lights. He resisted human touch. Rather than roll toy cars along the ground, he held them in front of him, mesmerized by the spin- ning of their wheels. He never slept very well at night, preferring to bounce around his room. His sen- sitivity to his surroundings became most evident to me when a German cho- rus concluded a festive Christmas number and the audience thundered its ap- proval with loud applause. Joseph clapped along with our German friends, but tears ran down his scream- ing, tortured face.
than his peers, but we are proud of the progress he has made in engaging settings that might otherwise be challenging for him. SENSORY PROCESSING DISORDER (SPD) According to the Child Mind Institute, “Sensory Processing Disorder is a set of behaviors related to trouble processing in- formation from the senses, like sight and sound. SPD is not rec- ognized as an official diagnosis by psychiatrists.” It may not be something that your child’s psychiatrist will diagnose, but it’s sure real to your child. And the likelihood that your child has SPD increases if he or she has another disability. Let’s take autistic children, up to 90% of whom also have an SPD. The presence of SPD in autism is so strong that many of the people I talk with believe that SPD is isolated to the autism community. But SPD affects up to 40% of children Attention- Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, 49% of children with Down Syn- drome, 53% of children with Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder, and a sizeable percentage of children with Post-Trau- matic Stress Disorder, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Schizo- phrenia, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and any number of other disorders. Lest we stop there, according to JAMA Pediatrics, “One in 6 children have sensory processing difficulties.” In other words, it’s pretty important that we do what we can to better under- stand SPD and then find ways to create a more accommodat- ing environment for our loved ones who experience the world around us differently. WHY SPD MATTERS AT DAYTIME Having an SPD can be very challenging for children during the day. As the Child Mind Institute puts it, “Kids with sensory processing issues behave in ways that look confusing. They might react strongly to loud noises or bright lights, or complain that their clothes are uncomfortable. They may be clumsy or have trouble with fine motor skills like fastening buttons. Some kids show extreme behaviors like screaming when their face gets wet, or melting down at an unexpected change.” But just because a child with an SPD may experience some of these challenges doesn’t mean that he or she doesn’t want to enjoy life’s many adventures the same as any other child. These kids love to go to sports matches, museums, restaurants, or just on errands with mom or dad. Each of these venues pres- ents at least a small obstacle for kids with SPDs because their ambiance is tailored to the average population with its average sensitivity to their surroundings. Fortunately, there’s a growing awareness that these children can flourish in a more sensory-friendly environment. For example, KultureCity has been leading the charge for “sensory accessibility and acceptance for those with invisible disabilities.” Go to a zoo or aquarium or baseball game with
Joseph Bailey Passport
Christina and I came to be certain that Joseph was autistic, but as long as we were living in Germany, we had no way of getting a decisive diagnosis or meaningful early intervention. At that time, the youngest we could expect to get a diagnosis was age 11. We managed to obtain some services for our grow- ing boy to help him with his sensory processing challenges, but we knew that if we wanted to meet his needs more effectively, we would have to move back to the United States, which we did after three years of time living in Germany. Since moving back, we’ve obtained a diagnosis and received assistance from many outstanding professionals who have helped our son better process the world around him. He con- tinues to present higher levels of sensitivity to his surroundings
Joseph Bailey
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