Most parents, even those that are unaware, struggle with sensory issues if they have a child on the spectrum. A sensory craver is one that looks for sensory input, craving the sensation it gives them. As a result behaviors may ensue that are less than obvious to parents. I wanted to give a short red flag list I read for parents to refer to, in hopes this may help you identify needs your children have and get help.
Visual: likes flashing lights, spinning objects, prefers TV/video games
Auditory: uses loud voice, makes background noises, and enjoys noisy places

In her second guest blog post for us, Stacy Baugh tackles the topic of shopping for new clothes with her precious daughter who lives with Sensory Processing Disorder and Asperger's Syndrome. How many parents out there raising kids with ASD and/or SPD can relate to this?
NEW SEASON, NEW CLOTHES
By Stacy Baugh
Each year I enjoy looking forward to Spring – new leaves on the trees, flowers blooming, weather just right for leaving the windows open. Unfortunately this change of season also brings a need for new clothes for my daughter, Emily. Time to put away the blue jeans & long sleeve shirts and bring out the shorts & t-shirts. Not only that, but it usually means getting an entire wardrobe of brand new clothes since she’s usually grown a couple inches since the previous year. For some people this might be something to look forward to, but for my daughter this twice-a-year excursion is something we dread and try to put off as long as possible.

Ever wondered what Interactive Metronome (IM) therapy is or how it might benefit your child or client with an Autism Spectrum Disorder? This guest blog, written by Mary Jones, shares the story of a boy named Ryan who experienced great progress through the help of IM in a private therapy setting and within the home. Our thanks to Mary for sharing Ryan’s story.
RYAN’S JOURNEY THROUGH ASD
By Mary Jones
Ryan is an 8-year-old boy with an energetic, all-encompassing, endearing personality paired with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Raised by his grandmother, Ryan had been seeing me for conventional Occupational Therapy sessions for several years. He loved, craved, sought out and engaged in movement activities at every given opportunity and playing freely within a Sensory Gym was the highlight of his week. He could spin and not get dizzy, climb with never a sign of fear, crash with no sense of danger and his ‘engine’ continued apace from dawn to dusk. I had tried, using all of the clinical management and traditional therapy tools to influence Ryan’s control of his regulation and behavioral skills, with limited to inconsistent results.

In her first guest blog for us, Stacy Baugh shares about her daughter's very first sleepover. So many parts of Stacy's post ring very true for me; I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I have and find many things with which you can relate, too. Please help me in welcoming Stacy as our newest Guest Blogger! ~Leigh
TO PREPARE, OR NOT TO PREPARE
By Stacy Baugh
Recently our 7 1/2 year old daughter, Emily, had an opportunity to have a sleepover with a friend. It would be her first one ever. I have to say that I’m not a huge fan of the idea of sleepovers that are held away from our own house, but this was with some very dear friends who we knew well and who we completely trusted with our precious child. I wasn’t nervous about her safety, but I was incredibly nervous about how she would handle such a new and different situation. Emily has Asperger’s & Sensory Processing Disorder and is a true creature of habit. She likes to do things a certain way and do them the same way every time. She’s not a fan of unexpected changes, and when she’s out of sync her SPD is more pronounced. It’s one thing to go to someone’s house to play for a few hours, but to spend the night?

Right around the corner lurks a yearly extravaganza of ghoulishly engrossing treats and spooktacular tricks. Children have selected their favorite characters to transform into for a night of house-hopping fun. Schools are having fall parties, churches are putting together carnivals, and neighborhoods are stocking up with sugary and corn-syrup laden “goodies”. Does this scare the nightlights out of anyone else?

Last month we packed up and left Texas for an adventure on the West Coast. I have an aunt and uncle who live in Orange County who offered to let us stay with them while we visited Disneyland Resort and other tourist attractions in the LA area. Fortunately for us, they live about 20 minutes away from Disneyland. We were very thankful to be welcomed into their home and probably wouldn't have been able to afford the trip otherwise. Needless to say, our “accommodations” were perfect; my aunt is on a gluten-free diet herself and was very careful when shopping and cooking with all of Ethan’s additional dietary restrictions in mind.
Speaking of dietary restrictions, Disneyland was also super accommodating. If you missed Kendra’s excellent post about dining with allergies in Disney World, it is a MUST READ! We had a very similar experience in Disneyland…the staff were accustomed to hearing the words “gluten free” and “special diet.” How refreshing!
Another bonus about visiting Disneyland is that they offer a “Guest Assistance Card” for individuals with disabilities.

Happy Independence Day to our readers in the United States of America! I am very thankful to be an American and grateful for the freedoms I have enjoyed throughout my life thanks to the sacrifices of all those who fought for our independence (so long ago) and those who have fought to maintain it since that time. I don’t take freedom or independence for granted.
Like so many families raising a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), I frequently wonder what the future will hold for Ethan in terms of independence…and when I stop to ponder, I wonder about the future – not just for Ethan, but other children of Ethan’s generation, especially those affected by ASD.
On this journey, I’ve come to meet so many families working day-and-night just to help their child with ASD gain independence in areas families with typical children may never even give a second thought to…
For all families raising children with ASD, today I’m sending prayers and wishes for the children’s independence this Independence Day specifically concerning:

I don’t know about you, but “summer” has arrived full-force in our house! School’s out, it is HOT and all Ethan (8-years-old) wants to do is play video games or watch TV!
About 2-3 months ago, along with all of the other parents raising kids with special needs I know, I considered what our summer plans would entail; I started looking through all of the camp offerings back in April, and in addition to thinking how to go about selecting activities…some serious worrying set in.
1) It was a scheduling nightmare to juggle the optimal camp dates with the trips we want to take to visit family…
2) Then I started to consider the hours offered by day-camps compared to the hours I want to work…
3) Next I started thinking about all of the “taxi-time” I would spend in the car shuttling Ethan back and forth to the camps (not to mention the price tag of the associated time at the gas pump)…
4) Then the enrollment fees…
5) Finally the “training” of all of the camp employees (most often teenage kids also on summer break) on all-things-Ethan, Asperger’s Syndrome, Sensory Processing Disorder, challenging behaviors, etc…
…and before long, I realized I was so stressed out I wasn’t accomplishing anything but “chasing my tail.”
So, I gave my “tail” a break and chose to put those worries aside for several days and consider my options.

Growing up in special education, I endured what felt like endless years of bullying. I've been called names, tossed in lockers and closets, and had my head shoved in toilets. I've been kicked, tripped, spat on, and had gum slapped on my head I can't tell you how many times, only for my friend to cut it out with a pocket knife. And, yes, that hurt.