Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Our eight year old, Logan is funny, smart and loving. Oh, your kids area too? They all are, right?

He is also unpredictable, impulsive and irrational at times.

He was diagnosed with SPD when he was three.

He was (and still is) hypersensitive to temperature. When he showers, the water is COLD.
He is easily stressed in new environments or when his schedule becomes unpredictable.
He gets upset by loud noises.
He becomes overwhelmed around large groups of people.

I had never heard of Sensory Processing Disorder, but I knew something was not right. He was not a typical three year old. I knew that he was struggling.

Fuzzy Buzzy Groups for Children with Developmental and Sensory Processing Difficulties

Outsiders looked down their noses at us and wondered why he was hiding under a table at family gatherings. People don't understand just how intense these experiences are for a kid with SPD.

They don't want to be different. When someone just wants a hug, they don't realize to Logan it is very invasive. If he isn't comfortable, it can't happen.

We knew that the one and only place that we could control and provide him comfort, safety and the predictability that he needs was at home.

I started researching the different things that we could incorporate in our home. Guess what I found, its all REALLY expensive!!

I went on the hunt to figure out what I could DIY.

Here's a list of what we've done:

Sensory discovery bottle- Logan found little figures and random characters to add to the bottle. We also added glitter and blue food coloring. I filled it 2/3 with water and the rest with oil. The result is a lava lamp like swirly action. It provides him with a cool down period when he gets overwhelmed while he watches the glitter and goodies drop.