Sensation Celebration 2012

Our son, Brendan began to exhibit strange behaviors at 18 months old. He began to beat his head on the floor while crying continuously. Eventually, he started spinning in circles for hours, humming intensely, flapping his hands in his face, refusing hugs and other forms of affection that involved touching, and had trouble making eye contact with and talking to others outside of our immediate family. By the time he was 4 we knew that these behaviors were not going away and we needed serious help. For over a year we took him to many doctors and counselors. We had many types of testing done and had fought with the insurance on several occasions. Eventually, he was seen by a developmental specialist who determined that he may have sensory processing disorder and sent us to an occupational therapist. Since Brendan's diagnosis and the beginning of his therapy we have noticed HUGE changes in him. He has become more self-confident, many of his "stimming behaviors (spinning, humming, flapping...) have decreased dramatically, and he is finally able to give and receive affection from us without being extremely uncomfortable. Unfortunately, SPD is not listed in the DSM (a diagnostic manual used by mental health specialist) and the American Academy of Pediatrics has advised against using SPD as a diagnosis. The reason for this is because there is not enough research about SPD due to a lack of funding. By doing this fundraiser, we hope to provide funding that will help to further the research currently being done so that other families who struggle with this disorder can one day find answers in a diagnosis and help through therapy.