My World, His World

My son, Grant, lives in another world. While we live under the same roof, his atmosphere is very different.

My world: As I make my way to the kitchen, I bend over and scoop up some toys. I throw the toys into a basket as I turn and glance at a recipe and roll up my sleeves. The pots and pans crash and clink as I pull out what I need. I toss herbs and spices together while grabbing other ingredients and step over a stray toy. A dog barks in the distance and the sound of little feet getting up from a nap filters through the ceiling. I smile and hum to myself as I quickly run through my mental to-do list. A normal portion of a normal day - no big deal.

Grant's world: As I walk through the house, I try my best to keep my balance. It is hard for me to tell where my body is in relationship to the world. Walking up and down the stairs and over different surfaces can be a big challenge. (My mom told me that I used to shake and cry when trying to walk over a big crack in the sidewalk. Well, you would shake and cry too if you had to walk over a deep cavern. Turns out it wasn't a deep cavern. Sometimes it's hard to tell.) I hear my mom telling me to do something but I smell food, the living room ceiling fan is on, and there is a dog barking. We don't have a dog but I've seen one at our neighbor's house. I like him. My mom kneels down and looks into my face and slowly tells me to walk over, pick up my cup and put it on the table. I am getting better at doing this but sometimes I still have a hard time putting the cup on the table. At times I slam it down too hard or sometimes I can't seem to set it up straight. It takes a couple of tries but I get it right. I clap. My mom claps too. I want to play ball with my mom. I know what I want but my mouth refuses to say the words no matter how hard I try. I am learning to say sounds and am also learning sign language. It is so hard. My mouth and my fingers don't often do what they are supposed to do. I am happy though. I love to smile, jump, and kiss.

This blog post kicks off a series about Grant's different therapies, self-management techniques, and therapy tools. Follow along as we peek into the world of a child with Sensory Processing Disorder, Apraxia of Speech, and, possibly, many other challenges.

• Weighted Vest & Blanket (hourly: currently 20 mins on, 40 mins off)
• Therapeutic Listening Therapy (twice a day for 30 mins)
• Swinging & Jumping (twice a day)
• Astronaut Therapy (twice a day)
• Lotion & Brushing (three times a day)
• Speech Therapy & Oral Input (speech therapy twice a week, z-vibe/oral input three times a day)
• Social Therapy (once a week - sometime twice a week)
• Occupational Therapy (twice a week)
• Physical Therapy (once every other week, certain activities done throughout each day)