Treating Sensory Integration Dysfunction;
A Family's Journey

Tue 4-03-2001

He was two years and eight months old when I noticed Tony becoming moody and a bit difficult to handle. He refused to wear certain clothes because they bothered him, became more cautious, cringed at louder sounds, and displayed minimal eye contact. I told myself, "It's because I am expecting a new baby," and we managed. As he developed, I noticed he was a bit clumsy and enjoyed crashing his body around like a football player. I told myself, "He is just big and is just being a boy," and we managed. The following spring, when he was three and a half, Tony refused to play at the park, appearing to be fearful of heights and disliking any kind of moving equipment. I wondered to myself, "What is going on?". And still, we managed. Things got a little tougher as he turned four and became more demanding and less tolerant of change and transition. I wondered, "What is happening to my little boy?" And we tried to manage.

During Tony's fifth summer, everything fell apart. We were at a baseball game, and afterwards, there was a fantastic display of fireworks. The bright lights and loud sounds sent Tony racing up the bleachers through the crowd until he reached the top with nowhere to go. When I caught up to him, he was pale, panting, and drooling with eyes wide and darting. He appeared to recover from this experience. However, another event occurred a few days later. We were up north celebrating the Fourth of July at a small town parade when a large storm suddenly broke with rolling thunder, and with nowhere close for shelter, we were soaked. This put Tony over the edge. He became fearful of going outside on gray, cloudy days, then on days where there were white, puffy clouds, and then going out in general. His fears grew, as he used logic to expand them. Any event away from home was met with monstrous tantrums lasting for over an hour. He became very rigid about how things were done. Clothing became a huge daily issue. Our family was being held hostage in our own home. I was starting to fall apart too, and Tony was due to start Kindergarten in a few short weeks. We could no longer manage on our own.

As a pediatric physical therapist, I was familiar with sensory integration dysfunction, and I suspected that this was the root of Tony's problems. We sought help from a wonderful child psychologist, who was well versed in sensory integration dysfunction. She assisted Tony with the immediate fear issues. We also sought Occupational Therapy services at Capernaum Place with Nancy Jackley, OTR. Tony was identified as having moderate tactile and auditory defensiveness, vestibular issues, and delayed gross and fine motor function. Weekly treatment with home programming began, and we saw improvements over time. There were peaks and there were valleys. It was like riding a roller coaster, and when he would fall apart, sometimes I fell apart with him.

I had heard about the Therapeutic Listening® program at a conference on Sensory Integration and at a local seminar. As I listened to the presenter, it seemed as though she was describing my son as if she knew him. I knew that Therapeutic Listening® was worth exploring. Nancy then attended special training to integrate Therapeutic Listening® with Tony's OT program. At the time we started with the headphones, Tony was having a lot of trouble, tantrums lasting for an hour to an hour and a half in the mornings about getting dressed before school. We were down to two pairs of shorts, a pair of sweat pants, and one and a half pairs of socks that he would wear, and he absolutely could not tolerate having his shoes tied. The impact of Tony's first listening session was immediate and dramatic. Following that first session, Tony had his second soccer game. As he had flatly refused to attend the first game, our highest expectations were that he would watch from the sidelines without fussing too much. Instead, he suited up in a brand new soccer uniform complete with knee high socks, shin guards, and new cleats that he even allowed us to tie. He played the entire game. And best of all, he enjoyed it. We were amazed! The extreme tantrums quickly dissipated over the following week. I also noticed improved social interaction and play with peers.

It has been four months since we started Therapeutic Listening®. When it was time to try weaning from the music, I was reluctant because things were going so well. Tony did regress, indicating that he had not had enough yet. A more intensive program followed with successful weaning. We are approaching the second level of treatment. Tony's motor skills have improved, and we are trying a period of decreased OT in the clinic, while continuing with the Therapeutic Listening® at home and physical therapy to focus on his balance and gross motor needs. There are times that I need to consult with Nancy, his OT, by phone to adjust his program. As a therapist, I am still in the process of understanding how this treatment works. On the other hand, as a parent, I do not worry about how it works and just celebrate that it does for Tony! Tony is in first grade this year, and every day as I see him off to the school bus, I remember where we were and appreciate where we are now and the far-reaching impact that his therapies have had not only on his life, but also on that of our entire family. And now we are able to do so much more that just manage.

Note: This is part of an article on Therapeutic Listening by Nancy Jackley, OTR, that was published in the Capernaum Pediatric Therapy, Inc. parent newsletter in the Fall, 2000. Capernaum Place is a pediatric outpatient clinic in Crystal, MN that uses Therapeutic Listening® as an integral part of its practice. For more information, contact Nancy Jackley at (763) 533-0363 or by email at cpti@iuno. com.