it diminishes their academic performance significantly enough to qualify them for special help. Parents of children like this often do not know where to turn for help. Both Sally and Mike have difficulty with sensory integration. This means being able to take in information from the senses, process it and respond to it appropriately. “Sensory information” means the input from the visual, auditory, olfactory and tactile systems, as well as the internal senses of balance, body position and internal bodily sensations. This disorder, known as Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), can cause behavior problems because it impacts the child’s ability to self-regulate. Children with SPD often have high levels of anxiety, and impaired social, self-care, and organizational skills.

Hallmark signs of SPD:

  • difficulty with new or unexpected situations/changes in plans
  • hates tags in shirts/seams in socks, limited diet, smells everything
  • inconsistent behavioral responses
  • inability to self-calm/self-regulate leading to extreme or extended tantrums
  • extreme disorganization of personal belongings
  • challenges with learning new movements
  • challenges with organizing writing assignments or long-term projects
  • can be inattentive, distractible, or always on the go

Children with SPD need to be evaluated by an occupational therapist who is familiar with sensory integration theory and practice. Way to Grow specializes in treating children with sensory issues and SPD and helping their parents learn strategies for how to successfully address their needs and see improvement in their conditions.

Filed Under: Articles, Sensory Processing

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Debbie S.

I am certain that without you, he would still be labeled as a “struggling learner” and miserable and struggling in social situations. To say that we are grateful doesn’t seem enough.

Leslie P.

Your confidence in the treatments your practice offers went a long way toward our decision to bring our son to Way to Grow.

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There are no words to convey what you have done for our son.

Ellen K.

You have been so patient and sweet (like fudge!) to our daughter. I don’t tell you enough how grateful I am to you for all of your hard work and wise advice.

Cathy A.

You have accomplished unimaginable success with both our boys. I don’t know what we would have done without you. Your wisdom and guidance has been a gift to me that I will always cherish.

Adrian P.

The team really understood trauma and attachment and they were there to be supportive. Barbara has proven to be a wealth of information on so many levels and she is constantly sharing her knowledge to help me understand my daughter better and how her nervous system works. It's obvious that this is her passion.

Katie J.

At Way to Grow, I truly feel like I am a part of my daughter's team. From the very first consultation, I knew they took my concerns seriously. They took her history, listened to everything we were dealing with, and looked at the whole picture.

Erika R.

Whenever there is a new challenge, my therapist always has an idea of where to start and the best way to approach it. I love that I not only know what we're working on at the moment and why, but I know where we are trying to go and how we plan to get there.

Robert H.

At Way to Grow, they have a great way of taking the goals we are working on at the clinic and making them easily accessible at home so we can work on things more than just once a week.

Erika R.

It brings me comfort knowing that Barbara and the Way to Grow team work collaboratively. If for some reason Barbara is out of the office, I have no problem seeing another therapist because I know that they communicate and whoever is stepping in knows exactly what we're working on and why and is aware of the nuances that make therapy sessions successful for my daughter.

Sam V.

We have had nothing but positive experiences with each and every person we've worked with at Way to Grow. I feel like my daughter is treated less like a patient and more like a member of their family.

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“We have a culture of compassion at Way to Grow. My team is a wonderful group of people who truly care about their clients.”

– Barbara Luborsky, Way to Grow founder

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