The difference between me and you








Building a Sensory Diet









You Know You’re an SPD Parent When

People like to give you parenting advice about how you aren’t strict enough with your child and need to try spanking, timeouts, charts and numerous other things to get your kid back in line while you think to yourself, “Yea buddy, I wish those things worked with my child.”

When all your friends ask you where that “cool park” is you posted on facebook because knowing where every park is within a 10-mile radius of your home is mandatory knowledge.

You own at least one pair of noise canceling ear muffs and not because you go to the gun range, but because you never know what noise you will need to cancel out to avoid a meltdown.

You keep buying socks because there never seem to be any in the sock drawer and when you look for the three dozen pairs you know you own you can only find one sock at a time, you know in places like the kitchen, the car, outside, in the dogs bed, under the couch. . . everywhere, except, on the little feet they were bought for.

You know where all the indoor kid’s gyms, playgrounds, and bouncy places are and what the best times to go to avoid the crowds.

Other parents think you forgot your child’s jacket when in reality you have in the car: a long sleeve flannel shirt, a sweatshirt and two types of jackets because you were hoping your child might cooperate and put one on at some point.

You own at least two trampolines and/or swings (because you need at least one inside and one outside), three types of bikes, the spinny rocky thing you saw another SPD parent post on your FB group and you made your husband make a mini ninja warrior obstacle training course in the back yard because you are trying to retain a little bit of sanity.

You are never on time, not because you don’t try but because you child takes their shoes and socks off five times before you make it out the door and you have to chase them around the house 8 times to catch them to put on the shoes and socks, again.

You talk about something your child does to another parent and they say “oh that’s normal, my kid does that” and you scream in your head,”You don’t even know, YOU DONT EVEN KNOW!” while you grimace a smile and nod.

You have a reserve of patience larger than Mother Theresa’s.

*Sensory Processing Disorder is when the body does not correctly take in and process sensory information from our seven senses.  People with this disorder are often overwhelmed or underwhelmed by stimuli from their environment and have trouble reacting as our society would deem “in an appropriate manner.”  Sensory Processing Disorder is not well known to teachers and pediatricians, and that needs to change so the children with this disorder can get the help need.  Read more about my SPD story here:SPD.


What Now?

Ok, so now I understand why my child has been having so much trouble in school. Sensory Processing Disorder.  So what now?

In my case, I lucked out.  After asking literally everyone I came in contact with about in home daycare I found a woman, who is turning out to be a Godsend.  She only cares for 5 kids at the most and she has previous teaching experience and has worked with autistic children.  While my son isn’t autistic, most autistic children suffer from some types of Sensory Processing Problems so she’s dealt with some of the behaviors my son exhibits. After the first week, I was so thankful to have found her.  She reports my son is mostly well behaved, “a good boy”. Music to my ears considering all his previous caretakers would just report the “crazy” behaviors he exhibited that I wasn’t sure what I could do about and that he didn’t exhibit at home because there aren’t massive amounts of children running around our house.

I’m looking into Early Childhood Intervention programs through my school district, but honestly, the thought of having to send him back to school after the experiences I’ve had is absolutely terrifying.  I don’t want to even think about it right now, I just want to revel in the fact that he is currently happy in the place that he is at and I can put the thought of school on the back burner for a little while.

We go to Occupational Therapy.  In Occupational Therapy we can work on both my son’s sensory seeking and sensory avoidant behaviors.  We can also work together to build a sensory diet for my son to help fulfill his sensory seeking and avoidant behaviors at home and hopefully improve his behavior, emotions, and social interactions.

Knowing that my son’s behavior is not defiant and is mostly linked to a Sensory Processing Disorder has helped me tremendously.  I am able to be more patient.  I am able to better identify triggers to avoid meltdowns, to stop meltdowns before they start or to talk him through a meltdown better than I previously could.  This is not the end of the road for us, it will be a long and perilous journey moving forward, but I am armed with knowledge and I will continue to build my armory with useful tools to help us navigate through our Sensory Processing Disorder adventure.

Let me share some of my Sensory Processing Disorder Toolbox with you.

Raising a Sensory Smart Child

The Out of Sync Child

The Explosive Child

The Highly Sensitive Child


Leading Edge Parenting

Child Mind Institute

The Inspired Treehouse

Growing Hands-On Kids

Sensory Smart Parent

Sensory Processing Disorder Parent Support

Other SPD Parents-  I cannot thank the other parents and mothers I have talked to enough for calming me down, encouraging me and opening my eyes to the beauty of having a Sensory Processing Disorder Child.

Online Groups- Because when you’re about to lose your mind at 2 am, there is always someone else up to chat.

This is Part Five in the SPD Series
Read Post One Here: The Day My World Came Crashing Down
Post Two Here: Trying to Move Forward and Getting No Traction
Post Three Here: A Spark of Hope
Post Four Here: Okay, So What is Sensory Processing Disorder




Okay, So What is Sensory Processing Disorder?

I was born on the Day of Research so as soon as I heard the words Sensory Processing Disorder I hit the ground running.  I read and I read.  My eyes turned to saucers as I read an article that literally described a little boy who could have been my son.  I got on Amazon and ordered the two most suggested books about Sensory Processing Disorder.  The Out of Sync Child by Carol Kranowitz and Raising A Sensory Smart Child by Lindsey Biel, and Nancy Peske

Sensory processing disorder (SPD) is a condition in which the brain has trouble receiving and responding to information that comes in through the senses.  (Smitha Bhandari, MD “Sensory Processing Disorder” WebMD 31 May 2016).  So what exactly does that mean? When someone has SPD information coming in through the senses isn’t processed properly and this misinterpretation of input can lead to issues with mood and/or behavior. Sensory input can be anything from sights, sound, lights, touch, smells and tastes and movement input (where your body is in relation to space).  Any information we receive through our senses.  A person with SPD will often overreact or under react to what others consider “normal” amounts of sensory input.

Sensory Processing Disorder is a spectrum disorder which means there is a wide range of symptoms.  Most people are affected by one or more types of sensory processing symptoms, but they are not usually enough to affect everyday functioning. For example, some people do not like seams on their socks or tags in their clothes, so they buy seamless socks and tagless clothes or they cut off tags from their clothes. Other people do not like the way lotions, oils, bug sprays or sunblock feels on their skin so they will avoid using these products.  Some people love the way textures and fabrics feel so they are constantly touching everything. These examples by themselves are often manageable but people with true Sensory Processing Disorder often have multiple sensory seeking or sensory avoidant behaviors that disrupt everyday life and functioning.

I found this to be a great article about sensory avoiding and sensory seeking behaviors. Some SPD people are seekers,  some are avoiders and some have a combination of both.

SPD can also affect your proprioceptive system and your vestibular system.  The proprioceptive system tells the brain where the body is in relation to other objects and how to move. (Arky, Beth “Sensory Processing Issues Explained” Child Mind Institute).  The Vestibular System, which is a contributor to our balance system and our sense of spatial orientation, is the sensory system that provides the dominant input about movement and equilibrioception. (“The Vestibular System“, SPD Australia).  Both systems play an important role in everyday functioning.

A “normal” person isn’t bothered by the touch of their clothes against their skin, but to someone with SPD the feel of certain materials against their skin might make them feel like they are on fire.  A child with SPD might be sensitive to light touch so they may be fine in small groups, but if they are put in a large group of children where the kids are touching and bumping and poking each other the SPD child might meltdown, run away from the group or push a child that touches them because they can no longer handle the sensory input.

Often when children get overwhelmed by sensory input they go into a”fight, flight or freeze” response.  They will “Fight”- Get angry or irritable or rage, they will have a meltdown or tantrum, they will kick, push or hit.  The will “Flight”- the might panic, cry, try to run away or try to remove themselves from the situation, they will try to hide or they will withdraw.  They will “Freeze”- they won’t move or speak or respond, they will just curl up and get quiet.

Phew… Are you overwhelmed yet?  Yeah, me too. . . where a child is frustrated and

Sensory Processing Disorder is not a well-known disorder and many pediatricians, doctors, and teachers do not know about the disorder.  Children silently suffer and get labeled as behavior problems, when in reality they are suffering from SPD.  Parents get made to feel like horrible people who don’t discipline their children, or who don’t discipline them correctly and people feel the need to tell parents of SPD children they are doing a shit job of parenting.  They are not.  They are doing the best job they can often not knowing that SPD is the cause for their children’s behavior.  This needs to change.  We need to educate the doctors and teachers and other people who come in contact with children so they can help point the parents of SPD children to helpful resources so they can help these children and the earlier the better. . .

This is another step forward on a very long, very hard and tearful journey towards helping my child.

Sensory Seekers and Sensory Avoiders

Sensory Processing Issues Explained

The Vestibular System

The Out of Sync Child

Raising a Sensory Smart Child

This is Part Four in the SPD Series
Read Post One Here: The Day My World Came Crashing Down
Post Two Here: Trying to Move Forward and Getting No Traction
And Post Three Here: A Spark of Hope