Seeing The World Through My Child’s Eyes
Seeing the World Through My Child’s Eyes Understanding the SPD mindset
It’s overwhelming for me.
The room is too bright, the lights stab knives in my eyes and hum like a thousand bees; whichever way I spin there is more light and more noise. And more smells. Even the smells are loud. It all smells spoiled and rotten like old milk and I’m afraid I’m going to throw up and everyone is going to be mad at me. Again. Why are you all talking talking talking all at once? it’s making my ears hurt like the thunder does when I have to hide in my closet behind the long clothes. My socks are strangling my toes and the tag in my shirt makes my neck feel on fire and my pants are too tight for me to breathe; why didn’t you let me wear my comfy clothes? Don’t touch me! no no i don’t want to be hugged. why are you all so close? people are all around me they’re too close they’re touching me i try to move away but there are so many people and i can’t get away — my brain is going to explode if i don’t get out out out of here right now, i can’t take it for one more second; i need to kick and scream and punch my way out of here NOW!
So, does it still sound like a treat to take your SPD child to his cousin’s birthday party?
Different experiences; all SPD
I’ve collected some articles, blogs, videos and interactive simulators to help you understand what your child goes through every single day of his/her life. Many are written by SPD kids and teens to describe how they feel in their own words.
Here are links to materials and sites which I hope will help you walk in your child’s world for a little while. You can also share them with others who need help understanding how SPD affects your child and your family.
A basic overview
This simple, sensitive video provides instructive ‘hints’ about what your child is seeing and feeling, and also can serve as a useful introductory tool to assist you in explaining SPD to family and friends. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GPpbvtiwc0
A meltdown and how you can help, told from the inside
This article, written by a young adult (Daniel Travis), is a powerful depiction of how a sensory-overload-generated meltdown feels, and provides guidance about how parents can help cope with, and prevent, meltdowns. http://spdsupport.org/articles/4-spd-meltdown-how-does-it-feel.shtml
More information and advice from Daniel Travis
Mr. Travis was not able to get much support dealing with SPD until he was an adult, which made his journey an especially challenging one. His generosity in sharing his hard-gained insight and recommendations can help you advocate for your child. For more on Daniel Travis’s story: http://spdsupport.org/articles/24-dans-story.shtml and http://spdsupport.org/articles/25-dans-story-2.shtml
High alert: a sensory overload simulation
This video provides a simulation of what sensory overload feels like for a young autistic teenager. It is helpful because the feelings of sensory overload are the same whether or not there is a diagnosis of autism along with SPD (the two disorders often, but not always, co-exist). https://vimeo.com/52193530
understood.org — a resource to help you understand
There is a myriad of valuable information on this site, including:
- Accounts by kids telling their own learning and attention stories in their own words;
- Simple but not condescending explanations by professionals, which incorporate
- Personalized simulators so viewers can better understand what different types of SPD feel like (try these; it’s as close as you can come to experiencing what your child does);
- Expert advice on a huge range of topics from talking to your child about SPD and social issues, to finding babysitters and tax deductions. https://www.understood.org/en/tools/through-your-childs-eyes/player?simq=1db7ec62-3239-4acc-831c-ab74976e34c9&simhist=66dc223a-29e3-4956-ae1e-e7b1beff3584&gradeId=d6b26d19-313c-49d9-8594-912c0e5be6a3
A typical SPD day and how you can make it go more smoothly (from understood.org)
This article, “A Day in the Life of a Child With Sensory Processing Issues,” from the site’s collection of materials on SPD issues, is written by an adult and includes various practical coping strategies. https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/sensory-processing-issues/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-child-with-sensory-processing-issues
A video narrated by a child with SPD and autism (from understood.org)
There are many useful videos on this site; this one may be especially informative for parents because it depicts so clearly how one particular elementary school age boy is personally affected and how he is coping. Although the text is obviously written by an adult and aimed at helping adults understand their children’s SPD disorders, it is equally obviously an accurate portrayal of this particular young child’s experience, and how intervention is helping him thrive. https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/personal-stories/stories-by-kids/video-a-childs-view-of-sensory-processing-issues
Thriving with SPD: a teenager’s advice
This very straightforward, uplifting blog post is written by a teenager with SPD who learned how to thrive. I hope her words will inspire you to have confidence both in your child’s abilities and in your own ability to support him or her with that “little extra patience and help” which the writer mentions. https://themighty.com/2017/11/the-reality-of-sensory-processing-disorder-in-teens/
SPD trigger zones: an introductory chart
Knowing the likely sensory hotspots can help you avoid meltdowns and other SPD issues. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/0a/01/16/0a011616149da281a911f92adf6fce0b.jpg
Living with SPD
As you can see from the small sampling of experiences we’ve looked at, every child is different and every child’s SPD is different. That means every child’s coping tactics are going to be different as well. Together with your OT, you can build your own backpack of sensory strategies tailored to your child’s individual experience in order to help him or her cope with the daily onslaught of input.
Looking ahead:
In upcoming posts, we will discuss the varying ways children can experience SPD, and why we need a comparable variety of approaches to help our children thrive.
How does your child express how s/he is affected by SPD? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below. Also, let me know there or via email what topics you would like to discuss or hear more about.
Feel free to share or quote from this blog (with attribution, please, and if possible, a link), and to repost on social media.
I look forward to hearing from you!
All the best,