How Do We Start The Conversation?

On January 31, 2018January 31, 2018 By justmymomsenseIn Uncategorized1 Comment

Some people in our life, including our closest friends and family, are just learning about J’s Speech Therapy and soon to be Occupational Therapy through this blog.

We weren’t trying to hide anything, weren’t embarrassed, not worried about being judged and we weren’t too overwhelmed to talk about it. It’s hard to put into words why this is news to most, but I’ll try.

J is a healthy, happy boy. He loves cars, puzzles, anything letter related, going to the park, Disney (it’s in his DNA), his family and his friends. I don’t feel anything is “wrong” with him. Thankfully, he’s not sick. He just has to work a little harder at things than some other kids do. And also not as hard as some other kids do.

So this raises the question-how do we go about starting the conversation? To make a big announcement may seem like it’s a bigger deal than it is, in the sense that something is “wrong.” By not saying anything, it may seem like we are holding back or that more is going on.

I don’t have an answer and would love to hear from other parents! There’s no shame or embarrassment in kids needing some extra help along the way and it’s important to talk about.

Feel free to comment below, Follow me on Twitter or if you know me in real life-reach out personally! I would love to hear from all of you!

What is Sensory Processing Disorder?

On January 25, 2018June 21, 2018 By justmymomsenseIn Uncategorized3 Comments

A question I get asked a lot! Not an easy one to answer since it’s different for everyone.

The STAR Institute for Sensory Processing Disorder is a great resource. Here is their umbrella definition:

“Sensory processing (originally called “sensory integration dysfunction” or SID) refers to the way the nervous system receives messages from the senses and turns them into appropriate motor and behavioral responses. Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), exists when sensory signals are either not detected or don’t get organized into appropriate responses. Pioneering occupational therapist, educational psychologist, and neuroscientist A. Jean Ayres, PhD, likened SPD to a neurological “traffic jam” that prevents certain parts of the brain from receiving the information needed to interpret sensory information correctly. A person with SPD finds it difficult to process and act upon information received through the senses, which creates challenges in performing countless everyday tasks.”

They also mention that “symptoms of Sensory Processing Disorder, like those of most disorders, occur within a broad spectrum of severity.”

That last line goes back to what I mentioned in the beginning. Due to that broad spectrum, this can be different for everyone. It’s helpful that I started reading “The Out-Of-Sync Child.” There are many sub-categories of Sensory Processing Disorder that the book gets into. Within those sub-categories there are descriptions as to how a child may react if they are considered overresponsive, underresponsive or sensory-craving. Children can fit into one of these boxes or maybe a variety within the subcategories As I continue to read “The Out-of-Sync Child,” I’ll be sure to share what I learn and how my personal experience relates to that information.

I can’t even fully explain what exactly it is for ‘J.’ I can say he seems to relate to that of a sensory-craving child but there are definitely moments where he is overresponsive. I’m understanding more about him as I read and learn. I know what triggers him and what doesn’t. I’m also still surprised by what does and doesn’t trigger him. I don’t think I’ll ever stop learning or have a full grasp on it, but it will become more clear one as time goes on. I look forward to having more tools to help him through his sensory meltdowns so they don’t ruin a portion of or sometimes his whole day. I look forward to being able to better help him handle situations that give him anxiety. None of us like experiencing the unexpected. It’s scary, unnerving and stressful. For ‘J’ it’s that times a thousand. We do a lot of prep during the day. We discuss what we’re going to do, who we’re going to see and as any changes arise, we talk those through as well. Once we work with our Occupational Therapist and do the homework I’m certain we’ll have, I know he will be able to organize his thoughts and feelings so much better.

I mean he’s super smart…yeah I know every parent says that…but seriously…he’s insanely smart. Which could be an additional factor as to what’s going on. But that’s a blog for another time.

Links to a Few Resources

The Out-of-Sync Child by Carol Stock Kranowitz

STAR Institute

What Is Sensory Processing Disorder? A video posted by MichaelGrass House on YouTube

When Kids Don’t Act Like They’re Supposed To (Understanding Sensory Processing In Kids) A video posted by Your Kid’s Table on YouTube

That Mommy Gut Feeling

On January 24, 2018January 24, 2018 By justmymomsenseIn Uncategorized1 Comment

I’ll probably be talking a lot about my gut feelings in these blogs. You could even call it my MomSense (see what I did there). I’ve always believed in the ‘trust your gut’ theory, but never moreso than when I became a mom.

Trust your gut in whats best for you when delivering your baby. Trust your gut when you Trust_Your_Gut decide to breastfeed or bottle feed. Trust your gut on when it’s just a cold and when to take to them to the doctor. And trust your gut if you think there is something not so “right” or “typical” when it comes to your child.

My gut guided me to seek out an evaluation for speech and my gut guided me when it came to evaluating ‘J’ for sensory integration.

Not everyone will understand. Some may not even believe it’s a real thing. But no one knows your child better than you. I know what screams and cries are that of a typical 3 year old compared to ones that are indicating he’s in distress and overwhelmed by his surroundings. It’s not something we as parents or others around him did wrong. And there’s nothing wrong with him. If someone triggers him, I know it’s not their fault. All of that drives my mommy gut to know I made and continue to make the right decisions when it comes getting him the right therapy.

As most parents, me and my husband will be the biggest advocate for our kids. I will trust my mommy gut regardless of what others think or any challenges that may arise because of it. They’re worth all of it!

OT Approved – Now What?

On January 23, 2018 By justmymomsenseIn Uncategorized1 Comment

After an evaluation and a meeting with CPSE (Committee on Preschool Special Education), we were approved for Occupational Therapy twice a week. We start in February.

I felt relieved leaving the meeting. I knew he’d benefit from OT, but I had the thought in the back of my mind: “what if they say no?” Luckily we were all on the same page. Great! Now what?

Now I get 6 pages with names of agencies that provide Occupational Therapy throughout my county. 6 Pages!

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No really, this is great that there are so many resources! But where do I start? Since Sensory Integration was our main concern, we discussed during the meeting that it would be beneficial to find an agency with a Sensory Gym. However, I was told that with us being in the middle of the school year, it may be tough to find an agency with availability. After a few suggestions of agencies, researching online and looking up feedback in Facebook groups, I started my quest!

First agency I tried: no availability.

Second agency: left a message.

Third agency: has to get back to me.

Fourth agency: no availability.

Fifth agency: Availability! I’ll take it! Whatever it is! Sign me up! No problem that its 25 minutes away, I don’t care!

Thankfully, a friend brought me down to earth. It’s a little crazy to take my son and 1 year old daughter that far away when there are other options closer. There are two other places that are more conveniently located that I hadn’t tried. One in my town and I had to leave a message. The other is about 15 minutes away and they had availability!

The one in my town called me back and out of everyone I spoke with, I felt the most comfortable with her for one reason: she actually asked about ‘J.’ She didn’t just say “sure here are your options.” The Occupational Therapist I spoke with asked how old he was, if he went to school and how he was doing, what my concerns were, and figured out the best time for him. This conversation definitely put me at ease.

I went through a similar process when looking for a Speech Therapist and feel so lucky with how that turned out. I just hope he enjoys OT and trusts his therapist there, the same way he does with speech.

When is it Empathy and When is it Sensory?

On January 22, 2018September 30, 2023 By justmymomsenseIn Uncategorized5 Comments

This is a question I asked our speech therapist in the Spring of 2017. My daughter was a few months old at the time and if we were in the car when she started to cry, my son, ‘J’ would cry and tell me to help her. When he first did this, I thought it was endearing and a little heartbreaking as well. Although I don’t doubt that those things actually exist, I started to realize it might be more than that. I questioned it more when we were with my niece and if she would cry, ‘J’ would request to “go home” or “go to his room” so he could calm down. I questioned it when we were out to eat with his friend after a playdate and his friend cried because he wanted a toy car. ‘J’ once again would start to cry and ask to leave. One night while laying with him as he fell asleep, I started googling (always an interesting activity) and realized this might be more than just empathy.

As time went on, I noticed how often he seemed overwhelmed in various situations. I also gave it some time to see if it was a phase he had to grow out of. It wasn’t.

He was Woody from Toy Story for Halloween and the back of the costume had velcro. This was the first time he ever seemed bothered by clothing. From then on, he asks for tags to be cut out of his clothes. We visited a drive -thru Christmas light experience, which we thought he would love! As soon as we arrived, he took one look at the large guitar playing lit up snowman and lost it. It was the saddest thing I’ve ever seen. I felt like I was watching him experience a real life nightmare.

I started reading more into Sensory Processing and my gut said to seek out an evaluation. With the upcoming holidays and a Disney trip on the horizon, I wanted to make this happen sooner rather than later. Luckily I was able to get the evaluation done before the New Year and before our trip. I started to make notes for the evaluator regarding my concerns and when I was done I had over two pages. I was surprised, but once I thought back to things in the past I had brushed off and the recent months of new experiences we had, there were more than a few red flags.

This week we were approved for Occupational Therapy (OT) twice a week. I’m so happy and can’t wait to start! Seeing how much he’s grown and progressed with speech, I knowbeing in OT and doing exercises at home will help him better process his surroundings.

In recent weeks I’ve done even more research, joined Facebook SPD Parent groups and just started reading ‘The Out of Sync Child’ that I ordered on Amazon. Knowledge is power, right?

Click here to check out a video posted on YouTube explaining Sensory Processing Disorder. The video was posted by MichaelGrass House.

Just My MomSense

Tag: Occupational Therapy