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Comment on Sensory Integration

Monica — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 22:41:14 GMT

Oh my gosh did this article bring some flashbacks! My son would not wear jeans until he was about 15 or 16 years old. He could only stand to wear sweatpants because the waist bands were too uncomfortable on jeans. Oh and forget about the seam on socks! What an ordeal! My son is now 20 years old and he suffered greatly with auditory stimulation, textures in clothing, was soooo picky about foods (unless it was bean burritos or mac and cheese it was a battle!). I knew he had the auditory, but it wasn't until two years ago when I watched a presentation by an occupational therapist that I realized that my son had extreme sensory issues in 4 different areas. That most of those early temper tantrums and refusals were stemming from his sensory dysfunction. I felt particularly horrified when I heard the therapist talk about how fabrics could feel like sandpaper...fortunately I have a tendency to take the collaborative path, so I found the velcro shoes or slip ons, let him wear sweats and provided a low stimulus-low noise environment. All of which unbeknownst to me were addressing his sensory overload. I wish I had known then that I could have sought out an occupational therapist to work on his sensory issues. It could have possibly helped him along a lot faster. My son seems to have developed some tolerances with age; He can wear jeans and socks,he has added a few more things to his menu,and he can tolerate going to CNM for classes (UNM will take a while). He still avoids busy loud shopping malls like the plague and definitely has homebody tendencies...

Comment on Sensory Integration

Susan Brown — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 22:28:07 GMT

After reading your article, I realize now that my ex-husband suffered from Sensory Integration Dysfunction. Unfortunately it was never diagnosed. Thanks to your bringing these topics to the forefront, more people can recognize symptoms for their children and other loved ones, and address them appropriately. Thank you for the good work that you do.

Comment on Back to School

South Valley Mama — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 22:28:10 GMT

Thank you, thank you. Now, I can admit with impunity that I don't always file everything right away...and there is so much paperwork. In the course of three months, during the course of a particularly difficult stretch for my child, I had four drafts of IEP's before the final one was completed and several meeting notes and provider plans for my son. I couldn't possibly fit it all in the same notebook binder because it didn't fit. It's true, we as the parents, are the ultimate record keepers. I have been in situations during a team meeting when I just happened to have the right documents there handy to refer back to.
It was a nice summer break to relax and not think of IEP's. We're fast approaching a new school year, where I take a deep breath, hope for the best and trudge on in hopes of a good school year.