tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7778027574644050172012-01-25T16:04:29.527-06:00Practical solutions, advice and help for parents and educators of children with Sensory Processing Issues.LeighAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14626781262860259598noreply@blogger.comBlogger171100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-777802757464405017.post-45708863820357228352011-12-05T23:42:00.002-06:002011-12-05T23:48:06.906-06:00

It has been a while since I posted. Life has been somewhat difficult for this sea otter mom. School is an issue, more than it ever has been. Ryan is in the middle of the 6th grade year and it seems as though every single day is a S-T-R-U-G-G-L-E. Lockers and multiple classes...homework he doesn't remember how to do. Not enough time outside. Too much sitting. Too many people jostling him.

LeighAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14626781262860259598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-777802757464405017.post-73761343640239070882011-10-27T11:52:00.014-05:002011-10-27T15:32:35.195-05:00

I have been reading the book "Tiger Mom." If you haven't heard a reference to that, it is about a mom that expects excellence in her daughters..pushing them very hard to excel in playing instruments, sports, school, etc. The "tiger" parenting style is all about pushing your children to be the very best, with no room for error and no free time to just be a kid. A mom of a special need child

LeighAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14626781262860259598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-777802757464405017.post-7461549519852718272011-05-19T21:48:00.004-05:002011-05-19T22:16:36.642-05:00

So money is tight your insurance does not cover SPD therapies. What do you do? Lots. Read on. This blog is about the natural therapy outdoors probably within a mile or two of your home...The park. The park is a great place for an SPD kid. Outside is better than inside..fresh air and natural light. Many times fluorescent lighting is disconcerting to kids, it is LOUD (the incessant buzzing!)

LeighAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14626781262860259598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-777802757464405017.post-17738272966329247262011-05-11T14:27:00.003-05:002011-05-11T14:54:14.938-05:00

First, if you are a mom reading this...HAPPY MOM'S DAY! I hope you had a lovely day. I wanted to continue with some thoughts on other therapies that we have done, which I believe have made a huge difference in compensating with unreasonable fears, particularly when it comes to balance issues or gravitational fears (fear of falling, heights etc.) Some of the therapies are very conventional and

LeighAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14626781262860259598noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-777802757464405017.post-82380606678168106642011-04-29T08:30:00.004-05:002011-04-29T08:36:13.839-05:00

Today begins my series on therapies available to the SPD child. There are many therapies, both professional therapies and those easily done at home and through activities and sports. If your child has been diagnosed SPD, likely he or she has physical issues with coordination. If there are issues with gravitational security, there may be high anxiety along with the physical issues. Sometimes,

LeighAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14626781262860259598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-777802757464405017.post-71398758532429368662011-04-19T21:00:00.002-05:002011-04-19T21:12:14.305-05:00

I am dashing off a quick note..it is a busy week. First though, I have to brag about my son..he PASSED the TAKS test. (reading) He is about to be in 6th grade, and Texas standardized testing requires each 5th grader pass both math and reading tests to be promoted to 6th grade. So one big hurtle down..whew. He did not pass the math, but will retake and only missed a couple of questions. so I

LeighAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14626781262860259598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-777802757464405017.post-76291245549446082952011-04-12T07:47:00.001-05:002011-04-12T07:48:39.217-05:00

This week starts my first Grati-Tuesday post. Sometimes I forget to appreciate the little things, so to remind myself to be grateful, Tuesday seems perfect.Today I woke up and went upstairs to wake up my son. There are about 11 stuffed animals on his bed. He considers them "friends." They were arranged neatly around his head. It made me think about his caring and compassionate nature. He is

LeighAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14626781262860259598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-777802757464405017.post-26358232789417571752010-07-21T16:40:00.002-05:002010-07-21T16:52:52.945-05:00

Here is my long awaited blog on brushing your child to reduce their tactile sensitivity. If your child loves to be touched and hugs too hard, she will crave the brushing...if he is overly sensitive to touch, he will also crave the brushing. So what is brushing and what does it do? First: the brush. Specialty SPD stores carry them. They are similar to massage brushes and have soft plastic

LeighAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14626781262860259598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-777802757464405017.post-35841237358684815082010-07-20T16:59:00.002-05:002010-07-20T17:22:22.821-05:00

If you are the parent of a special needs, sensory sensitive child, perhaps you have forgotten what it is like to get a good night's sleep. Sleep is elusive when your child jumps at every sound, and the slightest temperature change can cause wake-fullness at inopportune times. When my son was born, I was told "sleep when the baby sleeps." This was hard as he never slept, except on and off

LeighAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14626781262860259598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-777802757464405017.post-50111842789982948522010-07-13T17:10:00.003-05:002010-07-13T17:36:27.775-05:00

To those parents who understand that a sensory kid takes up your time, I hope you will understand my blogging delay. We moved this year and I went back to work, both of my parents were diagnosed with cancer and Ryan went back to public school. It has been busy. there have been many many changes. Ryan has flourished in our new neighborhood, made friends, adjusted to regular public school after

LeighAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14626781262860259598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-777802757464405017.post-88939847527549562902009-07-18T21:51:00.004-05:002009-07-18T22:29:27.255-05:00

SPD kids love, and hate, water. For instance, the first few years of my son's life, I never understood why he cried when I laid him back in the bathtub to wash his hair. Or when the water trickled over his face, he would throw a fit. Yet, he loved long long showers, and deep, soaky baths. So why all the fuss?First, sensory kids have problems in space as it relates to gravity. Leaning back is too

LeighAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14626781262860259598noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-777802757464405017.post-76934575876117100682009-07-02T00:10:00.006-05:002009-07-14T22:43:56.407-05:00

Pressure, I have said, is your friend. Not pressure put on you by teachers or stress from everyday living, but deep pressure for your sensory-sensitive child.As each day progresses, your SPD child's status will vary: over-stimulated or under-stimulated. Maybe both? Tell tale signs are a vacant stare, outbursts, being clumsy, suddenly falling asleep, violence, stemming, and tantrums. If that is

LeighAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14626781262860259598noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-777802757464405017.post-3679561352710771192009-06-29T13:04:00.002-05:002009-06-29T16:00:57.161-05:00

That word strikes fear in the heart of many a mom with a sensory child. Surprises and SPD do not go together, causing an entire meltdown which may not be resolved until the following day. First, your family needs to know that surprises are a bad idea. If they insist, tell them you will not be able to attend the function unless you are informed in advance of exactly what will transpire. This

LeighAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14626781262860259598noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-777802757464405017.post-72756953343645393182009-06-11T21:31:00.003-05:002009-06-11T22:19:52.178-05:00

Now I would like to tackle the actual eating experience, so that you can use all the tools in your arsenal to tackle the battle that is dinnertime. Certain parts of the dining experience can be key to controlling the meal and making it go the direction that you, the parent, want it to go. Common sense says that peaceful meals make things taste better and don't give you stomach aches. The same

LeighAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14626781262860259598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-777802757464405017.post-1958307828892828692009-06-08T20:44:00.004-05:002009-06-08T23:48:06.109-05:00

Ok. So you have tried all the above suggestions and nothing works. You are pulling your hair out and the tantrums have reached all-time highs. You are ready to throw in the towel and give in. My advice is, do. To an extent. You can take away some of the bad stuff while you are learning how to adjust to new foods. For instance, my son loves chicken nuggets. So I might serve chicken nuggets (

LeighAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14626781262860259598noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-777802757464405017.post-64466497686965192432009-06-08T15:52:00.002-05:002009-06-08T17:37:45.461-05:00

I am sure you have heard the "just hold out and he will eat when he is hungry" advice. But for your sensory child, eating and all that goes with it are a field of land mines. Normal kids have normal hunger and satiety feelings and responses. Unfortunately, any parent of a sensory kid knows..there is nothing normal about life with a sensory child! So this blog will be dedicated to some

LeighAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14626781262860259598noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-777802757464405017.post-90599307787940527412009-05-27T23:52:00.003-05:002009-05-28T00:30:07.523-05:00

The first of my posts will deal with the sensory sensitive child. If you have found my blog by searching 'sensory processing disorder,' you are most likely a very frustrated, loving parent, looking for answers. I hope to be one of the first to give you what you are seeking.What is SPD? Sensory processing is something we all do. We learn to use the information given to us by our senses and it

LeighAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14626781262860259598noreply@blogger.com1