Bringing Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) into the Spotlight

My daughter, Jaimie, was diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder (also known as Sensory Integration Dysfunction) when she was two-and-a half. At the time, not only did I have no idea what it was but couldn't find a lot of information on it. In fact, I was taking a university course on the brain at the time and my professor, who is a neurologist, had never heard of it. That both angered and frightened me and I decided to learn everything I could about it.

That was three years ago. I now dedicate a tremendous amount of time writing, speaking and helping to teach others about children and families with SPD. At first it was for my own information; now it's become more of a mission to help bring more awareness and understanding for these children. And I've come across many parents whose child received a recent diagnosis of SPD but haven't a clue where to turn to next.

Unlike disorders such as Autism or AD/HD, which have received much media and research attention, SPD has not been put in the spotlight as much. This is truly heartbreaking for parents who have children with this disorder because we need to educate ourselves so we can properly help our children. Frankly, without the media attention and research, parents don't have the information readily available to them.

Phenomenal people such as Dr. A. Jean Ayres, Carol Stock Kranowitz and Dr. Lucy Jane Miller have done so much in terms of working with children with SPD as well as writing and research the disorder. As well, associations like the SPD Network have provided valuable information on the web for parents to refer to and reach out to one another. More needs to be done.

I feel, in my personal experiences with SPD as well as meeting parents who struggle to find information (as I did years ago), SPD will be an important subject to have out in cyberspace. And I plan to be one of the people to help get it out there more.

We need more information readily available: for parents who want to understand and help their child; for therapists who either want to specialize in the disorder or just want more information; for teachers who've never heard of SPD but have such children in their classroom and don't want them to slip through the educational cracks; and, mostly, for these children who just want to be understood.

Information promotes understanding and the more information available on SPD, the more we can do to bring awareness for children with this disorder. And that's my only wish for Jaimie and other children like her.