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There’s no way I could do a one-year retrospective without starting with DadGoneMad’s Danny Evans. Danny and his Hot Wife have been there for me from the beginning stages of BabyShrink, and have been endlessly supportive, inspirational and encouraging.

When I was freaking out about my lack of technical abilities, Danny calmed me down. “You’re doing just fine, Heh. This stuff isn’t as difficult as you think it is. It’s going to be awesome!” When I had no confidence in my writing, he was my editor extraordinaire. When I lost my way and wondered if anyone would find my blogging helpful, Hot Wife reassured me, gave me suggestions, and never fed me platitudes. I can always count on Sharon to tell it to me straight.

Danny inspired me to go online with BabyShrink as I saw him struggle with depression, and reveal his inner workings to the world in hopes that he could help others in the process. The note he hits with millions of readers worldwide convinced me that blogging can be a powerful way to help others — and help ourselves in the process.

So if you missed my interview with Danny, here it is. Because of the power of the DadGoneMad readership, and the tsunami of traffic Danny sent me, this is my most-read post ever. Enjoy!

Aloha,

Dr. Heather
The BabyShrink

Today is the final installment of my extensive interview with Nancy Peske. She and Lindsey Biel, co-authors of Raising A Sensory Smart Child: The Definitive Handbook for Helping Your Child with Sensory Integration Issues, have given us some terrific information about sensory development in both typically and atypically-developing children.

Today, she’ll be helping us manage our expectations of our children. What is reasonable to expect, as a parent? If our child has sensory differences or challenges, how can we avoid disappointment, and respect and value our kids for who they really are?

BabyShrink: My readers are talking a lot about
the emotional side of having babies who challenge their expectations of what it
will be like to be a parent. If their baby is somehow different than they
expected; needs more (or less) stimulation, comforting, sleep, etc., they are
often surprised when their babies do not match the descriptions of newborn
behavior in the "What To Expect" type books. They start to feel
guilty that they are somehow not "making the grade" as a parent.

What
can you say to these parents about the realities of parenting such a baby? How
can they themselves cope with the strong feelings that may arise in such a
case? How can they avoid beating themselves up, blaming themselves, and instead
enjoy their own, unique child?

Nancy Peske: We’re told by books and experts to
not compare our children to others, but then we constantly get the subtle
message that we should do exactly that! In general, most people don’t look at a
child’s behavior or development and say, “Oh, I wonder if there’s
something unusual happening with that child at a biological level?”

And
some people don’t believe at all in biological causes of behaviors, and will
quickly judge you and your little one, saying, “Send him over to my house for a
few days. I’ll straighten him out.”

When you hear criticism, consider the
source. This is not necessarily someone who understands you, your child, or
your child’s special needs, and they might very well completely fall apart if
they had to deal with your child 24/7 not knowing all that you’ve figured out!
Picture them dealing with the screaming tantrum, the panic attack, or the
diaper showdown, and just smile.

The more you use your sensory smarts to discover what’s going on and come up
with solutions to problematic behaviors and to help your child move forward
developmentally, the more you’ll truly understand that your child is dealing
with a system that functions differently from that of other children. When you
hold your toddler in your lap, gently squeeze her feet, legs, hands, and arms,
and “magically” transform her from an overstimulated, fussing child into one
who will walk over to the other kids and begin playing next to them, you start
feeling empowered, because you know her shyness and whimpering is not due to
her being a “bad” child or you being a “bad” parent. You’re able to recognize
what she needs and help provide it (and as she grows older, you can teach her
how to get the sensory input she needs in a socially acceptable way).

One thing that can be extremely helpful is to join a support group or play
group where you can talk to other parents whose kids aren’t developing or
behaving typically. There are many wonderful online support groups where you
can hear from parents who have been there, who have advice and encouraging
words that will make you feel that you’re a competent, wonderful parent who is
simply dealing with a bigger challenge than you anticipated. A special needs
playgroup or Mom-and-Baby group can provide your child with a chance to
socialize in an atmosphere where his “different” behavior will be accepted and
honored, and where you can be supported by other parents as you support them.
Parents of typically developing children–even when they’ve known you for years
or are family–may never understand your child’s issues, but over time, they
may well come to see that you truly did have a very different challenge to
face.

BS: What can you say to these parents about the realities of
parenting such a baby? How can they themselves cope with the strong feelings
that may arise in such a case? How can they avoid beating themselves up,
blaming themselves, and instead enjoy their own, unique baby?

NP: I always think it’s a good idea to keep
records of your child’s milestones and to celebrate them. Bake cookies the
first time she takes a bath without a meltdown. Write it on the calendar and
mark it in the baby book. Take a photo of her smiling in the bath. On your
worst days, go back and look at your photos, or your home movies, of your child
and remind yourself how far she’s come.

Focus on development as a process and forget about
timelines and what he "should" be doing by such and such an age.
Again, this is where support groups can help. I learned I’m not the only one
whose child didn’t dress himself until age six, and so what? He eventually
learned, and it certainly didn’t prevent us from having a happy family life.

Try to let go of your ideas about what’s “normal.” What’s so very important
about being “normal” anyway? Many of the most interesting, creative people in
the world are wired differently, whether they’re dyslexic, have ADHD, or
whatever. If your child isn’t typical, it may mean she’s meant to do something
very special.

Then too, really make a point of noticing your child’s wonderful qualities.
It’s so easy to see them as a bundle of problems when you first begin dealing
with diagnoses such as sensory integration dysfunction. Isn’t it great that
your kid has such high energy that he gets plenty of exercise? Isn’t it great
that she has exquisitely sensitive hearing and truly appreciates various types
of music? Whether your child’s special qualities are being empathetic, creative
and resourceful, or able to deeply focus on tasks, remind yourself of these
gifts so that you don’t become disheartened by all the challenges in raising a
child who is different, and so you don’t start thinking that “different” is
bad.

Mahalo and aloha
to you, Nancy and Lindsey! Don’t forget to visit their website for loads of support and information.

Dr. Heather

The
BabyShrink

Nancy Peske, co-author of Raising a Sensory-Smart Child: A Practical Handbook for Helping Your Child with Sensory Integration Issues, has been so generous in her support of BabyShrink. Last time, Nancy told us about what it’s like to have a baby with sensory issues. Today, she’ll tell us about how we can begin to sort out our baby’s sensory preferences.

Dr. Heather: Tell me about the “detective process” that parents must go through in order to figure out their baby’s sensory issues. It starts out being a vague sense of something wrong, or just having a “difficult baby”. How do parents start to narrow down the issue to find what’s really going on? What do they need to observe or record? What can parents do to better understand their baby?

Nancy Peske: There are different "detective" methods. For me, it was simply a matter of tuning in to my own senses. I have mild sensory issues, as many parents of kids with sensory issues do, so when my son would fuss or show signs of anxiety, I would automatically think about the sensory environment, focusing on anything that was unusual or perhaps intense: lighting, smells, background noise, wind, temperature, and so on.

Journaling can be very helpful. Write down what your child did each day, and at what time, including what he ate, when he was cooperative and happy and when he was miserable and uncooperative. One mom told me this helped her realize that she was keeping her child too busy, not giving him enough quiet, unstructured time. Another told me she realized her daughter was always cranky if she went more than 3 hours between snacks or meals. If there’s a sudden change in behavior, look at what might have changed. Always consider sleep, nutrition and eating, and external stress as well, from seasonal allergies and the sniffles to a substitute teacher at daycare that the child isn’t yet comfortable with.

Focus, too, on when your child is unusually comfortable with a situation that would normally bother him and try to determine what’s different. A mom told me her toddler suddenly wasn’t agitated about his evening bath, and she realized the one thing she’d done differently was keeping the door closed while running the tub. Apparently, the harsh sound of water hitting porcelain was what had been agitating him, so after that, she always ran it with the door closed and he was fine with baths.

You can also run down the list of senses as you try to analyze what’s working or not working in the environment for your child. Consider sight–is there a lot of visual clutter in the room overstimulating him? Is the lighting too bright or unusual in some way? Are the colors or contrasts too intense? Is it an unfamiliar sight-the yogurt container change its look and now your toddler won’t eat the yogurt? (Hint: try not to serve kids foods from the container to prevent this!) Think about sound, from background noise to volume, to direction of sound (is it behind her? does she think that the rumbling truck outside might be coming toward her?) and quality of sound (stringed instrument vs. brass instrument, someone singing on a recording vs. someone singing live). Touch–this involves textures, temperature, wet vs. dry, and amount of pressure on the skin. Keep in mind that eating is very tactile, involving skin in the mouth. Your child may eat only one brand of mac and cheese and insist that the sauce not be too runny or thick. Taste and smell–children can be exquisitely sensitive to differences in taste or crave strong smells or tastes. Don’t forget movement and body awareness. And finally, remember that transitions and getting used to new sensations are difficult for children. A child who just came out of a car that was driving on hilly roads may need a good, long stretch of lying on the ground or sitting quietly to regain her equilibrium after that vestibular stimulation. Leave extra time when shifting activities, and give plenty of warnings, so that your child’s atypical nervous system has a chance
to adjust to the change.

If you recognize that your child is processing sensory information atypically, that doesn’t necessarily mean you need professional help. Simple accommodations for her differences, and gently encouraging her to try new activities that will broaden the range of sensations she’ll tolerate and help her system function more typically, may be enough to make her feel more comfortable in her world. However, if sensory issues interfere with learning, socializing, and eating to a degree that’s concerning and significant, more help is probably needed. A pediatric occupational therapist trained and experienced in dealing with sensory issues, who has worked with children your child’s age, can be extremely helpful.

Aloha,

Dr. Heather
The BabyShrink