Hypotonia - Floppy Baby

In the very beginning I called my sweet angel a "floppy baby".  I am sure many people heard me as  I said it often. I never knew this was a sign of something not right... hypotonia -low muscle tone. Once Tyler began therapy I began using the brushing technique and doing joint compressions. I never really got a clear picture of how this all would help for my baby boy... but I did it. If you told me to wake up every day and stand on my head to help him - I would have. I never really questioned the therapist other then I knew it would help his central nervous system and muscle brain connection. Basically Tyler's brain needs help putting all the information together... but how and why were not clear.

It was not until three years ago I was introduced to  a fabulous book by our wonderful occupational therapist (OT)  to help explain and teach me why Ty was experiencing  difficulties. Anything from where his body was to getting his senses stimulated and awake to help connect all of the senses in the world around him


 I began reading and I was wondering why I was never introduced to this sooner. Some of it was definitly Tyler and it would become my go to resource for help. I then ordered


Alot of kiddos have it. But when it affects their daily lives and interupts normal development- you know your kiddo needs help.

I found this again recently and it sums it all up.

I want to explain to you why my child is

having such a rough time today…

What you are seeing when you look at my

child is not a child who is "out of control" but

rather a child who is "out of sync." My child

has Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD),

which is the inability of the brain to properly

and/or efficiently process and organize

sensory information. When my child's brain

receives information through any of his

senses - sight, smell, hearing, taste, touch,

vestibular or proprioception -- he doesn't

always know what to do with that information

and can become very disorganized,

overwhelmed, frightened and confused. You

can read more about SPD at

www.spdnetwork.org.

My child has good days and bad days. You

must have run into us on a bad day. I

apologize if we have made you uncomfortable

or if we have been disruptive. My child is

currently involved in many types of

interventions, working on these sensory

issues, so that he can feel normal like you

and so that when we go places, he feels safe

and comfortable in his own body. It is going

to be a long and difficult journey, but in the

meantime, please know that inside him is a

beautiful and magnificent little person

waiting, hoping and trying to emerge!

Think about how difficult my child's SPD was

for you today, then try to imagine

. The next time you see us

out somewhere, please understand…