"sensory issues"

ok, this is a parenting thing, but I wanted it to be more specific. one of my twins has raised some concerns about "sensory issues". basically, she is very sensitive to smells and she really doesn't like sitting next to other kids when they are eating lunch at pre-school. so the teachers called us in and suggested that we disucss this with her doctor, but they looked like they were telling us that our kid had some major thing. they aslo suggested that maybe next year in kindergarten we talk to the school so that she can sit at a table without "smelly foods"

so,

1. anybody know anything about "sensory issues" - tooled on line, it suggests that 1 in 7 kids suffer from a "sensory issue", but it seems like this is a bunch of differnt things bunched together, touch, hearing, smell, etc. it seems to me that this is one of those things that simply wasn't considered a disease when we were kids, but an issue of kids being picky. I am sure that some kids really suffer, but it also seems to me that a lot of kids are getting treated as though it is an issue when it isn't that serious, but I don't know

2. my take on it was "well, she will have to learn to deal with smells" we all have things we don't like, but such is life.

3. looking on line, the "treatment" seems to be working with a therapist who introduces the kids to a lot of smells to teach them to deal with it.


anyway, mildly concenred here, anybody know anything about this?

thanks, that is exactly what I was hoping to hear.

its sort of weird, it's the stuff you would think - eggs, fish, that kind of thing, but also stuff you wouldn't think, like fruit that she doesn't like. smokers, trash, that kind of stuff, too.

I think that part of the issue is the reaction, maybe. we are pretty strict with her, if she starts to have a tantrum, we tell her it's unacceptable and she gets on with her life. I think that in this years classroom they are a little more gentler with her, and so the smells trigger a tantrum which then doesn't end quickly, but I don't know.

I'm a little less worried about it today - the teachers made it sound like they were very concerned, and I apprectiate their position, but doing a little reading it doesn't look like such a big issue. I think that what we need to do is keep introducing her to new smells and making her tolerate them without freaking out. that should deal with the issue. I don't want to make things accomidate her, she has to learn to deal.

thanks, that is actually where our discussions have led us, so we have set up an evaluation.

my brother also told me that he has actually chosen to work from home because the smells of his office building bothered him, so it may be genetic, who knows?

thanks, that is good to know.

a couple of days have passed, and I am a lot less freaked out.