Sensory Processing Disorder

Let Me Out of Here!

January 5, 2011

Yesterday we took the J-man over to do the last part of a research study we’ve been participating in. This was the big part – the in-person evaluation. Sometimes the J-man does OK with formal evaluations, but usually they can be kind of a mess. I think part of the reason is the transitions – [...]

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Turn it on!

September 25, 2010

In the past few days, the J-man has learned to turn on (and off) lights and a fan. I’m fine with the lights flashing, but the fan is a little scary, so we leave it unplugged when he’s going to be in the room. It really seems to be an “all of a sudden” insight [...]

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Autism Meets the Dentist – To Restrain or Not Restrain

August 5, 2010

Monday was our semi-annual trip to the dentist. I doubt I need to go into much detail as if there’s one universal dread we share as parents – and a mortal fear that most of our children experience a thousand-fold worse – it’s the dentist. No offense to the dentists in the world, but with [...]

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If ignorance is wisdom, we’re all gods here

June 3, 2010

“The doorstep to the temple of wisdom is a knowledge of our own ignorance.” – Benjamin Franklin We have been people of extremes around here lately. I’ve been burning the candle on three ends with work projects and am at that stupid kind of tired right now. Mary has been going full on at work [...]

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Where Am I?

April 19, 2010

Why is it so hot? Why am I in this handbasket?! The J-man has been on Spring Break for three weeks now, with one to go. It has been, for the most part, wretched. There has been so much crankiness in our house that I’m surprised it hasn’t split at the seams already. Maybe by [...]

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Sensory Processing Disorder and the DSM-V – Call to Action (Urgent Update!)

April 9, 2010

[Urgent Update! The deadline to submit comments about Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) for the DSM-V is Tuesday, April 20, 2010. If you haven't yet done so, please send your comments very soon! This is not only critically important for autistic children and adults but for all people who struggle with sensory challenges. Make this part [...]

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Grace on Aisle 5

March 26, 2010

Well into a long shopping session at Target the other day, the J-Man was doing his ‘ya-ya chant’. Try halfway laughing, then smile real big, flap your arms, and yell “ya-ya-ya!” loudly over and over again, and that’s a fair approximation of it. His volume is often a function of how overstimulated he’s getting, not [...]

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The Second Time Around – Having a Child Not in Therapy

March 18, 2010

I realized the other night that the second anniversary of what we’ve called Diagnosis Day is upon us. On that gray, March day two years ago, the doctor said the words “diagnosis of autism”, and we jumped down the rabbit hole into this grand adventure. It’s hard to comprehend how far we’ve come in those [...]

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