SPD - A post to my fellow AP's!

Well… I am back! :) I know that all my faithful blog readers have missed me as much as I’ve missed you… and honestly I have missed writing here. I have plans to kick this blog back up a notch, but never seem to find the energy to actually sit down and come here and write… but, tonight is your lucky night!


I was just putting dishes in the dishwasher and about to tackle the load of clothes that just came out of the dryer (that are now resting on the kitchen table)…. BUT, while I was doing those tasks my mind was thinking… and I decided that some of you might need to hear this tonight… SO, here I sit!

This post is dedicated to my fellow adoptive families and anyone who is interested… but, mainly to those who are and have and will be struggling with the same things we face daily in our little home!

It’s called Sensory Integration Disorder! Faith and Grace have not been officially diagnosed with SPD, but I could push for it and get that diagnosis. Grace really struggles the most with sensory stuff, but both have the classic institutional sensory struggles.

I am tempted to go into the struggles of how hard it is to really know if it’s truly sensory integration issues… or if it’s a result of environment (institutionalized life) prior to coming home, but you have to treat it as it is… and our girls struggle with sensory issues, regardless of the cause!

Ok…. So, we are in the process of some paperwork at the school (yes, the SCARY IEP)! My friend (the SLP at the elementary – I’m at the Intermediate grades) has done some speech/language testing . The PT has evaluated them… and my friend who is an OT is going to evaluate them tomorrow. I was talking with my friend who is the OT tonight on the phone… and she prompted this blog post.

She was a FAITHFUL supporter of our adoption and followed our journey and supported us in ways that make my heart smile. She’s an incredible resource to know and have in my corner.

Again, Thank you Jesus!

SO… tonight I was telling her of some of the things we see and struggle with. I was telling her how well Faith and Grace are doing in school… and how poorly they sometimes then do at the daycare and at home. She shared with me that in her experience she has seen this be true a lot of times. She said that kiddos who have sensory issues NEVER really get rid of those (which we all know). These kiddos just learn to adapt and adjust and self regulate to keep things at an even balance.

She then explained how that she feels with lots of kids they are attempting to keep things in ‘check’ so to speak all day in that structured environment (school). However, when they get home they tend to them be VERY impulsive and often parents will see a far more severe sensory deprived or overloaded child than the teachers or caregivers ever see.

I have NO idea if this is what is going on with Faith and Grace… but, I can tell you that it made me feel better! :)

This made me think about the similarities with some of the children I have on my caseload who stutter. I have had parents repeatedly tell me time and time again at IEP meetings that their child is severely dysfuent at home… and we’ll be telling them about how awesome they are doing with their speech in therapy as well as the classroom. I quickly explain to parents that I think often times kids who have to change the way they speak all day (attempt to be as fluent as possible) often relax when they finally get home. They KNOW that their parents are going to love them regardless of their stuttering or weaknesses and therefore stop attempting to monitor their speech.

I then encourage my parents to take that as a compliment that their kids feel well loved and secure!

I think this could be similar to our SPD kiddos. They are attempting all day to maintain their little bodies to an acceptable and appropriate level, and when they get home they just relax!

SO… if you are seeing your little one have GREAT days at school and a different child comes home… breathe a sigh of relief tonight and maybe… just maybe your baby feels secure and relaxed and therefore needs a break from the stresses of holding it all together!

YOU are doing a wonderful job… keep on parenting with love and kindness and remember that YOU were hand picked to be that child’s Mommy and Daddy!

I can’t even imagine walking this road of life without my Jesus… wow!

I hope and pray this was a bit of encouragement to someone… or someone else enjoyed this bit of information!

Oh… and one more thing… at this point 1 year ago – we were in our apartment in Kazakhstan waiting to meet available children… wondering if God had yet again forgotten about us… BUT, choosing to trust him, because he said to go!

TRUST HIM… He means what he says!

I have so many blog posts rolling in my head.. once I ever sit down to write you will have lots of stuff from me!

A dear friend today sent me an email and said to ‘sleep whenever you can… if you have to pick between sleep and something else – choose sleep’… I think that was really good advice for me! I am pretty exhausted… However, blessed beyond my wildest dreams!

Have a wonderful night!

1 Thes 5:24