This blog is a heartfelt dedication to all those caring for individuals with "special needs." Welcome to our community of shared experiences, support, encouragement, heart connections, and celebrations. Today, I'll share a story about my journey with my son, who was diagnosed with sensory processing disorder, and how NonViolent Communication (NVC) and Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB) transformed our lives.

A bit of background: My son, Rylan, was given many diagnoses, one being a math disability in the first grade. This revealed he experienced a working memory deficit which was critical for math. I learned that he had endured isolating experiences where he was made to sit at his desk with a timer. The teacher's intention was to help him focus. But it heightened his anxiety, especially being separated from warm relationships.

Let's explore how stress affected Rylan through IPNB. Panic flooded his system with hormones, triggering his survival mode. Cortisol inhibits the hippocampus,...

As I leaned forward in my chair, trying to navigate a virtual high school, I could feel the desperation mounting inside of me. I needed to get a program installed so my son could do his homework, but the computer set up was unfamiliar to me, the mouse was super sensitive, the type on the screen was smaller than my eyes could easily read, and the screen was positioned so I had to look up at it. The strain on my neck tightened by the moment.

"Relax, Mom," my son said gently, noticing how tense I was. "It doesn't have to be so hard. Take a deep breath and let go of the stress."

I took a moment to really hear him and looked into his face. He had grown so much since we began homeschooling him. We had chosen this path because public and private schools didn't meet his unique needs, and we wanted to be able to empower him to learn and grow at his own pace. It wasn't always easy, though. He experienced high anxiety and sensory processing difficulties, and I had to learn how to support him...

Have you taken in a blue sky with puffy white clouds on a warm summer’s day lately - or in the past?  Can you bring to your mind and body what that felt like to experience? As you remember can you slow down your inner experience to notice any sensations in your heart space, your face, your belly, or any images in your mind’s eye? I, personally, have found this can seem very stretching to pull off, especially in the face of stress or anxiety when I had been anticipating pleasure instead.   

Several years ago after spending the morning connecting and working with my horses, I was looking forward to going with my son to visit one of the local Horse Rescue centers together. As I went into the house, I heard my son express with intensity, “It hurts! It hurts! Get off of me!”  

I felt my belly clench and face tighten, as I quickly moved to his side to offer my support only to be met with, “Don’t touch me!” as he began...