Having a daughter with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), life can be quite challenging. Anywhere from tantrums, obsessive-compulsive behaviors and a very strong personality to a kind-hearted, homebody that wants to snuggle on the couch and talk about life dreams.
Recently I had the opportunity to talk about one of my FAVORITE organizations with Melissa Andrews on WTOL channel 11 news. So many times I talk with others about my passion when it comes to helping other mommas discover an avenue of help they have so longed for…it was nice to catapult my story for others to hear on a much larger scale.
I still remember the day like it was yesterday. We took our 18-month-old daughter to a behavioral pediatrician to see if she may be on the autism spectrum. She had been showing signs of having autism such as behavioral outbursts, a clingy disposition to myself, and she did strange things like make her bed every day and stack and re-stack books for hours. The knot in my stomach was too big to manage with tears ready and loaded as we waited in the waiting room to be called back. I was extremely nervous at how everything would turn out. It was a three hour test. My 18-month-old threw tantrums every 20 minutes, she wouldn’t allow anyone to…
This little 3.5 year old has been on quite the journey…and taken my husband and I on quite the journey as well. 💗
From an EXTREMELY young age (like 3 months) I knew Delise was unique and different from the “norm” (whatever the heck that means 🤷🏻♀️). Little did I know that she would transform my heart 💗 and help me to embrace her way of thinking, seeing the world, and loving life.
It took about 3 years for the two of us to truly “get” one another. I’m not speaking about loving one another…that came naturally for me as she is my precious gift from God. No, It was just, well…where I saw black and white, she sees a thousand different shades of gray.
The day I found out my child had a sensory processing disorder (SPD) was the end of our search for answers to her strange and “different” behavior. The silver lining was that we FINALLY had an answer for her terrible tantrums, her OCD tendencies, and her “clingy” personality. Sensory processing disorder is a condition in which the brain has trouble receiving and responding to information that comes in through the senses. … Some people with sensory processing disorder are oversensitive to things in their environment. Common sounds may be painful or overwhelming.
Oh Boy!!!! “Now What?” How could I possibly help my child overcome some of her obstacles when the world was telling me to go in a thousand different directions? After much research and trial and error, I had my go-to toys that truly helped her overcome her SPD obstacles.
In past blogs I have defined what SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder) is and I have also talked about the help that is out there. Today I want to focus on manipulatives that have helped our daughter combat her anxiety and OCD tendencies. Specifically the body therapy sock you see our daughter wearing the top picture.
It has been several months since our youngest of two, Delise got the diagnosis of severe anxiety. She is just two years old. Understanding how anxiety can be present in a toddler was mind boggling…and still is. What worries could she possibly have? I decided to dig deeper into her diagnosis and get a better understanding of what she was going through.
Having a child with anxiety feels very lonely. On the surface, everything seems alright. Teachers rave about them. Friends adore them. Relatives and family friends might not see what all the fuss is about. But what people don’t see is the daily struggle in the home. The fear that paralyzes them at night. The worries that consume their young mind and prompt them to feel nauseous, nervous and overwhelmed. Every day feels like a battle. A battle Delise doesn’t always win. I have discovered how to empower her by adjusting my parental role.
My first born child couldn’t have been easier to potty train. It went smoothly and frustration levels never hit the roof. In fact, I was amazed at how easy it was. So, naturally I thought it would be that easy with my second child. She was showing all signs of being ready: She wanted to sit on the potty, refused to wear a pull-up and only wanted underwear, wanted to be like her big sister, etc., etc. As we started this potty training journey, I soon realized that it was going to cause headaches, frustration and doubt that it was ever going to happen. I obviously know she will get there eventually, but the reality set in when after 4 weeks of trying and trying some more, sitting on the potty for several minutes at a time, and cleaning up more messes I care to count, there was something going on more than just potty training.
I put a message on my Facebook wall to ask for help from some seasoned momma’s and that is when several people reached out to me about Delise’s Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). Duh! Why hadn’t it occurred to me that this could be related to SPD? So, like I do in true Mary fashion, I started researching it and looking into books about it (thanks Julie). I was AMAZED at what I started reading and how SPD and potty training go hand in hand! Here is what I found:
Tantrums, meltdowns, screaming, crying, biting, pulling, scratching, hitting, yelling, etc. were all a part of our day to day life starting about 6 months ago. We watched our sweet little Delise turn into someone we didn’t know how to handle…she became nearly impossible.