Everyone wants to feel like they belong, but for many people with sensory processing differences, the world isn’t built with their needs in mind. Bright lights, loud noises, strong smells and crowded spaces can turn everyday experiences — like getting a haircut, visiting a museum or attending a game — into overwhelming challenges.
There’s nothing easy about having a child who is chronically ill. Watching them suffer is heartbreaking, and you likely feel that no one else understands what you and your family are going through. You’re probably exhausted from juggling doctor’s appointments, therapy appointments, hospital stays and caring for your child at home. Finding time for yourself, your significant other and your other children may feel next to impossible. But the truth is, you deserve care and time, too. You can’t pour from an empty cup, as the saying goes. Here are six tips to help parents of chronically ill children cope better.
I don’t remember all the words, but I remember my mom calling me the second day I was in the hospital. She asked if I had everything I needed, if the food was okay and if she should bring anything to make my stay more comfortable. She asked all the things a mother would ask, but what she couldn’t ask in the moment was, “Why?” I don’t think she could have brought herself to ask that; she was still in shock. I don’t blame her.
We all respond to sensory information differently. Maybe you find loud music overwhelming or can’t stand the feeling of wool sweaters. Sensory processing differences are common in people with autism, as well as those with anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other emotional/behavioral issues.In fact, as many as 1 in 3 people has a sensory processing difference. These differences affect how individuals react to sensory input.
Some are hypersensitive and feel overwhelmed or experience extreme discomfort when encountering loud noises, bright lights, strong smells, crowds and other sensory input. To calm their bodies and regulate their emotions, they likely feel the need to remove themselves from the sensory input. That can make ordinary experiences, like going to the dentist, getting a haircut or attending a sporting event, very challenging. People with sensory differences are also hyposensitive, or under-responsive, so they crave more sensory input.
Talking about inclusion when discussing events and performances has become much more common. Inclusion can mean different things, but when discussing events, it typically refers to accommodations for people with disabilities and sensory processing differences. Up to 1 in 3 people experience sensory processing differences. It’s most common among those with autism, anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), trauma and other emotional/behavioral issues.
Inclusive events create plans that accommodate people with sensory differences, often by reducing sound levels, eliminating flashing lights and providing accommodations like take-a-break spaces or earplugs.
Most people are familiar with special education services at schools. If you’re a parent, you’ve also probably heard of an Individualized Education Program (IEP), which is a plan that outlines special education services and other supports for children who can’t learn without these services. However, not all children qualify or need an IEP, but they might still benefit from additional supports at school. There is another option: a 504 plan.
For most of my childhood and teenage years, I wondered why I couldn’t function and behave like my peers. I’d stare at the board in class, yet fail to process the information in front of me. I would miss important instructions on assignments, resulting in poor grades. It felt like everyone was moving forward without me. This created a deep sense of alienation and embarrassment. In my sophomore year of high school, I was diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
You’ve probably heard the phrase “adulting is hard.” It certainly can be true; being a grownup sometimes is a real drag. As you age into adulthood, your responsibilities typically grow. As responsibilities grow, so too does the need for executive functioning. Executive function skills help us make decisions, complete tasks and control our emotions.
You may not be familiar with the term “doomscrolling,” but you’ve probably done it. You scroll through your social media feed, read about all the bad things happening and lose anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours. And now you feel worse about the state of the world. Here's how to avoid it.
Teen years are a difficult time of transition, changing bodies and changing rules. Young people today are also facing many other challenges, like fear over climate change, gun violence, racial inequities, online bullying and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, all these issues are severely impacting young people’s mental health. It’s so concerning that former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy issued a youth mental health advisory in 2021.
But even before the pandemic, young people were struggling with their mental health, particularly young Black people. According to AP News, “Between 1991 and 2019, Black adolescents had the highest increase among any racial or ethnic group in prevalence of suicide attempts — a rise of nearly 80%.”While all young people in the U.S. are experiencing a mental health crisis, Black youth face additional challenges that uniquely impact their mental health.