Empowering My Son with Sensory Processing Disorder to Flourish

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There’s a moment in every parent’s life that feels like a scene straight out of a nightmare: that dreaded phone call from the school principal about your child’s behavior. My heart sank as I prepared for yet another early morning meeting in those tiny, uncomfortable chairs. It felt like I was back in school, waiting to be reprimanded.

Once again, we heard the all-too-familiar tale of our 5-year-old son, Max, struggling in the classroom and clashing with both classmates and teachers. But instead of the usual “what do you think we should do?” approach, the director surprised me by asking if we had ever heard of sensory processing disorder. She handed me a flyer for an organization called LifeSkills, and I felt a flicker of hope.

Sensory processing involves how a child’s nervous system interprets information from their environment—sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. For kids with sensory issues, their brains struggle to make sense of these signals, leading to inappropriate reactions. (There are various types including sensory over-responsivity, under-responsivity, and sensory seeking.) Max, for instance, absolutely loathes being touched by strangers and reacts fiercely if someone invades his personal space. He struggles with socks, still wears pull-ups at night, and can’t tolerate noisy environments—classrooms included. Once, in a chaotic doctor’s waiting room, he shouted for everyone to be quiet. He can’t stand the smells of dinner or the sounds of chewing, demanding to eat in another room. But when it comes to ice cream, he dives right in, leaving a delightful mess on his face and hands. He’s slow to wake in the morning and panics at the slightest change of plans. We just thought he was being difficult.

Later that day, at the park, a neighbor asked about our school situation and I admitted we had switched schools after being dismissed from our previous one. To my shock, she shared that her son also has sensory processing disorder. What a relief to know I wasn’t alone! That evening, she dropped off a book titled Sensational Kids by Lucy Jane Miller and promised to share her insights about her son, who is now thriving at 12.

Max underwent evaluation and received a diagnosis of sensory processing disorder. Although public schools and insurance may not recognize it yet, Max was classified with dyspraxia (motor-planning difficulties), hypotonia (low muscle tone), and coordination disorder. Simple tasks like walking heel to toe for eight steps or holding a proper cannonball position for more than two seconds are impossible for him. He can’t even maintain eye contact for more than four seconds or draw a square like his peers. It’s not due to a lack of intelligence or effort; he simply isn’t receiving the right signals to guide his body.

I shed quite a few tears realizing how much I misunderstood him. But with every new insight we gain, we come closer to supporting him better. We learned that mouth muscles develop faster than hand muscles, and Max has been in speech therapy since he was little. He constantly chews on his collar, creating holes in his shirts, and loves foods that provide strong sensory input—steaming hot chocolate, chewing gum, and salt-and-vinegar chips (which my husband despises, but hey, they work for Max!).

Max enjoys riding his bike and kayaking because they offer predictable movements that his body can master. There’s still hope that he’ll excel in sports (for my husband’s sanity!).

The key to helping Max is occupational therapy. He has a fantastic therapist who visits him at school once a week. Interestingly, she switched careers from engineering to OT to help her own son with sensory processing challenges.

As I worry about whether Max will be ready for kindergarten in the fall, I remind myself that we have a supportive school willing to collaborate with us. Plus, I’m grateful for family and friends who recognize Max’s potential. On the night of that parent-teacher conference, a friend left me a sweet note and a bottle of wine called Dark Horse. There’s nothing like reassurance from another mom who truly understands your struggles.

The most significant gift for Max is that we, his parents and teachers, are starting to grasp a bit of what he experiences daily. With this new understanding, we can offer him more time, patience, and empathy as he navigates this challenging world.

For more on this topic, check out our other blog posts discussing the intricacies of navigating parenting and sensory processing disorder. Also, if you’re curious about pregnancy and home insemination, an excellent resource is Wikipedia’s article on in vitro fertilisation and for a reliable at-home insemination kit, visit Make A Mom.

Summary

This article shares a personal journey of understanding and supporting a child with sensory processing disorder. The author recounts the challenges faced in school and daily life, the discovery of appropriate therapies, and the importance of community support. Through occupational therapy and newfound awareness, the family aims to help their son thrive.