| Many children, perhaps your own, exhibit difficulty | | | | opinion, they are struggling to support the family. |
| processing sensory information including: touch, taste, | | | | - Extended relatives, while intending to provide support, |
| smell, vision, and hearing. As many as 5% of the | | | | may instead offer conflicting advice, or just not |
| school age population exhibit characteristics of sensory | | | | understand the needs of the child and the family. |
| processing disorder (SPD), sometimes known as | | | | - An already tight family budget may be stretched |
| sensory integration disorder. | | | | even greater to cover the added expenses |
| Further, many children with autism, ADHD | | | | associated with providing the best possible care for |
| (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), learning | | | | the child with special needs, and the family as a whole. |
| disabilities have SPD coexisting or underlying these | | | | Only by sharing information and working together can |
| conditions. Research has shown that as many as 40% | | | | we have adequate recognition and support for those |
| of children with ADHD display symptoms of SPD. | | | | impacted by SPD. Search the internet. Resources |
| If you are a parent of a child with special needs, | | | | exist on the internet through non-proft foundations, and |
| perhaps you are struggling with the added stresses | | | | parent connections groups. It is my hope that all |
| this can have on the family. | | | | children grow up with the courage and wisdom to |
| - Your family relationships may be affected. | | | | share their natural talents for the betterment of the |
| - Siblings may be envious of the extra attention | | | | world, |
| provided to the child with special needs. | | | | ...express understanding and respect for humanity |
| - Mothers may feel that fathers are not involved. | | | | ...appreciate and extend the work done by previous |
| - Fathers may feel unfairly blamed, when in their | | | | generations of people. |