Bobby’s parent called when he was 4 years old. He was attending a pre-kindergarten program in an academically accelerated private school where he was flourishing academically. However, he did poorly on the playground and had almost no friends. He was terrified of swings, of anything that moved actually. He was uncomfortable with heights and avoided anything with stairs. He did not like going up escalators in a mall nor would he go in an elevator. He had to be carried, screaming and kicking by his father, if they had to go on an elevator or escalator. His parents were not able to convince him to play at a park which felt overwhelming to him. He liked to hold a ball, but was not able to kick or catch a tossed ball. He disliked most foods. His mother had to cut whatever he ate into tiny pieces which he would finger feed himself. He seemed weak and clumsy with gross motor skills. His teachers were concerned about his apparent distress at loud sounds such as when there was singing or dancing in the class or when the class was noisy. He frequently tripped and fell. He loved to work at the table but refused to go on the playground. He had speech and language difficulties and had few friends. His mother could not believe what the therapist was sharing after just one month of therapy and came in the see for herself. To her astonishment, her son was lying on his tummy on a swing, smiling and playing a game with therapist. With tears in her eyes, she made a video of it to send to her husband because she wanted him to see it, else he wouldn’t believe it! And the progress Bobby made continued. On a family trip one day, he told his dad, “the lady told you to make a right turn” in response to the directions from their “Siri” navigation. This was the first time the parents were able to know that not only was Bobby hearing but was also processing the words he was hearing!

There is help . . .