Rescuing my son: Ruling out the possible cause

Getting  the diagnosis for Sensory Processing Disorder is one more label we have to deal with; but at the same time, it was the first step for me to find an answer to what happened to my son while he was hospitalized.  I have also realized this label  helps to get grants from non-profit organizations and services through the school districts. The way I see it:  the better you know your enemy's strategies, the better you can contra attack. So this label helps me to fight back for my son in our chromosomal war. 


Sensory Processing Disorder  does share many symptoms with several other disorders, and many times kids are misdiagnosed with autism. Therefore, It is important for parents to rule out any other possible causes of the child's symptoms. To rule out the causes of my son's regressions and worsen of his sensory issues, I worked in conjunction with a Chriropractor, a Nutritionist and the local Down Syndrome Clinic. We checked several areas:

• Spine Cord alignment. Spinal cord is the highway to pass sensory information from the brain to the body. If there is a misalignment the pathways between the brain and the rest of the body, the sensory information received  from the sensory system is not decoded properly from the brain; therefore, wrong information is sent to the body, resulting in inappropriate behaviors from the person.  Checking the spinal cord aligment of a child should be done for a Pediatric Chiropractor Specialist. In our son's case, we found a Chiropractor with experience in kids with different needs. 
• Sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is linked with sensory disfunction because the brain doesn't get enough oxygen. Sleep apnea is common in kids with Trisomy 21. An ENT or a local Down Syndrome Clinic can get a referral for a sleep study to check for Sleep apnea.
• Allergies or sensitivity to food. Food allergy/sensitivity Signs that a child may show are constantly picking at his nose or a rash around the mouth, which can be confused with chapty skin because of cold weather.  Blood work should be done to determinate if the gut is processing foods properly. This is a blood work, and insurance may not cover for this test. The test  E95 Basic Food Panel (Ig3 and Ig4) test 95 foods, so it allows to have a wide spectrum of food should be avoid it the test comes back positive for food sensitivity. The specialist who can help in this matter is a Nutritionist who specialized in AHDD/ADD/ SPD.
• Antlanto-axial Instability. The neurologic manifestations of symptomatic AAI include, but not limited to, Loss of muscle strength and sensory deficits. Because kids with Down syndrome have a higher riks for AAI, it is important to check as a possible factor of the sensory issues. A Neurosurgeon or Orthopedic surgeon are the specialist who can dignosed AAI. A local Down Syndrome Clinic can get a referral for a Neurosurgeon or Orthopedic surgeon.
• Nervous system test.  The nervous system is responsible for every activity in the body. Therefore, a biochemical imbalance can affect the nervous systems. The test is done with saliva or urine samples. A NeuroReset™ Program is a medical program that uses Neuro Science for a unique Assess and Address™ approach to create a person customized health protocol. A nutritionist, speicaliased in AHDD/ADD/SPD, is the professional can help to find if there is a biochemical imbalance in your child's brain.

The areas we checked were based on my son's genetic disorder, Trisomy 21, and SPD. I shared the areas we looked into it to rule out the possible cause because when I was desperred looking for help, I didn't find a guide where to star. In my following post, I will give detail information about the studies, tests and the results that linked us to the answer that I was desperately looking for.

A few words to parents:
SENSORY PROCESSING DISFUNCTION STOPS DEVELOPMENT. If your child is already developmentally challenged this will interfere in your child reaching his full potential and achiving his or her IEP goals will be even harder. Ruling out the cause, it is crusial to find the right treatment for your child.