Stopping to Smell the Roses...My Sensory Seeking Child

I don't know what caused my sweet boy's brain to be wired the way it is. Maybe it was the first 7 months of his life that was spent in an orphanage or maybe it was the lack of prenatal care his mother received? It could be genetics, poor nutrition, lack of being held...so many things could have caused my little guy to struggle harder than the next. So many.

I am blessed to say that Max has worked through most of his issues. Yes, some still linger or rear their heads in stressful times but all-in-all he is we are doing great. This leads me to my "if you can't beat'em, join'em" mentality for treating Max's sensory ways.

{For those of you not familiar with Sensory issues, let me give you some brief information (you can google the specifics). There are a lot names that all vary slightly in definition; Sensory Integration Disorder, Sensory Integration Dysfunction, & Sensory Processing Disorder. There are organizations, foundations, Yahoo groups, you name it to support all these disorders. Wikipedia defines all this as "a neurological disorder that was first studied in-depth by A. Jean Ayres, Ph.D., OTR. Dr. Ayres describes sensory integration as the ability to organize sensory information for use by the brain. An individual with sensory integration dysfunction would therefore have an inability to organize sensory information as it comes in through the senses." I am going to keep this definition brief. Because most child with this disorder suffer from all types of Sensory Processing Disorders, to varying degrees.}

This is how I begin to define, one part, of what Sensory Processing Disorders means to our family.

The Problem:
Smelling. I can smell a lit cigarette from a mile away. If byron comes home from playing poker with the guys, I know instantly if he was drinking Jack or Beer. I can smell the individual scents between baby fresh deodorant, rosemary mint body lotion and Channel No.5...all worn by the same person. My smeller is good and when I smell these smells, I barely notice I can smell them. It's "there" but does not consume me for more than a Nano Second.  Now the best way I can describe what Max feels, is to take all this and amp it up by 1000.  When he would smell something, it would stop him dead in his tracks. His need to inhale the smell would be so overpowering, it would interfere with his daily life. Even bad smells, the urge was stronger than his will power. One time after church service, we where all piling out of the pew to go home and I look down to find Max stopped in his tracks smelling the pew cushion were people had been sitting.  I had to drag him away. Shame him into leaving. I was mortified, he was beaten down.  Everything in our lives at this time was consumed by smelling. I would find him on the ground, the wall, strangers...you name it, he was smelling it. This need to seek smells was interfering with his play, relationships and how he felt about himself. So, it was time to come up with a solution. It was time to join'em.

The Solution:
One particular morning, the smell seeking was bad.  I needed a fix and I needed it now. So, I picked Max up and sat him on the kitchen counter. I opened the spice drawer and started opening lids. I would offer each spice, one-at-a-time. He would smell and we would talk about the smell. He would make faces at the different smells, asking to pass on some and smell some twice. I "played" at his pace. Maybe this took 10 minutes? Maybe 15? What matters is that Max stopped smelling. He controlled the behavior.  He walked away from the experience and smelling did not interfere with his behavior the rest of the day. His Sensory Seeking meter was full and I was on to something.

It is important to me that I provide everything my son needs to be successful in life. Yes, this can sound like a crazy broad statement, but hang with me for a second.  It is human nature to want to make life easier for our children and when our children struggle we want to ease the pain.  It is also equally important to me that I raise a child who can ease his own pain and create his own successes. I want us to meet in the middle.  Max needed the independence and behavior modification to deal with his issues. Max knows himself best and on days when he is seeking, he needs to learn to fill his own meter (& I don't want him playing in my spice drawer). So, I created a smelling station.

Supplies:
Plastic Storage Bottles w/ Seal Tight Lids
Misc. Scented Oils (I bought warmer oils in the candle section of Walmart)
Labels
Cotton Balls

Now, whenever Max feels the need to smell, he helps himself.  He is learning to be a "fixer" just like his mother :)

Again, as I say with all my post written about Max. If you don't like my parenting, then move on. Please don't leave me a negative comment.  However, if you have a similar story, are worried about your own child or would like additional information (I am no expert!), then please leave me a comment or email me privately. I love to chat (& you thought this was a home decor blog!).

~XOXO~

This post has been heavy on my heart, which probably means there is someone out there who needs to read this. I hope it helps....

Other Resources:
The Out-of-Sync Child
The Out-of-Sync Child has Fun
Sensory Processing Disorder Foundation
SPD on Facebook