Who Am I?
Well. I’m a Mom. A Mom to three amazing kids, one of whom just happens to have Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), ADHD, High-functioning Autism and a whole lot of awesome. In 2016, we were thrown into this new world and I had a MILLION questions. We live in a small coastal town, so our resources were limited. So what does any Mom do? You DIVE IN. I read books, made calls, scheduled appointments all in the name of creating a life for our child that provided promise and acceptance. Boy what a long road. We are still learning and changing every day!
This website came after a trip to Disney in the fall of 2019. Since moving to Florida in 2014, we gleefully realized joy of the Florida Resident Discount and have since visited at least once a year (I would go more…but we love exploring other places too!). But something shifted during that last visit, for the first time since my son’s diagnoses, I would be traveling to the most magical place on earth by MYSELF. My husband had a heavy workload, and I needed my Disney fix! During previous Disney visits, we noticed and adjusted our expectations for him (respected his choices for rides, created down time and read his needs as much as possible) but as his sensory issues increased, I knew this visit might be challenging. And it was. As a Mom, all you want is to create a safe and fun experience, and if that experience turns bad, it’s heartbreaking. Disney can be the happiest place on earth, but for a sensory kid, that experience can be completely overwhelming. AND FAST.
We learned that not all Cast Members know exactly how a ride will affect your child, or be versed in SPD triggers. Although ALL were willing to help, their knowledge base IS LIMITED. So here is where Sensory Kids Guide came to be. I knew MY knowledge and understanding just might help others. Am I a doctor? NO. Did I study in a collegiate capacity for child behaviors? NOPE. But I am a Mom who has researched, studied and am hands on with solutions and care for kids like my son. So I wanted this to start as a resource for those traveling to Disney World, but I knew it would expand BEYOND this. My son doesn’t have SPD ONLY when we travel, it’s every day.
“When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower”
– Alexander Den Hijer