Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is not a medically recognized condition but yet it IS a disability and it is very, very real. Left untreated or ignored a person can really struggle in life, primarily academically.
From a young age my Hannah was different from my other 3 children with her sensory needs. I was unaware of such a condition until the pediatrician told me he suspected this may be Hannah's condition when she was in kindergarten in a consultation we had after Hannah jumped off the roof of our house. Yes, you read that correctly: jumped off the roof. Unharmed, completely unharmed. Hannah was not very happy about spending a time out in her second story bedroom on a sunny spring Saturday so she busted out the window screen and jumped off the roof onto our front lawn. This was just the height (pun intended) of Hannah's interesting shenanigans that I could not make sense of.
Fast forward: today Hannah is in the third grade and is on ADD medication and still dealing with SPD. Hannah is the kid that likes bear hugs...as tight as you can give them. She hates loud noises like the vacuum cleaner. Hannah refuses to wear underpants because they're "too tight" and I've given up the tear-filled fights and she goes commando most days. If I would let her, Hannah would live in her pajamas...fleece pants and one of my old, soft t-shirts.
I cannot shop for Hannah unless Hannah is with me. Everything must be touched first to determine if the texture is to her liking. Buying her a new blanket is quite the ordeal. We have been known to visit half a dozen stores and touching every blanket in the store before we find the one that feels "just right." If you don't have experience with a SPD child, you're probably thinking, "well you're the parent, how silly of you to let her take you all over town so she can touch blankets." What you don't understand that finding the right blanket, pants, t-shirt or other soft, fuzzy object is critical to her functioning. She cannot calm down and she cannot focus without it. And when you find just the right textured item, it is truly like magic.
Hannah started sleeping with a bunny/blanket when she was 2 months old. She still of sleeps with it today, long after her twin sister has given up her own bunny. She cannot sleep without the bunny. She rubs its whiskers to calm herself. If she doesn't rub the bunny, she rubs her own eyebrows or eyelashes off. It is a coping mechanism, you see. You give the child the tools they need to be happy and peaceful.
When it comes to doing homework, Hannah rubs a soft fuzzy $6 stuffed animal we found at Old Navy. We discovered one morning as she was much more successful with her math homework when she was petting our kitten simultaneously. So, we decided to try a stuffed animal so she could have something soft to rub while working at school since taking the kitten along wasn't exactly an option. This one, seemingly simple, thing is the difference between academic success or frustration for my 8 year old.
This kind of thing can sound a little crazy, until it happens to your kid...which means it happens to you. You can resist it and try to force your child to be "normal" (what is that exactly, I don't know) or you can learn about the disorder and educate yourself about children (and adults) with sensory disorders. It is very real. While the medical community may not yet embrace it as a medical condition, it does exist and measures can be taken to improve the individual's quality of life.
I have found the path of least resistance has been a lot more peaceful and happier for all of us.
