Parent of three year old SPD child - recently "diagnosed"

by James N.
(Chicago)

My story more comes in the form of a question. We knew our child had issues - though not formally diagnosed as SPD, since he was very young, and he has been getting therapy since he was 18 months old.




My question is, I don't see much, or any reference to how kids with SPD do as adults? Do they learn to cope, incorporate their problems into effective skills, and go on to lead productive lives? Do they become doctors, lawyers, scientists? Or does SPD somehow limit their horizons? Or is it too much of an "individual" diagnosis of severity to know? I can't find any site that answers this simple question. Please help.

James



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Jan 07, 2012
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starstarstarstarstar 		high hopes
by: Anonymous

i have a son with spd, now 6. i too, knew from a young age that he was wired a little bit differently. we have worked with an occupational therapist on/off for several years now and i have seen improvements for sure.

i think the question is a complicated one, only because i think we are right in the middle of this terrible onslaught with autism, spd, nervous system conditions, digestive issues, anxiety, etc. something is happening to our children and it's happened in the last couple of decades. not enough time has passed for these children with to grow into adulthood and go after their goals and dreams.

BUT - i do believe that with help & lots of patience & support and a positive outlook from those close to them, they can learn to manage their behaviors and emotions effectively and learn how to self regulate. they can learn what is and is not appropriate and i fully believe that they will be masters of their lives and be able to live the life they dream of. :) i believe the biggest key is building their self esteem and believing they can do anything just like anyone else and focusing on their interests and strengths instead of the opposite. (not always easy, but it needs to be the focus).

on another note, there have been many famous people in history who have done incredible things who have been said to have or have actually had a diagnosis of high functioning autism and or/spd who have been most successful. (for the record, every person on the autism spectrum has some sensory processing challenges, but the opposite isn't always true, you can have spd and not be on the autism spectrum.) they have been inventors, presidents, writers, musicians, photographers, engineers, artists... the list goes on. for example, thomas jefferson, issac newton, albert einstein, mark twain, henry ford, bill gates, temple grandin, steve jobs...

there are some great websites & books out there that may be of use to you for ideas and to help ease the concerns that you may have. a few that i have found helpful...

books:
raising a sensory smart child
the out of sync child
sensational kids
parenting a child with spd
sensational journeys (brand new book out this past september-which might be more up to date about some of the children with spd who are now older and how they are doing-i haven't read it yet, just heard about it.)

websites:
http://sensorysmartparent.wordpress.com
http://ourlifewithspd.blogspot.com

if you son struggles at all with social aspect or emotions, here are two websites:

http://www.modelmekids.com/
www.alertprogram.com

so many resources out there, so many parents on this same journey. good luck!

astringham@hotmail.com
Jan 03, 2012
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starstarstarstarstar 		great question!
by: Anonymous

Great question! I dont see where anyone has answered you yet but i too would love to know!

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