If they only knew

Allow me to introduce you to my son:

*From the moment he was born, he wouldn’t stop crying (it took him three hours to fall asleep after his birth)
*The pacifier became his best friend until 3 years old and he never found any replacement afterwards to help him soothe himself
*I would literally spend hours gently shaking him in my arms until he fell asleep
*He startled with every noise he heard
*He would only wear “soft clothes”, no jeans or “itchy shirts”… stretch pants and cotton shirts were the staples
*Daily anxiety about the unknown/unpredictable
*Excessively ticklish
*Continues to cover his ears with loud sounds

Being my youngest child, I initially thought this was “normal”. As I became worn out by all of his emotional needs and saw his “behaviors” being “different” than other children his age, I started my quest to find out why!

Every time we attempted to discuss our concerns with his pediatrician we would only hear “that is completely normal for hisage, he’ll grow out of it, it’s only a phase…”

No one seemed to understand our son or our struggles as parents. It always seemed to come down to blaming us for being too accommodating to him…it was OUR fault. They would say, “too bad, he should just get over it!!”

There were so many misunderstandings, arguments, and judgments from family, friends, , preschools, teachers and professionals. Our frustration was increasing every day and my patience was wearing thin!

I have learned so much through educating myself, seeking professional help, doing research, specializing in this field.

Sensory Processing Disorder is a real neurological disorder, yet still so often misunderstood. It can have a huge impact on a child’s well-being, daily functioning, social skills, relationships and self-esteem.

Having a child with a Sensory Processing Disorder can also completely exhaust parents and professionals if they are not educated on the disorder (and sometimes even if they are!).