Hey everyone, what positives sides do you see to having spd (if any?)

For me, SPD has made me an inherently active person. I grew up loving to run because it makes me feel better! As an adult, I also enjoy cross-country skiing, cycling, hiking, backpacking, and swing dancing. Exercise for me has never been an issue, and in this way my SPD has kept me healthy. If I could choose not to have been born with SPD, would I? OF COURSE! But what other problems would I have? Who would I be?

I'm sure we'd all appreciate your input! What's your silver lining?

I can literally feel what others around me are feeling. I can then use this sensory information that my body has gathered to help or manipulate the person. I prefer to help people feel better about themselves, but I also like to play board games. The sensory information helps me influence my opponents moods so that they are more likely to do what I suggest to them. Sometimes the suggestions are subliminal with slight body movements.

It is hard to describe. I did it Yesterday to con a board game opponent into thinking that I was going to do something conservative despite all the evidence to the contrary (I had been aggressive all game). That one con won me the game.

For my partner, it makes him extremely efficient at tasks and has found a gift in programming. He is not very physically active, I am enrolling us in a gym and starting our own exercise regime to try and develop his body awareness as well as try to compensate for his balance issues, but he is highly intelligent when it comes to the maths and technology he is amazing! He is also very good at forming strategies, he never loses chess (the brat). I will have to say, though, he does not have an understanding of others. He has a difficult time interpreting moods and being tactful. He cannot always register nonverbal cues. He is very creative and writing a book (an extensive and highly complex plot) but he cannot seem to insert the proper emotions for the characters. He also has a lack of understanding when it comes to other people's reactions and physical responses to stimuli.

(05-26-2011, 11:53 AM)Marci W Wrote: Hey everyone, what positives sides do you see to having spd (if any?)

For me, SPD has made me an inherently active person. I grew up loving to run because it makes me feel better! As an adult, I also enjoy cross-country skiing, cycling, hiking, backpacking, and swing dancing. Exercise for me has never been an issue, and in this way my SPD has kept me healthy. If I could choose not to have been born with SPD, would I? OF COURSE! But what other problems would I have? Who would I be?

I'm sure we'd all appreciate your input! What's your silver lining?

I really like your post, and I must admit that I am a very, very new user here. My three year old son was diagnosed with SPD not too long ago, and we have had three therapists coming for the last 20 months. I have been trying to get an idea of how SPD kids do later on in life, although I know that everyone is different. If I'm not being too personal, what do you do? do you have routine and regular friendships and relationships? I know these questions sound naive, and they are, because I am, but I would really like to know -if I'm not being too intrusive.

Hey, no worries! The degree to which spd affects ones life is highly variable and ranges from very mild to very severe. If you think about it, most people have some sort of spd tendencies in them, but it only becomes a disorder when it disrupts your life, much in the way that everyone experiences anxiety but not necessarily an anxiety disorder. So, it is very hard to judge how your son will be compared to other adults with spd.

But Anyway, I on the fairly severe end of the spectrum. SPD does not affect my social skills per say, as opposed to those with high-functioning autism, but it certainly limits the social activities that I am willing to participate in. I wasnt exactly the most social of kids, but I can communicate normally and always had friends.

My spd is bad though. Not a day goes by when my spd symptoms do not interfere with my life, just the diagnosis completely changed my life around. Simply understanding that i do experience the world differently than others lets me accept who I am. For instance, instead of feeling guilty about not going to a party with friends, I'll ask them to go for a hike the next day. And I boycotted jeans the day of my diagnosis and haven't missed them one bit. Before that I felt obliged to put up with them since thats 'what everyone else wears'.

The fact that your son has been diagnosed at the age of 3 is wonderful! He will grow up understanding himself. Not that it wont be easy, but its a whole lot better than coping with spd symptoms and simply thinking that you are stupid and crazy and everyone else thinking that you are just overly sensitive and whiny.

Also, since the brain is most re-wireable at a young age, the spd therapies you do now will be far more effective than the same therapies in a few years, and by the time you are my age (23) it takes a LOT of work to make even minor improvements. So take advantage of that!

Finally, I wouldn't be the same person that i am without my spd. Undoubtedly, spd-ers are blessed with sharp minds and other gifts which is what I was hoping to get out of this thread. If you have any other questions though, I'd love to talk more about it!