After Diagnosis
So what happens after diagnosis? Do you have to put your child on medication or are there other alternatives?
Finally at the age of almost 4 years old and two years of battling getting dressed among other things, we received a diagnosis of Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). It felt like we could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.
I was finally able to understand that when my daughter was refusing to get dressed or scared of loud noises, that she was not just doing it to be stubborn. I was finally going to learn how to help my daughter during times in which she was dysregulated
I stopped pushing her to get out of her footie pajamas and embraced the fact that she was neurodivergent and eventually would learn mechanisms that would allow for her to wear anything she wanted and to help her be more regulated.
The battles became less frequent just from my understanding what was going on.
I was not sure what the road ahead looked like for us, but I was determined to do what I could for my daughter to help understand her and provide her with the best possible life she could have.
I did not know if this meant we had to put her on medications or if there were other alternatives. I did know one thing though, I was going to try my best to find alternatives to medication for as long as possible even if that meant I had to research things on my own.
Occupational Therapy
We started Occupational Therapy (OT) shortly after diagnosis. There we learned about heavy work, joint compressions, and activities that would help my daughter become more regulated and get the input she needed that she was not receiving from every day activities.
Some of the activities that we learned in OT included:
- Carrying/pushing a laundry basket for heavy work
- Animal Walks to get compression on her joints
- Laying on something that could spin and picking up puzzle pieces
- Pulling Squigz off of a mirror or window
Behavioral Therapy
In addition to OT, we did some behavioral therapy with a psychologist as we were struggling with biting, kicking, hitting, pinching, and scratching when having a meltdown. This involved Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, which helps you strengthen your relationship with your child.
My daughter and I found this to be very helpful and we were able to strengthen our relationship and learn the tools needed to keep her body more regulated. Medication was not necessary and I was glad to be able to learn along side her on how to support her.