What is Sensory Processing Disorder?

Recently I have seen a rise in the number of articles, Facebook posts, and even tweets claiming to define what Sensory Processing Disorder is. This should be good news, and it is -- mostly.  But, some of them are full of misinformation.

Although I am thankful that anyone wants to help spread awareness, it frustrates me personally that these people could very well be doing more harm than good. I have dedicated such a large portion of my life to spreading awareness that will hopefully benefit kids like mine all over our country and arguably the world, that I would really like to see people get good, solid and accurate information. Wouldn’t you?

It is with that goal in mind – the goal to educate and help – that I am taking my personal stab at answering the increasingly popular question, “What is Sensory Processing Disorder?”  My answer, and this article, will be specifically geared towards helping parents with SPD kids prepare a response for the dozens of strangers (and even family members) who might stare or judge us every day.  We are on the front lines of this disorder, and I believe have the highest stake in making sure that the message being sent about Sensory Processing Disorder is complete and accurate.

Back to School Giveaway from Soft Clothing and HLW3B

Back to school is in full force around here -- it isn't hard to miss:  the stores have officially begun to remove the pool toys and BBQ tools and replace them with binders and crayons.  This is the time of year that my boys begin the 6 week long whine for a new back pack -- and pencils, and crayons, and paints, and...you get the idea.

This is also the time of year that I start to cringe with the thought of buying all of their school supplies, new backpacks (because we chew ours up each year, of course) on top of new shoes and new clothes -- who can afford that?  Especially for 3 kids?

Now add to that I have to buy new fidgets and other sensory diet tools for the classroom (yes, I know that the school will supply these, but my kid can't wait that long), and as you might imagine, back to school costs big money at my house.

So, when I heard from Jessica Ralli at Soft Clothing that she wanted to include my book in her Back To School Giveaway, I of course was flattered. But when I saw what she wanted to giveaway, I had to get in on it.

So, with that, I am crazy excited to announce the Back To School Giveaway by Soft Clothing, co-sponsored by none other than Hartley's Life With 3 Boys!  I know, aren't you thrilled?!

"Tell them what they can win, Bob..."

Soft Clothing is giving away ALL of this to one lucky person!  That's right, your child's back to school will be smooth sailing -- and you won't have to break the bank either.

Here it is:

3 pack of Soft Sensory Tees in color/size of your choice
6 pairs of Soft Seamless Socks
"This is Gabriel Making Sense of School" by Hartley Steiner
Lands End Uniform Backpack
Classpack of Crayola Colored Pencils
Tactile Fidget
Desk Buddy Sensory Bar
6-Pack of Mead Spiral Wide Ruled Notebooks
4-BG Flash Drive
12-Pack of Crayola Washable Fine-Tip Markers
Peltor Junior Noise Protector Headphones
Classic Pencil Grip Pencil Sharpener
4-Pack of Sharpie Highlighter Pens
3-Pack of Pink Paper-Mate Rubber Erasers
2 Mead Classic Composition Books
Plastic Hinged School Tool Box
Max's Mud-Natural Sculpting Dough
Pocket Stixx Oral Motor Tubes

Are you excited?  There are six very easy ways to enter -- and you can enter through each method increasing your chances of winning this GREAT giveaway. 

Click here to view the official entry form and get started.

A big thank you to Soft Clothing for their continued dedication to the SPD/ASD community and for continually surprising me with awesome and fun ideas.  You ROCK Soft!

Are you still reading this?  Stop -- and enter NOW.
H

FTF: Emotional Acceptance by Cat Lichtenbelt

Here is August's First Things First article, which was written by Cat Lichtenbelt who writes at http://www.sensoryflow.com/.  Like all of our articles, I hope it provides you inspiration to take care of your own needs!

For more information about First Things First click here. There is also a list of the previous First Things First articles under the "Interviews, Guest Posts & FTF" tab at the top -- with the obvious title of "First Things First Articles".

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I see acceptance as coming to an agreement. It is like going to a meeting of the minds and everyone walking out on the same page with the same purpose and goals for the future. As much as I’d like to say I am there, I am not, at least not yet. I have had some meetings, but I have never walked out with the same purpose, I merely walked out glad to have the meeting over with. Many of these meeting took place in my head and only Me, Myself and I attended, and we still did not agree!

To get to acceptance, you must first encounter other emotions, or stages. I’m not sure I ever truly went through shock and denial or any of the other well known stages of grief. I think I went through my own SPD, Sensory Parenting Discovery stages.

My first stage was the Maybe stage. “ Maybe my child is a bit different”, “maybe he is more active”, “maybe this school is not working for him”, “maybe with some therapy he can fit in”, “maybe if we just understood him more”. “Maybe I’m crazy”, or even better, “maybe they (the school system) are crazy and too institutionalized”. This stage also included, “maybe he has a disorder” and he was then diagnosed with one, Sensory Processing Disorder. Maybe is a good stage, it is a stage of questioning yourself and your child’s needs, and the priority of those needs.