UK Mum

by UK Mum
(England)

Living in the UK it's been extremely hard narrowing down why my daughter acts the way she does, but I need to say a massive thank you to the people who contribute to this site, not just the creators but the parents/carers of children with SPD that have shared their stories and helped me immensely.

My 10 year old has always had issues with clothes, even as a baby she would cry a lot more than average and it was never understood why, as a toddler she developed a hatred for socks and shoes, and the issues were never consistent. She would be a perfect little angel at school and with other children and their parents leading to me being labeled by many people as 'neurotic', 'wanting perfection' and told many times by many teachers, mental health nurses, and a psychiatrist that my daughters behaviour is perfectly normal or just a phase. I am certainly not neurotic, nor do I expect perfection from my child, she is human and I love her very much.

The clothes situation has got progressively worse and she has so little clothing that she is used to and even resorts to sleeping in her school trousers to shield herself from the 'scratchy bed covers'. She hates bubble bath and has to be made to shower and brush her teeth. My local childrens health clinic are still unconvinced that there is something amiss and confess they knowing nothing about SPD.

I am awaiting assessment for my increasingly depressed child, and hope that help comes soon as it is also destroying me, watching my little girl missing out on so much because she feels embarrassed to admit she has a problem. We have no Occupational Therapist in the so it will be interesting which box they try and fit her in this time or how I'll be 'fobbed off', maybe it'll be 'learned behaviour' and I'll be accused of being a bad influence.

I implore anyone who knows what were going through, dont give up, dont listen to soem professionals who dont wish to see anything they are not familiar with, we need to help our kids, its not their fault.