Sensory Overload

I have been meaning to post a bit about my little Buddy.  JA was officially diagnosed with a sensory processing disorder last month (specifically "Sensory sensitivity").  This didn't come as any sort of surprise and was actually just nice to have confirmation with what I had "diagnosed" him with at 18 mths old with my teaching background.  When our Buddy was a year old we started to notice that he would freak out in large crowds, around loud noises, and in new situations.  I will say that it was more then a blessing to have the light bulb moment that I did and be able to realize what was going on instead of just chalking it up to the terrible twos or feeling like he was purposely trying to make life difficult! 

I know not all of you are very familiar with sensory issues so here is a little anology from his documentation.  "If we imagine each system (tactile, movement, vision, auditory, proprioceptive) as a cup with water in it, we can describe it as being "empty", "just right" or  "overflowing".  Some children's cups are empty and they are constantly trying to fill them up.  Other children's cups are overflowing and they are constantly trying to avoid filling them up any further (this is JA).  Some children's cups are just right and they do not have to be preoccupied with filling it up or avoiding filling it up anymore.  They do not get distracted or sidetracked and can focus on the task at hand."

JA has a strong ability to notice what is going on around him.  His threshold for sensory input is lower, which means he will notice things more then others, picking up on more details in his surroundings.  He is bothered by stimuli that others don't even notice and can become easily overwhlemed.  He is passive and won't seek sensory input but he won't avoid it outright either.  Places like a swimming pool with all the echo sounds, an amusement park, singing time in primary, crowds, shopping stores  and line ups can provide a challenge for him.  He has amazed me with how he copes on his own (ie. putting his fingers in his ears during singing time in primary, insisting on sitting in the shopping cart, staying close to me and squeezing my hand, asking to leave a situation he feels overwhelmed in, etc etc)

This obviously in no way defines my son.  It just helps us understand him more and gives tons of help with the task of helping him learn how to cope in situations that overwhelm him.  We all have things that we are sensitive too in the sensory department (think nails on a chalk board, certain smells, crowds, etc), JA just has way more and is working hard to deal with them all.

His OT is helping us create "social scripts" (like the book in prep for his dentist trip from my previous post) along with educating us on many other ways to help him cope better and not let his environment create too much of a distraction (creating a "cozy corner" to relax in, head phones, parents applying a pressure touch, etc).  We are truly grateful for the help this year!

We love our little Buddy and know that this challenge is something he can work hard to deal with productively. 
I share this with you as just a bit of education.  Education truly is key to help us parent and raise the best children we can along with helping us reserve judgment when we see questionable behaviors from children around us!


(Despite the sucker in his hand in this pic, we have made a huge effort to eliminate all sugary treats and drinks, including chocolate milk much to his dimay, and we have seen an incredible change)