Can you help me?

This is a little out there from the day to day cards but today I need your help.

Life has been a little up and down recently. Some of you know that our son was recently diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder. SPD is a disorder of the brain that affects developing children and adults. People with SPD misinterpret everyday sensory information, such as touch, sound, and movement. They may feel bombarded by information, they may seek out intense sensory experiences, or they may have other symptoms.
If you don't know, SPD symptoms often fit within the autism spectrum. Our little boy struggles with day to day things like listening, sitting still, socialization and dealing with "sensory" things that bombard him like the sun/light, noises both loud and quiet, food/clothing (texture) and and playing with others. He is LOUD and hyper, he can be aggressive, he is impulsive, he often suffers from sleep deprivation, he is a picky eater, he has a difficult time listening to others as well as sitting still, he has problems with his fine motor skills and he is gifted--especially in memory retention, math, science and words. I know many people suffer from the issues above but remember these behaviours occur when sensory things are in process. For instance, the loud noises from musical instruments sets him off. The lights in the classroom make it VERY difficult for him to learn anything during the first 15-20 minutes in the classroom every day (we have charted his behaviour and it is almost always a problem first thing in the morning). He gags and gets physically sick if a food with texture--peach, apple skin, carrot, cauliflower, raisin is placed in his mouth. He often hits himself after he hears loud noises or reacts aggressively to people who touch him without warning.

Imagine if you will, that you fit that bill. From the outside, he looks like he has behaviour issues, from the inside, he is fighting every single thing that he takes in from the outside world. He does the things he does because his "brain tells him too" (straight out of his mouth).

In the last 3 weeks, I have been reading as much as I can to learn about SPD, what I can do for my son and how to help his teacher. As a teacher myself, I remember having these exact kids in my class and let me tell you, you have your work cut out for you. We have a lot more testing and help to come including more visits to the pediatrician and doctors as well as the audiologist. In the new year we will be seeing an occupational therapist and a behaviour specialist.

I have decided to share this tidbit in my life to help educate you as well as to be educated. I know for a fact that there are others of you out there that either have a child with SPD or are person with SPD. I invite you to share anything you know about SPD or links that you find useful (trust me I have looked at many). I have so much to learn and in many ways feel so alone in this journey. It has been a hard fact for my DH to accept but he is coming around. Just remember, the next time you see a child acting out--doing things you might typically label with bad behaviour--it may not be his or her fault.

Thanks for listening to me ramble today. It has been hard for me to concentrate on my reporting (report cards) and papercrafting because my insides hurt...I just want to make things better for my son.

Alli