Your child’s current status isn’t the reflection of your parenting style
The very first step being taken by parents towards the journey of SPD is acceptance of the child’s condition and becoming aware of it. Though child’s behavior can be tagged just as over pampered, spoilt brat, or bad behavior, the discipline needed, once you understand your child’s need it will be easier for you to explain it to others about it. Basically, all the people with experience of a normal child around you would be approaching you with these kinds of tags out of the concern and wanting to help you attitude. So it’s essential that you are clear about your strategies you and reasons to use those for your child.
Empower yourself with the right resources:
After getting diagnosed as an SPD child, first things parents do is hit google button with the question “what is SPD”? When you are already stuffed with information related SPD while getting diagnosed by a doctor, trying to know more about it might just drain off your energy or just add more frustration while you are already concerned about your child’s condition. So instead of searching for information about the diagnosis try feeding a term which is more solution-oriented like solutions of SPD, Parenting in SPD, management of SPD, etc. Anyways all the information going to start with the introduction of term SPD itself but at least you will have more of the solution-oriented information rather than just having it all about the problem which might frustrate you more about the child’s condition. Rather than getting lost into unlimited information available on the internet focus on some of the popular information sources as it will be having valid and authentic information.
Make a sensory corner in your home for your child
Assign your child a corner as sensory corner for your child so that child can sooth himself whenever he needed by accessing that corner. Invest in essential sensory tools needed to be installed at that corner of home. For example a bean bag which can provide great comfort to child by giving deep pressure calming stimulus if he has hyperactivity, different textures mats if has tactile hypersensitivity etc.
Make sure your child gets enough sleep.
Importance of regular and enough sleep is directly related to the sensory and behavior problems like hyperactivity. To learn in detail about how to establish healthy bed routine and get your child enough sleep kindly follow the link. article A 15 Sleeping Issues.
Monitor what child is eating.
There is no fixed diet which will be fit for the entire children diagnosed with SPD. There will be parents who swear by “The particular diet” and passionately talking about it that they have witnessed the improvement in their child. But it’s the fact that these diagnoses are based on symptoms not on the root causes. So it’s not necessary that your child would be reacting the same way what other child has responded to that particular diet. Individual sensory needs, allergies, aversions to particular food, texture, flavor, temperature need to be considered for planning the diet. So it’s necessary to monitor what your child is eating and how he is responding to it. However, if your child has gustatory sensory processing issues you are requested to check out the separate article covered for diet and feeding tips for such children.
Be Sensory Parent:
Become aware of every single thing done by your child. Though the initial journey can be counter-intuitive with what it is with a normal child, but with the consistent habit of noting everything about your child’s behavior can help you in anticipating child’s sensory needs. So the best approach here is to get in use of having an imaginary magnifying glass to identify hidden sensory needs behind every odd behavior of your child. Maintaining sensory diary can always be helpful in scouting those sensory needs!
We have created a simple downloadable image about the contents of maintaining a sensory diary to simplify your work. Kindly follow the link to download it.
Advance Planning works like magic here. This is the most appropriate step to be taken once you are aware of the sensory needs of your kid. Advance planning not only help you in keeping yourself prepared for any possible encounter of an unexpected meltdown but it also helps in avoiding meltdowns or even if at all it happens it can help you in resolving it within less time than expected. It will also help you adapting and adjusting the daily life situation or challenges you might face with SPD child.
Leave your home with the sensory bag in which all portable sensory tools can be accommodated.
Having sensory needs doesn’t make your child DUMB!
Learn to celebrate your child’s strengths. Though your child’s behavior might seem a little bit different than how normal child behaves, you have to understand that this is purely out of his sensory needs and having sensory needs doesn’t make his brain weak! It is possible that child above average IQ and if sensory needs are taken care well he might perform above average in academic. There are many examples of adults who are living a successful life have been a sensory kid.
No sensory solutions works for ever!
Sensory needs keep changing according to the age just like the normal growing child. Learn to accommodate about those changing and sometimes exaggerating needs of growing sensory child. Be flexible and open to work on amendments needed to be done in your routine according to growing sensory child.
Empower your child!
Sometimes SPD can become an universal excuse to every odd behavior for a parent. As an extra concerned parent we might get into unconscious habit of slipping all unacceptable behaviors under the umbrella of SPD. Become more observant, notice out every single unacceptable behavior, root causes of those behaviors. There are chances that it might not be a sensory issue; just a manipulative behavior child might have learned to get his things done according to his convenience. Differentiating behavioral issue from the sensory problem will help you in understanding the limits where you would need to draw a line to take a pause in protecting the child and implement some discipline to eliminate those manipulative behavioral issues. It will also further help the child in making him independent and empowered to face the world when you are not there to protect your child.
Happy Caregiving!
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