subtledawn
Newbie
Posts: 8
Joined: Oct 2013
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RE: Handling spirited child when you have SPD
you said you have a lot of help, but perhaps you just still need more?
I feel like I'm in a similar situation but don't have much help so it's just me and her dad and her dad's parents on occasion (like once a week or two).
I find touching other people to be really uncomfortable, and while I love her and like to cuddle her, she gets hyper and likes to try to climb on me. Her dad lets her be very aggressive with him which irritates me because she gets mixed messages. I tell her to be gentle and not climb on me or anyone else but if she does it to him he just doesn't care, so she thinks its okay.
otherwise we are very similar, sensitive to noise, sensation of clothing. She is sensitive to light (she won't let us have any lights on during the day because they hurt her eyes and wants the curtains closed, this part is hard for me too because I get depressed without lots of light, I feel like I'm sleepwalking, but if I turn on the light she freaks out until I turn it off again).
Don't know how old your daughter is but hopefully as she develops the ability to understand empathy it will get easier. I am always amazed at how well kids understand you if you are straight with them, regardless of the child having any kind of 'disorder'.
Not sure if you have or not, but you could try explaining to her that what she is doing hurts you. I've done this with my daughter with at least temporary success. I do have to repeat myself a lot, but it's worth a try.
I've had to do this with many other kids as well. I've done tons of childcare and sometimes kids will listen if you use the right words and tone of voice. Simple language that they understand while not sounding degrading or condescending.
You could try saying, "honey I like that you're having fun, but all your jumping makes me feel dizzy.." or 'when you scream that loud it really hurts me,". Maybe you could teach her to scream into a pillow or in a certain room or something where she can close the door and not bother you? Sometime my daughter is more willing to be alone if I let her do something that would otherwise annoy me, like being too loud or jumping on me, I tell her she can go in another room and close the door and yell all she wants but not in the same room as me, I tell her she can jump on the bed but not on me. (her bed is on the floor so she can't get hurt, but I'd like to get a mini trampoline for her to use inside instead). Although I do often remind her that other kids usually get in trouble for jumping on their beds she she should be happy to be allowed to. This usually works for getting her off my lap and onto the mattress instead, which I prefer.
Hope it gets better with time, if she does show signs of SPD you should get her evaluated. There are lots of physical therapy activities that could help her to control her energy and not be in your face as much.
I think if I'd had my SPD recognized at a young age my spd wouldn't be so bothersome now because I'd have learned more ways to control it.
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10-20-2013, 07:39 PM |
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