Parents of kids who have Sensory Integration Dysfunction disorder, or an Autism Spectrum Disorder, might want to find a “Sensory Friendly” Santa that their child can visit this year. For some reason, a lot of these events are scheduled for December 4, 2011. Here are a few more places to find a Santa that your child can visit without being overwhelmed. I’m not sure exactly when the “Sensory Friendly” Santa events started. This year, I have noticed that there are plenty of them, in locations scattered all around the country. I do not know why so many of these events … Continue reading →

Parents of children who have a Sensory Integration Dysfunction disorder, or an Autism Spectrum Disorder, could find a trip to the mall to visit Santa to be more than they can tolerate. Instead of opting out of this delightful Christmas tradition, you may want to locate a “Sensory Friendly” Santa. Here is a quick list of some places that will be holding Santa events for kids who have sensory issues. There might be one near you! On Sunday, December 4, 2011, there will be a free holiday event for special needs children at the Children’s Museum in Charleston, South Carolina. … Continue reading →

Traditionally, part of a child’s Christmas celebration includes going to the mall to visit Santa. It brings a little “magic” to the holiday, and gives parents a clue about what their child wants to get for Christmas this year. Kids who have sensory issues, or an autism spectrum disorder, might be more comfortable visiting with a “sensory friendly” Santa this year. Visiting Santa at the mall can be a very exciting experience for small children. There is usually an area set aside where Santa will be waiting. This area, and the space leading up to it, are often decorated with … Continue reading →

There are a whole lot of blogs on the internet that contain stories about the day in the life of a family. These are often referred to as “Mommy Blogs”, and can be both interesting as well as informative. Parents who have children with special needs will want to check out the blog called “Hartley’s Life With 3 Boys”. It describes what life is like raising a child who has a mixture of multiple special needs. Blogging about one’s family has become rather common. Often, these kinds of blogs are written by moms, and the usual content consists of journal … Continue reading →

Many children who have some form of a sensory processing disorder struggle with food. This can cause some kids to absolutely refuse to eat much of anything at all, to the point where the child is on the verge of malnutrition. The more a parent can understand about what their child is experiencing, the better the chance there is that the child will, eventually, choose to eat something. It’s not unusual for children to go through a stage where he or she becomes a “picky eater”. Often, this is something that happens when a child is transitioning between baby food … Continue reading →

Children who have difficulty with sensory information can find it hard, at times, to be in a place where too much is going on. This can push the child who has sensory issues into overload, which can cause a lot of anxiety. Often, it is helpful if kids who have special needs that involve sensory integration can just get away from the situation that is giving them too much stimulus, and take a little break. An school in Maryland has built a multi-sensory room for that purpose. Sensory integration dysfunction is an inability to modulate, or organize, sensation in an … Continue reading →

I’ve gotten rather used to driving my huge 12-passenger van around town. The size of my family requires it. However, I remember a while back when my sister loaned me her average-sized car. As I drove it down the highway, I felt like my rear end was scraping on the ground. It definitely required some getting used to. Everything was in a different location and I felt strange sitting in it. A child with dyspraxia feels this way in his own body. Although eventually I became acclimated to the smaller car, the child with dyspraxia continues to do things as … Continue reading →