Environmental Contributions...

As everyone is starting to learn... I have 2 beautiful kids who have some sensory issues. I would not classify them as ridiculously bad or anything. My older son has problems with sound (which is a problem I have too... ). He is terrified of sounds above and beyond what is normal. This does not pose any significant issues most of the time but it can be a little hard to deal with. We avoid some activities because I would rather not have a field trip end in him being terrified of something instead of learning about it and enjoying it. He hates fireworks (me too!). Sirens, toilets flushing, vacuum cleaners, hand dryers, people screaming or yelling (although, the kid himself... can be down right loud!). Slobber Rocket has more severe sensory issues. He doesn't eat much. Textures are very difficult for him to get used to and accept. And he just really most of the time doesn't seem to enjoy eating. He doesn't know how to chew many foods because he forgets they are in his mouth. He doesn't like to be washed off and he is starting to beg to have his clothing taken off of him or throwing a fit when he wants his clothes off. And he has some various other things going on too but I am just really setting the stage...

These are hurdles for my family to get over. I am not trying to garner sympathy or anything like that. My children are healthy even though they face a few challenges with interpreting the world around them. They are things that make my children unique and things that contribute to the people they are becoming and will become. They add depth to their personality. And my children are cognitively doing very well. Socially they are great too (okay so one of them is a little socially quirky but I think he gets that from his dad. ha). It just seems that for some reason, they don't really seem to interpret some data that they receive from their environment as they should. And the thing is... this is becoming VERY common. I spoke with a teacher today who said that she has seen it rise exponentially in her school. I know more and more parents who are dealing with it. One of my very good friends deals with this on a much wider spectrum than I do with my boys. Another women I met has a daughter that is a huge sensory seeker. The child can not slow down. She has to be jumping or swinging or running all. the. time. She doesn't sleep well at all and she has lots of anxieties about the world. Sure, there will always be the thought that maybe we are just diagnosing everything under the sun these days. But if you honestly evaluate children, I think you will see that even if we are over-diagnosing by 50% or more... there are still a LOT more kids with these issues.

So... I am wondering what environmental factors might be contributing to the rise in Sensory Processing Disorders and various sensory related issues. The increase in Autism also could be related to this idea. I am starting to believe that we are doing things to our bodies and our children's bodies that are actually changing some of our brain chemistry. Antibiotics in meat? Growth hormones in milk and animal products? Pesticides? Water pollution (I read once some of the things that is carried into our rivers, streams and other water sources... ew)? Processed foods? Artificial Sweeteners? Artificial coloring? Vaccines?

And with this idea, I am wondering what it is going to take for us to realize some of the things we do in this country are changing so much more than we want to admit.

So what do you guys think? Do you think there are environmental causes? If so what do you think contributes most directly to the increase in SPD and Autism or ADHD or various other disorders we have seen a rapid increase in over the last 50 years.