The Sensory Processing Disorder Answer Book gives practical answers to the top 250 questions parents ask. Written by Tara Delaney, MS, OTR/L and published by Sourcebooks, Incorporated of Naperville, Illinois. Tara is a pediatric occupational therapist specializing in helping children with sensory processing disorder (SPD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). She also adopted a child internationally from China who came home with sensory processing issues.

True the covers says, “answers to the top 250 questions... more

I have been quite impressed by my 14-year-old daughter’s honesty during the last several visits we have made to her psychiatrist. With each visit, she seems to open up a little more to him. This is important for several reasons. First, she is nearing adulthood and would like to live on her own someday. Therefore, it is important for her to not only own her disability but also begin taking over the management of it. Secondly, the doctor cannot help her if she is not honest about how she is doing and feeling. While her doctor and I can see the outward results of her actions,... more

Has your adopted child recently had surgery? It is true that adhesions symptoms are not common with most surgeries. In fact, most go undiagnosed because they do not cause symptoms and are not life threatening. However, they are common after abdominal surgeries and many children do have their appendix removed. Occasionally, children are born with adhesions, but they usually result from the inflammation that accompanies surgery. Adhesions are scar tissues that bind together two surfaces within the body that were not meant to be connected. Painful symptoms can accompany... more

Does your adopted child have a big neck compared to peers? The University of Virginia recently completed a study indicating that these children are more likely to develop a sleep related breathing disorder than their peers are. These disorders affect breathing during sleep, the most common being obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). A pediatric sleep center identified 215 children between 18 months and 18 years old for the study. The researchers who studied these children identified some common trends among those who had a sleep related breathing disorder. Apparently, neck... more

If you have adopted a child, who seems to be delayed in language skills do not delay in seeking treatment. If your child is under the age of three years, early-on services may be available for your child free of charge. Private insurance companies may pay for speech therapy for children between three and five years. Once children reach school age, speech and language services are available free of charge through the local public school district. The school district must provide these services even if your child is not enrolled in public school. However, you will need to... more

There are genetic abnormalities that typically cause sterility in men. One of these genetic abnormalities is called Klinefelter syndrome, I wrote about the syndrome here. “Does Your Adopted Son Have an Extra X Chromosome?” Feel free to read about the syndrome by following the link before you read this article if you would like. Most men who have an extra X chromosome never know about it and do not develop the syndrome. Those who do develop the syndrome will most likely... more

Did you know that the XXY arrangement of chromosomes is the most common genetic abnormality among males? Researchers estimate that one out of every 500 male children may have an extra X chromosome. Are you now wondering if your adopted son might have a genetic defect? Many of these boys will grow to adulthood never suspecting that they have an extra chromosome. Most males with this XXY chromosome arrangement suffer no symptoms and grow to be completely normal adults. The only way one of these men could find out is to undergo genetic testing. Unfortunately,... more

I almost could not believe my ears as I listened to the story. My own daughter sat there in disbelief as I continued to ask pointed questions about how she succeeded. Her story is similar to my own daughter’s story because they share birthparents. She is the older sister, and they lived in the same home until shortly after my daughter turned three. Like my daughter, she has struggled over the years with lying, stealing, cutting, and destroying property that was not hers. Her lying was worse than my daughter’s lying, because at 15 she began making terrible accusations about... more

When I awoke this morning, I didn’t think I would be able to write today. I awoke during the night when the power went out because of a storm and then went back to sleep. The power goes out frequently during our storms here in the Midwest, so, I didn’t think anything of it. We have a generator that will run most of our house and water our cattle at the flip of a switch. Super Dad awoke early and I told him the power was out, so he headed outside to turn on the generator. Then he came back and brought me to the window to look outside. He couldn’t turn the generator on... more

High blood sugar can cause damage to your whole body, including your teeth and gums. Having diabetes can increase your risk of cavities and gum disease even during childhood. If your child has type 1 or type 2 diabetes, then you already know how important it is to keep blood sugar levels under control. High blood sugar increases the supply of sugars and starches in your mouth, contributing to more plaque. The acid in plaque wears away the tooth enamel causing cavities. The plaque can harden under the... more