Dear Dr. Laura -
My heart went out to your caller on Monday (10.15.12), a mom who was angry at her 3-year-old with Sensory Processing Disorder. I loved your suggestion to listen to music to laugh.
I am the mom of an almost 9-year-old boy with SPD - he is sensory "defensive" to tactile (touch), oral (texture and temp) as well as auditory (sounds hurt his ears). It is difficult to deal with some days. We have worked hard at home to help him with stresses that would "shut him down". Once I convinced the school they needed to "respect" his "sensitivities," (which was a huge task), we have been able to help him all day long. When we go out, we keep a back pack in the car with "tools" to help him: chewing gum for his need to chew on things (saves on shirts!) and ear phones to block out sounds (some days we need these more than others).
Three things that have helped me:
1. Looking for the "why" - why is he reacting/shutting down? Then address it. You can't change a behavior if you don't understand what is causing it.
2. Find other parents who are in the same situation to bond with and vent to. I have some local friends with kids on the spectrum (high functioning like my son) who I can call and cry to. There are many chat groups on the Internet (Facebook has a few) so you can look for resources.
3. I read everything on a topic I can get my hands on. The book "Too Bright, Too Loud, Too Fast, Too Light" by Dr Sharon Heller explained things to me. Many "aha!" moments with this book.
Dr Laura, thank you for teaching us "serious mommas" some humor. Some times we focus too much on the situation at hand, and forget to be silly or unplug. I work on this every day.....
Jackie
