| The time on the clock says 9:30; I look down at | | | | the house. All those noises crowding into your |
| my sleeping little boy, whom I have just quietly | | | | mind would be making it nearly impossible for you |
| rocked to sleep. He is still latched on somewhat, | | | | to concentrate on the most simple of tasks, from |
| comfort nursing. As we rock I stare down at him | | | | playing to learning. Being unable to communicate |
| and wonder what his future might hold. | | | | to let anyone know that any of them is even |
| Zachary is my 27-½ month old son, and | | | | bothering you. |
| has been diagnosed (I hate that word; to me it | | | | Maybe if you could crave putting everything into |
| some how implies that there's something wrong | | | | your mouth, because you need that form of |
| that medicine could fix) with Sensory Integration | | | | stimulation. If you really had NO way of |
| Dysfunction and delayed speech, as well as having | | | | communicating except for grunting, or crying. |
| some feeding or eating issues. These diagnoses | | | | You'd have no way to let the world around you |
| were made about 6 months ago with a team of | | | | know anything about what was going on in your |
| qualified therapists and specialists. | | | | head, your thoughts or feelings. No way to show |
| Life with and for Zachary is not at all like the life I | | | | that you're feeling totally lost. |
| had envisioned for him. Of course as a new mom, | | | | Maybe if you picked incessantly on yourself, your |
| you have all the hopes, expectations and desires | | | | "boo-boos," and fingers until they bleed, without |
| that every new mom has. Also, with having an | | | | even feeling the pain of what you're doing. Or if |
| older child, my work in a preschool and being a | | | | strangers looked at you, rolling their eyes, or |
| nanny; I had an idea of what was to come. I | | | | pointing there fingers at you, because you're |
| thought I knew to expect talking, walking, fine | | | | grunting instead of talking or you're hitting yourself |
| motor skills, eating on queue as well as other | | | | instead of playing. |
| things. It all seemed so laid out in some sort of | | | | Maybe if you could not last at a single task longer |
| master plan, at least it did for all of the kids I had | | | | than two or three minutes, all the while hating |
| ever seen before. | | | | transitions and screaming, crying and throwing a |
| Around the time my son turned one I began to | | | | fit at every change that had to be made, no |
| really take notice of little differences in him, | | | | matter how small. If you got sick every time you |
| differences that most first time moms might not | | | | got into the car because of the lack of control. If |
| have noticed until much later. One thing I noticed | | | | you could climb to very high places and just jump |
| was his lack of wanting to eat baby foods (he | | | | off, without the fear of being hurt. If going into a |
| was still nursing for most of his food, and even | | | | crowed place literally freaked you out, for no |
| today nurses for a good portion of the food he | | | | other reason other than all the people. If the idea |
| takes in). His inability to fall asleep easily (it can | | | | of pouring water, or anything onto your head or |
| take him between 30 minutes to 2 hours to fall | | | | into your face sent you spiraling into a tailspin of |
| asleep) and his lack of making little baby noises | | | | screaming and clawing for a breath, because you |
| (Zachary was never a "babbler" and at 27 months | | | | believed that you were being suffocated. |
| has JUST started to babble) struck me. Even his | | | | Maybe, if you could live every day, feeling, just |
| ability to walk was off (he was always bumping | | | | like this, you could. But I don't, for one second, |
| into things). He was a SUPER active (almost | | | | think so. |
| over-active) little boy who craved motion, | | | | To look at Zachary, you would think "no problem" |
| especially in climbing, still does. | | | | he's a normal little boy. However, that's not the |
| At this point, I decided to turn to several close | | | | case, what I've described is just a small piece of |
| trusted friends, whom all suggested the book, | | | | what my little boy goes though EVERY minute of |
| "The Out of Sync Child". While reading this book, | | | | EVERY day. I don't think you could do it, nor do I |
| on almost on every page, on almost every area I | | | | think you would want to. |
| was shaking my head in agreement with just | | | | The therapists he works with now are helping a |
| about everything that was being said! "YES" I | | | | HUGE amount. Zachary is now using some sign |
| thought, finally something that described "my | | | | language to talk to us, is babbling, and is much |
| child," something that could give me ideas that | | | | more willing to try foods and other things that |
| enabled me to help him, and where I could go to | | | | make him "ick-a-fied". It is, however, a very good |
| get help for him! I had finally found something that | | | | thing that I got him into the program at his young |
| "made sense". Every aspect of Zachary's life | | | | age. Research shows that working with a young |
| seemed to some how make sense; even things I | | | | mind is much easier than working with an older |
| did not think were connected, I learned were! | | | | one. Young children are felt to have a "plastic" |
| Every area touched on within the book seemed | | | | brain, meaning that it can still be rebuilt or |
| to directly (at least in some part) correlate with | | | | changed. The older a child gets the harder it is to |
| what Zachary was doing and/or seemed to be | | | | change the behaviors and structure. |
| feeling. How he was acting or reacting to the | | | | One of the huge battles kids like Zachary face is |
| world and life around him finally started to make | | | | that they appear so "normal", there are no "tell tail |
| sense to me! | | | | signs" that there is something "amiss" deep within |
| So, about half way though the book, I called my | | | | their little brains. So people look at them and think, |
| state program Early Intervention. We set up a | | | | "normal, no issues" then start to think there's |
| meeting for 5 months later; it seems nothing in | | | | something emotionally wrong with them. |
| the "system" works fast. On the date of his | | | | In general terms, Sensory Integration Dysfunction |
| evaluation, he was formally given the diagnoses of | | | | is basically the inability for the brain to process the |
| Sensory Integration Dysfunction, with a speech | | | | information that is brought in though your senses |
| delay. | | | | (whether those senses are internal or external). |
| For us Zachary's sensory and speech issues | | | | The dysfunction happens in the central nervous |
| follow us all day long, every day. | | | | system deep within the brain. So basically it's |
| So could you walk a mile in his shoes? | | | | when a "glitch" occurs, and the brain can not |
| Maybe you could.. That is, if you ever got your | | | | analyze, organize, connect or integrate the |
| socks on "just right." You may need to have | | | | sensory messages it is being sent. Internal or near |
| them taken on and off five or six times to get | | | | senses would be; vesicular sense (the inner ear) |
| the seams so they lay "just so" and the tightness | | | | which processes information on movement, |
| around the leg to be "ok." Then you would need | | | | gravity and balance, the tactile sense (skin) which |
| to scream though putting on a fleece or cotton | | | | processes touch, as well as the proprioceptive |
| union suit, because you can not communicate to | | | | sense (muscles and joints) which process |
| anyone, what's wrong with this particular outfit. | | | | information about the body positions and body |
| Then, while it's being put on; you pull, yank, cry | | | | parts. The external or far senses would be smell, |
| and even scream (sometimes hitting, if it is extra | | | | touch, sight and sound. |
| painful) until the suit gets on perfectly so the | | | | The end result being that the child (or adult) |
| seams are "ok" or the tags are not sticking you in | | | | suffering from Sensory Dysfunction can not |
| the back. | | | | correctly respond to sensory information, in turn |
| Maybe you could.. if your mommy would tell you | | | | making meaningful consistent behavior nearly |
| three or four times before you change activities, | | | | impossible for them. Where a "normal" child just |
| making sure you heard and understood. Repeating | | | | has it, the child with a sensory dysfunction has to |
| herself over and over, because the lights are in | | | | work, and work HARD at achieving it. The child |
| your eyes, your sister is breathing and talking, or | | | | can have an over sensitivity, under sensitivity or |
| the fan is on; making it nearly impossible for you | | | | both (which is most often the case.) |
| to concentrate on what she's saying. | | | | Children like my son, who have sensory problems, |
| Maybe if you understood that the texture, smell | | | | are literally fighting an internal fight with |
| and taste of most foods, would be too much for | | | | themselves every day, only processing half of |
| you. So much so that meal times will be nearly | | | | what the world around them has to offer. |
| impossible for you to cope with. But knowing that | | | | Maybe, you think you have the abilities to walk |
| you're one of the "lucky ones", your mom is still | | | | around in my son's shoes.. |
| comfortable with nursing you, so you at least | | | | However, I don't think you could walk in those |
| have a good form of nourishment. Since you | | | | shoes.. |
| would nurse anywhere from 4 to 10 times a day. | | | | Not because the shoes are too small but because.. |
| Maybe if you heard EVERY little bump, burp, and | | | | You're not special enough. |
| voice no matter where they came from within | | | | |