I know I had a couple sensory issues, but I had outgrown them by 4th grade, maybe even 3rd grade. I had to wear socks inside out and wouldn't wear jeans. I also did not like different foods to touch. But something happened and all those things just stopped bothering me, definitely by the time I entered middle school (in my district, middle school started in 5th grade). I didn't even have a problem with wearing a bra. My daughter hates bras, and I'm struggling with getting her to wear one. She is developing faster than I did as a child, and really needs one now. But what happened with me is since I was in middle school, and nearly all the girls had bras, I was self-conscious not to have one in the changing room for gym class, so my mom bought me one before I really even needed it. However, unlike my daughter, I would eat mixed foods such as casseroles or even roast and vegetables that were cooked together. My daughter likes zero seasoning on all foods, nothing like gravy or sauces, hates any foods to touch, and will not eat foods cooked together like casseroles or roast with veggies. I just pull things out while I'm cooking or give her the veggies raw or give her something like cheese cubes if what I'm cooking has cheese in it. I don't want to make too big a deal of it. While it is a pain, at least the foods she eats are healthy, and it's healthier not to salt food or cook veggies in with a more fatty roast. But that doesn't make it easier! My family (mom, aunts, grandmother) think I baby her, and that she would eat the foods if she were hungry enough, but I don't think so (her personality is super stubborn, there was nothing like cry it out when she was a baby, she would go on stretching 2 hours or longer crying, we finally put her in the bed with us, where she would settle down and sleep), especially now that she is old enough to go into the refrigerator and get snacks herself. I am able to just cut up raw veggies and bag them, she'll grab one of those or a plain string cheese (must be only one type of cheese in the stick, not 2 cheeses mixed), who am I to complain that my child likes to eat vegetables, cheese, or yogurt?

While it is not re-assuring to hear that meltdowns can still happen, I am seeing a small trend that they happen less, especially at school. At home, it's a toss-up, but I have to remind myself she is going through puberty too, and those hormones can be wicked. I know my youngest sister was an absolute nightmare until her hormones sort of settled, so some of what she's going through can be hormonal as well.