SPD (sensory processing disorder) ....Weekend Warriors w/Adoption of Jane

This week's question from Tracie is...

Do you, your child, or family member have SPD (sensory processing disorder) issues?
What is a day in your life like?

As a matter of fact, yes Bryce does indeed have SPD. Though I don't normally talk about that part of his problems. Why, I can't say.

It has to primarily do with sounds for him. He gets 'overloaded' easily with audio environments.

The sounds he cannot stand, we can deal with. Such as a vacuum. Or a siren from a fire engine or police car. Or it could be one of his sisters screaming and yelling (with their high-pitched voices). Even at times, the TOILET seems to be too much.

Also, especially as of late, I have noticed Bryce having problems with certain food textures. He isn't in to things that have even a mild amount of lumps. And things that are too 'gooey' like puddings.

There are days where it seems like I can't go anywhere without Bryce complaining about noises. Especially decently loud ones. I can't take him to concerts, or to where there is a largely loud crowd. He gets too over stimulated.

When over-stimulation happens, be it loud noises, too many foods he can't stand (due to the textures aspect) or even a combination, Bryce can start having a severe fit because he can't control his environment, or he just shuts down and "hides away" from himself and everyone around him.

For me, as his mother, it can be quite troubling to watch and have to help him deal. But also, I am trying to teach him that not everything and everyone can, let alone WILL revolve around his world. At times, he MUST revolve around other people's world and the world at large.

There are times people (strangers) will see this unfold, and of course I get the stares, the head shakes and once in a while, someone will be bold enough to TELL ME that I need to better correct "the boy" and "be the parent, not the friend", being that he just seems to be displaying a spoiled, childish 'act for attention and to get his way'.

Most, if not ALL of Bryce's disabilities can be, and are mistaken for (at times) normal, childish, bratty attention-seeking misbehavior. What I can say is that yes, SOMETIMES, that is exactly what it is. But when he gets that bad, I can honestly say that it is NOT the case. That my son CANNOT help it. And that it is the SPD displaying its self.

There are times that I wish I could tie people to a chair, that think that they know *MY* child better than I do, and feel that they are the EXPERT in parenting a special needs child, and FORCE them to listen to loud things like the consistent thumping of loud music, sirens that don't seem to stop, loud horns honking left and right, and shove food in their mouth that tastes like they are eating half-dried mud cake....

And listening to everything AT ONE TIME as they are forced to chew on stuff that they can't stand having in their mouth.

An Angel In Disguise. (I have this friend...)

And she "gets" me. To a tee.

True, we are about ten years apart in age. She has all boys. I have two girls, and a boy in the middle (poor kid!). Her marriage to her husband has been longer than mine. And only one of her kids happen to be around the same age of my oldest two.

But we do have some things in common. One of them being that we both have sons with Special Needs. They are both deemed Bipolar (although due to my son's age, its aptly called 'Mood Disorder'). Plus my son has Tourette's tendencies (primarily the severe tics, pulling/twirling of hair, but no foul language spewing), OCD, ADHD, Anxiety Disorder and Manic Depression.

There are days where either one of us or even both of us are having one of those "crap-tastic" days with our boys. Add in the other two kids and it's a six-ring circus (because three rings wouldn't even BEGIN to cover it!). And we will end up venting to one another via the phone or on Instant Message on Facebook (though I do wish she would YIM instead...FB IM sucks!).

She is a Christian, but not overly Conservative. I myself am a Spiritual-Christian. She and I have many of the same thoughts and views on the subject. We do see differently on a few Christian subjects. But, that's what makes our conversations about it so nice.

We also both know how it is having to deal with the Manic Episodes, the nights where the boys get barely to no sleep because their brains just can't seem to unwind, even WITH their medicine (which they are both on the same nighttime medicine), the anger flare-ups, the high's and low's of emotional state when the Mania is taking over...The list is long and seemingly never ending.

Funny how angels just swoop down in to your life in the most surprising of ways. There were times that I utterly felt alone and isolated from the world. That no one will understand me, my struggles...or my son.

Then along came that angel. We "met" via a website for moms. And we instantly clicked. Since that day, we have been tighter than two over-grown sardines stuffed in a can.

What can I say? She is truly one of a kind. She knows me. She knows how I feel, what I am thinking and why. She is the jelly to my PB&J.

She is truly....my angel.