Have a Little Compassion for Chloe

This is for the people out there who think they know what is best for my Chloe and don’t really understand her challenges.  You see, Chloe has several sensory processing issues going on all at the same time, that cause her as a mere “almost three year old” to melt down much more often than other kids and cause her to have what looks like really bad behavior, but is really her inability to cope with the input to her body and brain.

Nurturing Siblings of Special Needs Kids

I just found out about this article from Shannon, a mom of a child with cerebral palsy: 9 Strategies for Nurturing Special Siblings.  Let me know what you think.

You can check out Shannon’s blog here and her Facebook page here.

Tips for Back to School for Kids with SPD

Someone just posted a great link for kids with Sensory Processing Disorder so I thought I would share it again here:  http://sensorysmarts.com/back_to_school_tips.html

What About Erika?

My oldest daughter, Erika, seems to be doing  well.  And I do mean “seems’. She is four years old.  She seems quite intelligent, she does age appropriate play, comes home from preschool with cute art and traced letters and numbers.  She knows all of her shapes, colors, letters and numbers.  She can recognise her name and a few other printed words.  She asks really interesting questions.

So why do I say that she “seems to be doing well”?  Because she has twin sisters with special needs who were born when she was only fifteen months old.

Little Girl, Huge Determination

Often, others share that if I had not told them, they would not know Sierra had a massive stroke in-utero.  She will be three years old next month and she can run, jump, climb and dance.

Guilt Steals Prescious Energy

Like many parents of special needs kids, I have had to navigate the thoughts and emotions of guilt about my part in causing my kids to have developmental delays. I know that for some parents or caregivers, there is a clear and direct cause for these challenges in their children.

Understanding Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)

Sometimes when a child has behavioral challenges, it is not just psychological.  It can also be caused by something being “off” physically.

Finding My Happy Place

Being the primary caregiver to three young daughters is intense and chaotic much of the time. I sometimes feel like I’m being swallowed up, sucked dry of all my energy and patience, then spit out on the ground.

Even Unborn Babies Have Strokes

May 2010 was a whirlwind month for our family. My twin eight month old girls tested for developmental delays. Before I could even take a deep breath, Sierra’s doctors were scheduling an MRI, an EEG, a heart ultrasound and extensive blood work.