When you have a child with special needs, in our case it is Sensory Processing Disorder or SPD, and dyspraxia… there is always the hope that you will find the support you need in the form of family, friends, therapists and even support groups filled with those on similar journeys.
What is hard is when you have a child who has disorders that, although you are told are prevalent in the population, appear to be evident in your child only. No matter how hard you look or scan crowds of children, no matter how many towns you go into, no one quite shows the signs of the disorders quite the way your child does.
No one but you it seems is coercing your screaming child into a shopping cart, into shoes, into a high chair.
No one but you it seems, cannot calm your child down, from a meltdown.
No one but you, it seems, has a child, who will or will not do so many things, that sometimes the idea to stay home, to circle the wagons, to limit your time “in the real world” sounds pretty good.
To those of you who may have felt like this today or like myself who did so many years ago, I offer that to do that last thing, to be at the point where doing that is all you want to do or really have the energy to do is the point that, for most of us, is when we start to look for SOMETHING.
I will share that at points and time in our journey, I would be feeling very alone, or sad, or really just so so tired…I would then talk on the phone to my brother or mom and something they would say would be the very words I might need that day….or I would pray for God’s guidance at a crossroads with Elizabeth and then maybe days later, I would hear of a new therapist, or be reading an article that sparked the very idea I needed to change our path and pick that new road… I have always thought of these moments that those words are offered, that the ideas come,that the person in the line at the store shows great kindness to our children, as intercessions….those things we pray for that arrive to us……I offer these thoughts out today because we all need help in life, special needs child or not. but then add in the challenges of our children and we need help and support just that much more.
I wrote my book as a way to reach out to help and support others, through our story. I hope that our journey offers that support and hope.
..One thing that I would have loved so much was the chance or option to talk to someone, who was knowledgeable in the area of Sensory Processing Disorder, or SPD and dyspraxia, when I needed to. NOT to go to a therapy session, simply to talk, to share thoughts, ideas, get input, get a bit of a plan….WOW, to think of it now, makes me know how much calmer I might have felt, how much of an gift that would have been. Through my blog, and working to promote my book, I have met a wonderful, kind, sincere and above all KNOWLEDGEABLE woman, who is now offering just that….time to talk. Her name is Victoria Behrens and her website is: http://sensoryprocessingbugs.com She has a tremendous amount of experience in SPD,, and maintains a very informative website. Please visit her site to read her credentials, to decide for yourself.
Victoria shared with me that her wish is to offer out…the chance for those who are interested, to purchase a session to talk to her, not to GO to her, not to have to make any long term plans, not to have to HOPE your child will work well with her but the chance for the parents and caregivers to talk, to have questions answered, get input, get support, unload some feelings… a person there for YOUR support…and through supporting you and getting some questions answered, or simply being able to share feelings….your child is then also supported.
Something else that is unique is that on the site she also offers a range of sensory items for purchase and if you chose to buy them, in the price is included a session to talk to her about the item, ideas on how to use it, to get questions answered. I love the idea of talking through things rather than opening up a box from the mail and hoping I remember what I was supposed to do.
Sometimes just having a option to go to or a choice to be made can be comforting. I hope you see this as such.
I know how I would have felt about having this as an option some years ago, but that is me…please visit the site, read and see how you feel about it as you make your own person choice…
I wanted to share this as maybe someone who is reading my blog, may need to hear this today..maybe this is THEIR intercession today, I really hope that is true.
I wish you all a good week…