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I'm in my early twenties and I was diagnosed with sensory processing disorder as a child, but I don't have any accompanying issues (like autism or ADHD). First of all let me just emphasize the degree to which it gets better with time. I have a pretty normal diet now (not because I'm forcing myself to eat foods that make me gag, but because I enjoy eating more things), I go to concerts and movie theaters, and I no longer need to wear tagless clothing. Here are my thoughts: - The discomfort that comes from sensory over-stimulation is really real. I have memories of that discomfort and I am incredibly thankful for all that my parents did to help me avoid it. If they had tried to get me to power through it I think I would not have had a happy childhood. - As for food/picky eating I believe it is important to identify whether your kid is hypersensitive or hyposensitive with regards to different stimuli. For example, I am hypersensitive to smell (so, for example, I might become nauseous if I can smell pumpkin, even if I'm not eating it myself) but hyposenstive to taste (meaning I might gag on bland food like a baked potato). The solution I found in middle school, which I wish I'd found earlier, was hot sauce, which I use to mask the smell of foods that I don't like and make bland foods more palatable. - Some other thoughts are tagless cloths, a weighted blanket, consistency in clothing (same or similar brand/style of clothes every day so she knows what it will feel like), finding a hairdresser who will be very patient, blackout curtains and a white noise machine for sleep, noise cancelling headphones (it is important that these be comfortable too), and an understanding babysitter. - I'm not sure whether occupational therapy did anything for me. - I don't think screen time really effects SPD specifically (I understand a lot of people say that it does, but I don't think that has a strong scientific/theoretical backing - which is unfortunately the case with most SPD advice). Let your kids individual response drive your strategy here - if you are finding that they are upset or restless after screen time that is a good reason to limit it more than you otherwise would, but otherwise I wouldn't worry too much. - Minimizing clutter might be helpful, it depends on your kid and what affects them. It wouldn't have mattered to me but it just depends on her specific needs. |