The “Terrible-Twos”. Separation anxiety. Night terrors. These conditions are closely associated with childhood. They can cause misery to child, caregiver and family alike. They bring distress, angst, loss of sleep, and unfortunately, sometimes the need for professional intervention. What these childhood conditions generally share as a group is the tendency for people to “outgrow” them as they age. In general, we view “childhood conditions” as just that – issues we need only worry about with children.

Every day—Literally. Every. Single. Day—starts at 1000 mph and does not stop. A dear friend of mine once referred to our son, Ryder, as “WAO” wide ass open (side note – we live in the South), because he does not stop or slow down. The only time he stops is when he takes a few brief moments to eat. He runs almost everywhere he goes, requires fairly constant supervision and has a very poor sense of fear. Ryder isn’t just an overly active boy.

A guaranteed way that we get a blown away look from strangers is when Jackson, our 11-year-old son with SPD, announces that he has Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD).  Perhaps they are shocked that he is so open about it. Sometimes their questioning look is redirected at me but typically the stranger responds with a nod that says “I have no idea what you just said you have but now I just feel weird about it” and the subject of the conversation changes.  So this brings up the big question:  Do you tell your child he or she has SPD?

As the Parent Connections Group host here in Kansas City, I often get phone calls and emails from parents that are new to the SPD world. Often they’ve been told that their child has “sensory issues” by a pediatrician or at school but no one ever gives them any direction past that point. Many times no one has even explained what “sensory issues” mean much less what to do to help them. All this leads to a ton of frustration. As the mom of Jackson, my 11-year-old son who has SPD, I can completely sympathize.

Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) has given me some scares as the mom of our 11 year-old son, Jackson. I have to say the worst of it all is his high threshold for pain.  Often time’s kids with SPD are on one far side of the spectrum of pain awareness and tolerance.  Many parents I talk to have kids with a very low tolerance for pain, while others like me will report their child having an incredibly high tolerance.

As my family settled into our yearly and cherished vacation in Cape Cod, I did not know I would be so touched by an experience outside our little group.  Every year, my family, my parents, and my sister’s family make the trek to Cape Cod and share a house on a hotel property with a private beach where we make our own special memories.  Our children have grown up going there and have the routine of going to the beach on the first full day. As we know, routine is very important to the child with SPD, which is the case for my middle child.

My oldest son was diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) in 2008.

I woke up the other morning and walked out on my deck to find a cool, crisp breeze blowing. Ahhhh, I thought and smiled. Fall is coming. While sitting there enjoying a warm cup of coffee and the quiet before the boys woke up, it dawned on me again with no smile this time. “Oh no, fall is coming,” and a disgruntled sigh left my body. If you’re an SPD parent you’ve more than likely had this same thought when you realize that with the upcoming season change your life is about to get crazy for a while.

“Back to School” is a phrase that the majority of parents look forward to and dream about for two months. However, as a parent of a child with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) I know that these feelings are very different. The smiles can be replaced with nervousness, fear, and a sense of anxiety on both the parent and child’s part. As we all know, parenting is like a curvy road and you’re not quite sure where it will take you. A parent of an SPD child is maneuvering the “road” of life, but the path is not always paved. Often, we are maneuvering on an unpaved or even gravel road.

It’s been 8 years since a team of therapists from Early Intervention diagnosed my oldest son with Sensory Processing Disorder. Before that evaluation I had never heard of Sensory Processing Disorder or the acronym SPD. At that point in my life, my family life was so chaotic. Most nights I would get into bed feeling utterly exhausted and defeated. I felt hopeless!!