Sensory Processing Disorder in Our Family

Last week, VBS and Hannah brought me to tears. When she hits her overload, most don’t get it. She has sensory processing disorder or Sensory Processing Dysfunction…AKA SPD or Sensory Integration Disorder.

Too much noise, too much activity, too much color, too much light, too hot, too cold, too much change, being unsure, not knowing what to do, it all leads to…. MELTDOWNS. Meltdowns are not tantrums.

Meltdown vs. Tantrum, What is the difference?

Well, in the early stages it can be hard to tell. But, as it progresses, the child will lose more and more control. They stop making eye contact, they don’t care what is going on or who is watching them. They most likely won’t remember what exactly set them off. The child can get hurt, as they thrash around, run into things and lose more an more control.

What Sensory Processing Disorder Looks Like for Hannah

Hannah has Meltdowns…she has tantrums too, but I have learned to see those meltdowns coming from miles away. I see her triggers, before she even knows something is happening. She gets antsy, clinging, she will need to potty, potty again, and soon starts crying. Many times a meltdown will start out much like a tantrum, but then it escalates, and people begin to think to themselves, or many times out loud or in their body language, that she is the most spoiled child around.

For instance, this past weekend, we attended the Teach Them Diligently Convention in Omaha, she attended the children’s program and handled it pretty well. She had her older sister step in to help her along a couple of times, but never did I have to go take care of her, never did she reach a full meltdown.

Vacation Bible School, didn’t work. She hit meltdown two out of the four days, and was near it the other two days.

Hannah has tight heal cords which result in an awkward gait, she wears braces at night to help her overcome this. The wearing of braces at night tend to set us up for more sensory issues during the day.

Hannah has some speech challenges. That may be a result of medication she had to have when she was born.

She has vision challenges, but the SPD plays a part in helping that, as her glasses really bother her.

Hannah doesn’t like to wear hats much, but will let me tie a scarf around her head to cover her ears.

Hannah likes her bed full…full of blankets, full of stuffed animals and full of books. If there is nothing in it, she isn’t sleeping there and will be found in my bed between hubby and I smooshed, just like she likes it.

She struggles wearing the seat straps of her car seat correctly.

Shoes are a huge bother, as are socks, shirts, pants.

Potty training was well good, until she got sick at not quite 2.5, and then well, it took us for ever to get her re-potty trained. In fact this is the first week she has worn underwear successfully since she was 2. She is now 4.5.

Hannah only likes some blankets. She loves Minky, she loves fuzzy things. Silky things are a bad, bad thing.

Cotton clothes are all she wears…anything else and well, you will see her stripping no matter where she is…last summer we had a lesson at church.

Hannah doesn’t eat hard to chew foods (most of her meat it cut into very tiny bites). She won’t eat cheese on anything, but loves cheese sticks. Chips as far as she is concerned are a food group.

You know how a warm to hot bath feels great to you? Not for Hannah, she likes them…almost ice cold. It took us a long time to figure that out.

Hannah IS a gift from God. She blesses our family daily. She has taught us compassion on a level many never learn.

Hannah has beat the odds. She survived an extremely low blood oxygen saturation of 21%-24% in the first 1.5 hours after birth. She walked at 9 months, she talked around 12 months, she writes, she draws, she loves. Hannah LOVEs her family. She LOVES babies. She LOVES animals.

God has a plan for Hannah, HE is going to use her to build His kingdom for glory.

When Hannah has a bad day, or even days, they are bad. She looks normal, you can’t tell by looking anything is “different”. See, 25-50 years ago, a baby born with Hannah’s trouble at birth…wouldn’t have lived, or would have been so brain damaged, they would never have had the opportunity to go to “normal” activities.

Hannah on a good day, is normal. You won’t see anything different.

When Hannah gets sick….SHE GETS SICK!! That is one reason you won’t see Hannah out and about with other children during the worst of the cold and flu season. Her lungs are a little weaker than yours or mine. She gets a cold, she very often will end up with pneumonia.

How to Help the Child with Sensory Processing Disorder

Parenting a child with Sensory Processing Disorder will either have you bawling all day every day or bring you to your knees. You do almost anything to prevent a meltdown, while trying to help guide your child to accept new situations, textures, and other things they will encounter in life, without hitting the point that they meltdown and learn nothing from it. You nearly always feel like you are riding the narrow edge of a fence.

Some are able to get their children into Occupational and Physical Therapy and that helps their children with Sensory Processing Disorder. Some take it day by day and allow God to guide them in what they do. We are relying on God to help us know what and when to do different things with Hannah. We have done brushing. She has lots of “sensory” type toys. At this time, it is new situations that can send her into a meltdown. Most anything else we are able to ease into or easily adapt/avoid.

On a bad day, you will think Brad and I are the worst parents ever. You will think we spoil her rotten. You will see us remove her from a situation, and think we are spoiling her. No, we are doing what is BEST for HER. Every new situation is a struggle. It is very scary for her. This is probably the time I should tell you that special needs children DO hear those comments, they DO feel that body language, they DO see those looks. Me, well, I am used to it, but it does hurt me to see it. Why? Because it seems society has forgotten that God, yes, God as in the God in the Bible, created these children in His image, just as He did you and I.

Glad you enjoyed this post, check out the other related post for more about this:

1. A Light bulb Moment with my Sensory Intense Child and her PJs As our evening temperatures drop, I have been putting my children in warmer jammies at...
2. Turning to God When You Would Rather Have a Mommy Meltdown So, this morning, has been CHAOTIC!! Crazy, and I let Satan have it for a...
3. Our Adventure as a Large Family using Cloth Diapers I have been cloth diapering since our 4 year old was 9 months and I...
4. Getting through the Days-Meeting the Needs of a High Needs Baby Over the last year, there have been some very emotionally draining days in our home....
5. Easy to Set Up Family Routine and Schedule A couple of months ago, I put together a new routine for our family. The...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.