T'was the Night Before an SPD Christmas

T’was the Night Before an SPD Christmas
By Patty, her husband and Hartley


T'was the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The snack packs, arranged on the counter with care,
In hopes, on our journey we’d be well prepared.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of Chex Mix danced in their heads;


Ma in her hoodie, and I in my sweats,
were to put away pillows and therapy nets.
When in the back room there arose such a clatter,
I ran at full sprint to see what was the matter.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a puzzled old man buried up to his ears,
(In scooter boards, swings, and small colored spheres.)
Poor devil had brushed ‘gainst our therapy stash,
When it came down around him it made such a crash!


He recovered with grace, so lively and quick,
That I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
"What is all this stuff that you people collect?
Are you Circus performers?”--the old man interjects—
“I came here with toys, for the boys and your girl
But looking around I think ‘what in the world?’


This room that would normally have children’s stuff
Is packed to the gills with equipment enough
To start your own CIA torturing session!
Tell me I’m wrong and you’re not!” (oh good heavens!)


My wife and I snickered and held out our hands,
And reassured Nick we’d had no evil plans.
“Our kids have a condition; they have a hard time—
They yell when it smells and they climb up the blinds.

Come see me!

Where are my California moms?!

If you are in the Los Angeles, San Diego, or southern California area (or don't mind the drive), come out and see me as I support an amazing local company, Sensory Time, who is dedicated to supporting families like mine (and yours) in their local community.  Their sensory friendly play space -- is great -- but owner Lauren Allum's dedication to kids is truly inspiring.  Come talk with us, and let me sign a copy of my book for you,
This is Gabriel Making Sense of School. 

Lauren and Sensory Time are giving away 100 copies of my book. 
That's right, books are free -- and as always, so is the advice. : )

Love to see you!

Hartley

SPD Diagnosis -- Now What?

This is one of my most favorite posts, and I have noticed a new 'wave' of families that are joining my blog with newly diagnosed SPD kiddos (Welcome!  Look around, make yourself at home, and introduce yourself on comments!)-- so I thought this would be a GREAT time to repost it!

This is my Checklist for Families Newly Diagnosed with SPD (or still flailing about!). It is the basis of my therapy for Gabriel and what I rely on day to day to live. It makes me feel like I am empowered to manage his Sensory Processing Disorder instead of feeling like I am at its mercy all the time.

1. Find a qualified, trained, experienced Occupational Therapist.

You may think you already have this step down, especially since your child was probably diagnosed by an OT. But, and this is a HUGE but, you truly need to find an Occupational Therapist that has not only been trained in Sensory techniques, but one that is currently treating patients with SPD successfully.

There are many things that OTs continue to learn, and having an OT that is focused on sensory integration is key to your child’s ability to get the most out of OT now and in the future.

Did that scare you? That you might go back to OT? A great OT is there for you and your child as your child grows up (shocking to think your preschooler or Kindergartner will ever “grow up” but as it turns out, they will). You may find you go back to OT for many reasons; maybe you need a little help with something specific—like handwriting or social issues. A great OT that knows your child and family will be priceless for the rest of your child’s SPD journey.

We have been back and forth to the same amazing Occupational Therapist for over 4 years now. She has been my son’s OT, my personal therapist, my son’s social coach, his school advocate and now I consider her a personal friend.

2. Establish a Routine immediately if not sooner.

Routine is going to be your new BFF. I say all the time that routine is my dearest friend and is the one I miss the most when I don’t see her for too long. Making things predictable at home for you and your kid will reduce meltdowns. Plain and simple: Less Meltdowns = More Calm. More Calm = Happier people. That’s the way it works, I don’t make the rules, I just follow them.

Sensory Tools Made "Cool" by Fun and Function (Aviva Weiss)

I came across this amazing new website, http://www.funandfunction.com/, that offers great sensory toys and tools for your home or therapy center (for all you OT/PTs out there!) and was even more excited to find out that the owner/found is not only an Occupational Therapist herself, but has a child with Sensory Processing Disorder (not to mention 4 other kiddos including a 6 week old--ah, hello supermom!).

She has offered to tell us more about her family and her business, and is offering HLW3B readers a 10% discount off their purchases. A discount on therapy toys -- hmmm -- almost better than a new handbag, huh? LOL Here we go!

Hi Aviva! Welcome to HLW3B. I am very excited to talk about your website and how it is making the lives of special needs kids ‘cooler’, but first tell me a little about yourself. How did you come to start a business that caters to kiddos like mine with Sensory Processing Disorder?

Thanks, Hartley for this opportunity! I was inspired to create Fun and Function when I learned my own daughter was challenged with Sensory Processing Disorder, and I was turned off by the high prices and unaesthetic products that she needed for therapy. I began designing my own line, and realized many other parents also wanted an alternative to clinical-looking and costly products.

There are so many amazingly fun and innovative products on your website, but I am very intrigued by the “Exclusive” items you have—especially the dressing vests that look like Police officers and Princesses (I totally want the Police Officer one—very cool!). Where do you find such great items for your site?

I worked with a fashion designer to create the dress-up vests, which we call our Magical Apparel line! It's magical because all children can play dress-up together, and those who need sensory input can place weights in the interior pockets, without missing a beat. The easy-to-grasp buttons, snaps, and zippers offer practice dressing too. As an occupational therapist and mother of five young children, I often come up with too many ideas that I would love to bring to fruition. The hard part is waiting for the ideas to become a reality! Many of the exclusive products are designed and manufactured by Fun and Function. To add to our offering, I also spend a significant amount of time searching for other innovative toys and products which stimulate development and function in children of all abilities.

I commented on your Facebook page where you were asking for input from SPD parents about what kinds of products they want to see in your upcoming 2011 catalog (can't pass up the opportunity to put my two cents in); what a smart idea to ask the people who USE these items at home what they want! Can you disclose any secrets about upcoming new items? I am dying to know!

Our goal for 2011 is to offer a wide variety of products that are selected and voted for by our parents, therapists and of course, children. I might like something from my perspective as an occupational therapist and mom, but there are many other solid opinions out there and I want to hear them. In general our approach to all feedback and ideas is “bring ‘em on!” It makes us better at what we do.

In terms of new products, we are working on some very, very cool social/emotional games with content that is user generated. You and your readers can contribute to the games by joining the discussion on our Facebook page and share what situations trigger emotional reactions from your child. We are also developing a line of functional wearable chewies ( I’ll leave the rest a secret) and calming, comfortable clothing that is designed and voted on by children on http://www.bykidsonly.com/

I hear often from friends and fellow special needs moms that they wish there was a local place to purchase these kinds of items. I was impressed to see that you are not only in some retail locations, but that you offer the ability to become a Consultant for your products. Becoming a Consultant sounds like an amazing opportunity for parents like me to make some extra money while sharing and selling products that directly contribute to the well being of other special needs families! Please tell me more about how Consultants help your business, and how some of my readers may benefit from becoming one.

We recognize that people love to touch-and-feel the products before committing to purchase, and we offer this opportunity through our Consultants. There's an added benefit too: when our Consultants demo the products at events like house parties and in service presentations at schools, families and professionals are able to connect and share their knowledge and tips of what's worked for them.

Some of our consultants have day jobs as therapists and many are moms. They're attracted by the extra income of selling products that they really believe in. From a business perspective, our Consultants give us another touch point to understand the range of customer needs, and we gain a bigger footprint across the US.

You can find more information at about how to become a Consultant by clicking the link and reading about it on our site. I would love to have more amazing people join the Fun and Function team!

Thank you Aviva for taking the time out to share with us about your family and your business. Can you tell me where to connect with you? Facebook? Twitter? And also, I hear you are willing to give HLW3B readers a discount?! Tell us about that too! :)

Thank you! It is great meeting other parents with similar passions! You can find us on Facebook at facebook.com/FunandFunctionFans and on Twitter @FunandFunction We are thrilled to offer a 10% discount to your fans just enter code HLW3B in the first discount coupon box upon checkout. Have a great day!

_________________________________________

A special thanks to Aviva again; another sensational mom helping sensational kids! She just welcomed her 5th child into their family too, so congratulations on little Sam and another BIG congratulations on the work you are doing to make special needs "cool"!

I hope you will all be able to benefit from the discount code, and take a close look at the great and unique products that Fun and Function has to offer. I am thinking the boys might just get those adorable Magic Dressing Vests in their Easter Baskets, what about you?

H