As I mentioned in my last post, there was one more thing we learned about Isaiah that I at the time wasn't ready to share yet. Partly because I had swamped y'all with a lengthy update, and partly because I was, and still am, in the process of figuring everything out. It's not that I'm overwhelmed with the news, because really, it's not news to me, I just don't know enough about it and am still educating myself. Isaiah seems to have to have sensory problems, at this point we're not sure if we're talking about Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) or simply some tendencies, but we do know that he is sensory seeking in some areas and more sensitive in other areas. Some of you may remember me mentioning this last year around this time when we came back from the CHASA retreat here. Back then there were a couple of things that made me think that but when I mentioned my concerns to the pediatrician he dismissed them as being age appropriate. So I second guessed myself, I mean, after all he's the professional and chances were he was right. Now, a year later, I brought it up again. This time to Isaiah's OT (Occupational Therapist), he was here for Isaiah's first consult. Initially, we were just going to discuss Isaiah's arm and leg but Kelly, our MIDP interventionist, encouraged me to mention my concerns. Sure enough, our OT agreed that it would be a good idea to look into it. He recommended a couple of things, one being a weighted blanket. A month prior I had looked into weighted blankets but wasn't sure they're right for Isaiah. Anyway.
He told me about a local mom who makes them really cheap so I quickly ditched making one myself! Her own daughter was diagnosed with autism and when she learned how much those blankets cost, she was shocked. So she made her own, and is now making them for others, along with vests, I spy pads and neck pillows. She's not a professional seamstress, she's simply a mom who doesn't want parents to have to spend an arm and a leg, just to give their kids what they need. You can find her Facebook page here.
We picked it up yesterday and Isaiah likes it a lot! He usually kicks blankets off at night, not this one! He actually looked for it in his sleep!
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| Isaiah taking a nap with his blanket from Weighted Dreams |
We have yet to get Isaiah evaluated, which I will request at his Dr. appointment this month. However, I'm currently reading "Raising a sensory smart child", and although I'm still at the beginning of the book, there are lots of paragraphs where I've scribbled "Isaiah" next to it! So many things make so much more sense now. It's quite possible that his desire for stimulation makes him scratch so much, which in turn affects his dermatitis. I also bought "The out-of-sync child has fun", which is written by the author of "The out-of-sync child" and suggests activities you can do with your kids. When looking into books, I had an incredibly hard time. While all the books I found were great, most of them focused on a hyper sensitive children. Isaiah, however, is mainly sensory seeking with some hyper sensitive tendencies when he feels like he's not in control. I think the two books I got are a good start though. Once he's evaluated, we can hopefully start direct OT and learn how to help him understand his body better and get the sensory stimulation he needs without it interfering with his daily life. I try to keep Joseph as up to date on those changes as possible but it's difficult for him to fully understand what all this means. By the time he comes back from deployment we will more than likely have started OT, established a different routine and have made adjustments in our daily life. That's one of the downsides of deployments, time does not stand still while they're gone. I might get the kindle versions of both books so I can send Joseph the hard copies to read in the little bit of free time he has. So here we are, adding yet another label to the ones we already have. And yet I am not discouraged. Quite the opposite, I'm relieved. To me those labels mean clarity to me. Without them I'm just guessing and experimenting. They also mean Isaiah will get therapies and treatments that will help him, services he wouldn't get without those labels. So off we go on a new journey, pack your bags and come along ;)
Love,
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