Our son just turned four-years-old. He is bright, funny, adventuresome, lovable, good-looking, a good story-teller. I could go on and on. I tell people that I can brag on him because he doesn’t have our genes! Lately though his bad behavior has concerned Danielle and I. Sure some of his behavior is typical four-year-old behavior. But this is more intense, frequent, and long-lasting.
When our son yells at me, struggles in social settings or with sleep, refuses to listen or respond when I am talking to him…I admit my first thought and reaction is that he is a rebellious little dude. I want him to obey me. Right now!
This summer while Danielle was on a mission trip in Thailand, our son went to a day camp. Each day when I picked him up his shirt was soaked from him chewing on it. A sure sign of anxiety; and sensory processing issues.
It’s not that we were surprised. As Empowered to Connect trainers, we have read books and watched videos about sensory processing. So we were aware that our son could have some challenge since he comes from a hard place. Still it’s been hard to watch him struggle.
So, we are diving into gaining more understanding so we can help our little guy learn how to interpret what his senses are telling him, how to self-regulate, and integrate into his environment.
Here is a good short video from Dr. Karyn Purvis about understanding sensory processing:
I also list some sensory processing resources, such as books, websites, etc. on my Orphan Care Resource Page if you are wondering about your child.
As we learn more I will pass on the information either in a blog post, on the Orphan Care Resource page or both.
Here is a good article by a blogger friend and fellow foster parent on Foster2Forever.com with links to other bloggers and resources on the subject of sensory processing.
If you have questions or resource suggestions, please share in the comment section.
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