She and her amazingly patient husband were blessed with a fourth child. This little boy always seemed “different” from her other children and her friend’s children. She was puzzled. She tried everything in her power to figure out what made this child tick, explode, or find joy. He had numerous quirks about him that were affecting her whole family. He cried at every bath, hated getting dressed, brushing teeth and his hair were a struggle everyday. He cried randomly and was generally miserable throughout the day. If he happened to get away from a hand when not at home, he would just run and run until you or someone could catch him. He was mostly potty trained by kindergarten but had at least a few accidents each week. Mealtimes were mini-nightmares, his family nicknamed him “Curious Keller” (from Curious George and Helen Keller) His mother prayed, read books, sought out experts from the schools, asked friends, and endured years of what, why and how to deal with this?
After reading books and eliminating autism, she finally found a name for this: Sensory Processing Disorder. This little boy’s nervous system reacted differently to external stimuli then the rest of his family. She went to her child’s school, surely the staff at the school would know what to do and provide help for this little boy. No such luck, they don’t cover SPD; besides they said, “he’s bright” “just tell him not to do those things and he won’t”. This mom and her husband were desperate. They were seeking out what was best for this child.
Enter Shannon Schlotman, a kind, caring, expert Occupational Therapist into the picture. She helped this family through so much by pinpointing exactly what this little boy needed to regulate his body; she worked with this family to develop and prioritize goals for this little boy. He felt safe with her right from the start and trusted her to guide him through activities. Not too much challenge, and not too little either; she always bolstered his self-confidence. He loved going to the “gym” as this little prince blossomed each week into a more controlled child with less repetitive behaviors. The parents could see changes in him slowly and gradually and celebrated those little goals with family, and Shannon was excited too! Shannon helped this little boy to increase his tolerance for sensory challenges, learn positive ways to avoid overloading his system, and to defuse situations that proved to be too much for him. Shannon gave his family ideas to help him succeed. This mom and her husband would highly recommend Shannon Schlotman as the top choice for an Occupational Therapists. Thanks for reading my true to life story!

– Teri P, parent