1. What brings you here?

I have Sensory Processing Disorder. I am on a listserve for the condition and decided to check out these forums.

2. What is your relations to someone with SPD? Do you have it? a child of yours? Do you treat SPD kids as a professional?

I have Sensory Processing Disorder. I have relatives with much milder cases than my own. I have friends with mild to severe cases of SPD. One of my friends is a Cancer Survivor and the Chemo triggered her SPD. I have personally had SPD all my life, but it became blatantly bad in 2003 when I could no longer walk around without getting stunned by the light.

3. Share a little of your journey if you'd like.

When I was a kid, clothes would itch and burn. I refused to wear pretty much everything that wasn't cotton, leather, or velvet. As an adult, wearing something besides cotton, leather, or velvet will result in rashes or hives.

I have a lot of food allergies that started as a young child. I develop more and more food allergies over time very quickly. I have finally semi-stablized what I can and can't eat, but the level of severity of my food allergies get worse with each exposure.

In 2003, I noticed that the world was too bright. I wore sunglasses (even in doors with little to no light) for a few years and then even they weren't enough to protect me from the light. I would walk down a hallway only to suddenly stop, paralyzed, and staring off into space. Eventually, I would fall down paralyzed until I recovered and then go on my way. Certain spots at work would almost always trigger this problem. In 2006, I got Irlen Lenses and the problem with being stunned by the light no longer happened as long as no one flashed a light (camera, strobe light) through the side of my Irlen Lenses.

I am extremely sensitive to touch and light touches especially will hurt. I trained my friends and husband to give bear hugs when they want to touch me, because my body will react to that mostly positive.

Certain sounds (the note high C and anyone/anything off key) will trigger an instant migraine. I am a First Soprano, so I figured this out after triggering many of my own migraines. Some music types (like country) will make me violent or upset. Other music types (like Heavy Metal and Opera) will soothe me and make me happy.

I use heavy blankets on my bed year round, but I am unable to tolerate weighted blankets because the weight isn't evenly distributed enough. Heavy weight puts me right to sleep.

4. Is there any immediate help you need?

No. Looking to see if I can help others.

5. SPD doesn't run your life! What are you or your child's gifts? Interests?

SPD does run my life. Everything I do I have to keep SPD and my other medical conditions under consideration.

That said, I am a Gamer. I play and compete in all sorts of games. One thing I like about board games, is they aren't often visually disturbing and in a competitive game the chatter isn't meaningless.

6. What do you like to do in your spare time? Any hobbies or interests?

I Game, help people on the internet, hang out with friends, and walk to the bench in a park 1/4 mile from home. Exercise is tough for me, so that walk is a major challenge to get there and back without falling.