Again, there is so much about Amy Eldridge’s open letter to those adopting from China that needs to be heard. And one of those things is that being raised in an orphanage changes who you are. And that being taken away from everything you know (even if it’s not a healthy situation, even if it’s an orphanage) causes further grief and trauma.

Now most people know that on the surface. We laughed during our recent viewing of A Night at the Museum, where Ben Stiller’s character confronted Attila the Hun, who ultimately broke down in sobs as Ben described Attila’s rough childhood and lack of love and affection and how that made him into... more

I admit that I approached Fast ForWord with some trepidation. I have been told by professionals and parents alike that it can be incredibly challenging and frustrating for children with processing problems. Knowing that LuLu’s frustration level is very low and that triggering it leads to huge meltdowns…well, I just wasn’t looking forward to it. Consulting with her occupational therapist and speech therapist, it was recommended that we start with Interactive Metronome, proceed to The Listening Program and... more

Part 1 deals with Auditory Processing Disorders Part 2 deals with Non-verbal Learning Disabilities

Sometimes children can have issues with their sensory processing that look a great deal like (or co-exist with) ADHD. The third article from the ADDitudes... more

I was first introduced to the idea that a child could have a complex interwoven group of disorders versus just one definable disorder about five years ago when we did a neurofeedback intensive with a therapist in Utah. On the first day there, we conducted a quantitative EEG (QEEG) to measure LuLu’s brainwaves and do a statistical analysis on the electrical activity in various parts of her brain. As the therapist was downloading and reviewing this data to send to the neurologist for analysis, he couldn’t help but take a peek. He declared (and... more

Got a call from a friend today whose son has Sensory Integration Dysfunction (SID). She’s an awesome Mama Bear advocate for her son, who, through her efforts and those of dedicated teachers and professionals who really listened to this mom and provided the son with the services he needs, has been able to be successful in a regular education classroom this year with only minor supports and modifications.

Well, this young boy and his mom arrived at school early this morning and entered the classroom after the long Thanksgiving break. Their family... more

Funny that this should be the book review on this week’s About Parenting Special Needs e-newsletter by Terri Mauro. Especially since I was chatting about this program with a mom friend of mine just last night.

Self-regulation is highly important for any child who has sensory processing dysfunction (SPD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), ODD, OCD or any disorders where the child can become easily dysregulated and negative behaviors are the result.

This... more

My blogging, responses to emails, and overall attention to the “normal” things in my all-but-normal life are on hold this week, while I’m attending 5 straight days of court to conclude LuLu’s due process hearing.

My dear friend, Christa, has honored me with a HUGE kindness of flying here from Iowa to care for, and teach, LuLu while I’m out for the week. Besides the fun of visiting with her, I’m thrilled that she is doing a tremendous job jumping right in to being the substitute teacher at Ladybug Elementary! I totally trust the way she’s handling LuLu and all the many things you must know…from lesson plans to med dosages to therapy schedules.

Christa has a long history... more

For the last 9 weeks, LuLu has been using Interactive Metronome. Our occupational therapist comes two times a week to administer this brain-based intervention.

What is Interactive Metronome?

The Interactive Metronome is an intervention that focuses on rhythm and timing and helps to build a person’s motor planning and sequencing abilities. As defined by the Interactive Metronome website:

The IM program is an intervention where the patient is challenged to synchronize a range of hand and foot exercises to a precise computer-generated... more

Here's the rest of those great "tips for teachers" from the SPD Network site:

Children Who Need Sensory Input to Stay on Task Some children are "sensory seekers" and become more organized and attend better to a task if they receive periodic movement input. Some ideas: -- Allow a child to sit on a baffled camping pillow filled with a small amount of air. This allows for movement without leaving the desk. -- Suggest five minutes of swinging... more

Since realizing the impact that LuLu’s sensory integration problems (SPD) have on her ability to learn, I’ve been reading everything I can find about this topic. Here’s a “tips for teachers” list from the SPD Network website that I found extremely helpful. You may as well. In fact, I found the whole website helpful, so check it out!

General Classroom Organizational Strategies -- Use graph paper to help organize math... more