I had a very healthy pregnancy and a normal birthing experience, so by the time we passed Sophia' first birthday, we began to notice some not very normal things. She was extremely colicky for 16 months and hated her crib, sleeping thru the night was no where in sight, she was very anxious and overwhelmed by large groups of people, refused to lay on her back for a diaper change, needed to be held constantly, refused to go in a stroller, and the most challenging and still is right now, refuses to eat any food with texture. Sophia will not feed herself, eats only purees from Earth's Best Baby Food, has a limited variety, will not drink from a cup or use a straw but prefers a bottle (only whole milk with her formula) and we have to hold it for her. She needs constant distraction in order to eat such as reading, a DVD, playing with her miniature action figures and putting on a show. Sophia went from sitting in her bath and enjoying it to only feeling comfortable is she stands and wears a bathing suit bottom The final straw that put us over, has been Sophia' refusal to go in a car, boat, train, or plane (forget about that! ); she would cry and become hysterical. Jesus! I'm exhausted just writing all that!
The isolation and frustration we have felt these past two years, has been incredible and what has been helpful is that Sophia receives, Early Intervention Services which involves, feeding therapy and Occupational therapy at a special sensory gym to give her exposure to new experiences.
If you find yourself wondering if your child's behavior seems strange, or you are observing a delay in development do not hesitate to investigate. In New York City, there is Early Intervention which is free. You just have to go through an extensive evaluation with a variety of specialists to determine whether your child is eligible for these services. It is a long process, but well worth it. There is always the private route of just paying out of pocket or using your health insurance.
The idea behind Early Intervention is that if a developmental delay is caught early, there is the likelihood of success. Their program works with children between the ages of birth thru 3 years. The nervous system and brain are plastic so with the right therapy, your child can overcome a lot of these delays or issues.
Being a parent requires tremendous amounts of patience, but having a child with sensory integration dysfunction requires that much more. Our lessons in life come in many forms and as hard as this has been I always choose to see this experience as a gift. I'm human and have really rough days where I feel like I'm about to lose it, but I constantly remind myself, the importance of being helpful over hurtful. That I am doing the best I can, and Sophia will get there when she does.
I recommend joining a support group, find other parents who are dealing with similar issues so you do not feel alone. There is a ton of stuff on the web that you can find with a search on Sensory Integration Dysfunction. One of my favorite books that gives great information is titled, "The Out of Sync Child" by Carol Stock Kranowitz, M.A.
The isolation and frustration we have felt these past two years, has been incredible and what has been helpful is that Sophia receives, Early Intervention Services which involves, feeding therapy and Occupational therapy at a special sensory gym to give her exposure to new experiences.
If you find yourself wondering if your child's behavior seems strange, or you are observing a delay in development do not hesitate to investigate. In New York City, there is Early Intervention which is free. You just have to go through an extensive evaluation with a variety of specialists to determine whether your child is eligible for these services. It is a long process, but well worth it. There is always the private route of just paying out of pocket or using your health insurance.
The idea behind Early Intervention is that if a developmental delay is caught early, there is the likelihood of success. Their program works with children between the ages of birth thru 3 years. The nervous system and brain are plastic so with the right therapy, your child can overcome a lot of these delays or issues.
Being a parent requires tremendous amounts of patience, but having a child with sensory integration dysfunction requires that much more. Our lessons in life come in many forms and as hard as this has been I always choose to see this experience as a gift. I'm human and have really rough days where I feel like I'm about to lose it, but I constantly remind myself, the importance of being helpful over hurtful. That I am doing the best I can, and Sophia will get there when she does.
I recommend joining a support group, find other parents who are dealing with similar issues so you do not feel alone. There is a ton of stuff on the web that you can find with a search on Sensory Integration Dysfunction. One of my favorite books that gives great information is titled, "The Out of Sync Child" by Carol Stock Kranowitz, M.A.
