This is my beautiful daughter Julianna. She will be four in July. She is the light of my life and she has just recently been diagnosed with SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder). And you know what..... this is ok! We can handle this!
After everything we went through with Katie, I'm perfectly fine with this. Mainly because going through things is part of having a child and I am happy and blessed that she is mine. I get the chance to help her learn to manage with this. I'm fine with that. I have been given a child who has particular needs because I know that I have the ability to take care of her. Maybe that is because I was raised in this world, having a sister with an intellectual impairment and having sensory issues as well as OCD myself.
So we begin this journey.
We have actually been living this journey since was very young, we just didn't realize what is was or more accurately we didn't know it was something. She has had "issues" since she was young. Things that we questioned and weren't sure why she did. Things like pushing her chest and stomach against anything she was near (table for example) and every strap that she was in. We made those straps as loose as they could be. She could practically get out of them, but she would still push against them.
We thought this was just a phase, questioned why it was lasting so long..... but figured it was still just a phase. Then the issues with the bath started to enter the picture. She couldn't handle having her hair washed. It got to the point that many days we could barely get her into the bath and she sounded like she was being tortured when we washed her hair. Now we realized she probably is in real pain. Brushing teeth are also a big issue. So is brushing her hair. Having a hair cut is almost impossible. And the list goes on......
It think it was all the meltdowns that she would experience during changing of situations and activities that made me think "is this really normal, none of her friends the same age do this". She would break down every day when it was time to go to school and yet she couldn't stop talking about going to see her teachers and her friends. She would melt down when it was time to leave school and go home. In fact she would pretty much melt down any time we had to go any where or when it was time to stop doing one thing and start another. Now these are meltdowns I am talking about - not tantrums. Big difference. This was an overload of emotions and it was literally to much for her to handle and she would just burst into tears and not be able to stop. There was no anger involved.
Things just kept increasing from there. It got to a point where we were going through 6-10 meltdowns a day and it was becoming as much torture for me to watch and go through it as it was for her to be going through it.
A few close friends of mine suggested I talk to an OT. Took me a long time to bring myself to do it as I really didn't think anything was "wrong" and I didn't want people to think I was looking for a "quick fix". But I finally made the call and that was the call that changed our lives.
It took me almost half an hour and I went through all my reason of why I was worried. Everything. She turned around and asked me a whole bunch of questions about Juli,her age, environment and what she does daily. As well as family history. The next thing she said was music to my ears...... " You did the right thing. It was good you called me. You are not over reacting. I'm pretty sure your daughter has Tactile Defensiveness." She went on to explain to me a little bit about what this is and gave me some research to do as well as some material to look up.
She said we would have to do an evaluation on her to confirm everything, but Juli sounds like all of her other sensory kids and we will do everything we can to help her and give her the tools to handle daily life.
That is exactly what we did. February 5th, 2013 we had the evaluation and Juli has been doing regular weekly therapy sessions with her ever since. I see her making changes, doing better in her sessions and her teachers are noticing her doing some things that she never did before. It is an amazing feeling. We have a very long way to go, but I know we will get there.
We are also starting weekly speech therapy sessions next week as Juli has some big speech delays. I know though in time those will be over come as well. That will also help her to feel more confident because she will be able to freely communicate what she is feeling. Right now she is very centered around me and that is because she feels that I am one of the few people that understands what she is experiencing. And since her speech is delayed not many people besides me understand a lot of what she says so therefore she feels most comfortable around me. I know once we give her the speech abilities that will help her to feel like she doesn't need me all the time.
It is a long road ahead and she will probably need weekly OT for the remainder of this year, maybe more, but I know that we will get there. Juli will always have SPD, but we will help her to feel more normal and gives her tools to handle life better.
I have a special sensory child, but that is fine, because I have a daughter again to love and cherish. C'est la vie, and I'm happy :).
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