It is important to me that I live my life by
"keeping it real"...My social media world and immediate circle have
known much in the past and continues to get updates regarding the madness that
comes from rehabbing a kid who is developmentally delayed. There is a lot that
goes into everything. But....ultimately....if you can't find the comedy out of
the crazy....you will go crazy.....
This is our family Santa picture this year. It is
dysfunctional. I truly love it. We went to a Santa photo shoot which lasted for
fifteen minutes. It was private. There was no Sensory Santa but I felt like we
would at least have time to attempt a decent series of pics with the man in
red.
Our photographer took shots that look very authentic
in terms of traditional Santa pictures. I don’t want to show you those samples.
Those shots don’t represent the real experience. Those photos show lies. I felt
very alive when I realized what picture trumped all others taken that day. The
pictures that remain unseen show a fake sense of beauty. That isn’t me. That
definitely is not my family. One shot shows a little boy being read to by Santa
in a peaceful way. In reality, that little boy, who goes by Ethan, wanted to
stick that book where the sun doesn’t shine for Santa.
I only want to show you the real picture. E
struggled. You know what? That is ok. He also succeeded. If I was entering our
Santa picture in a contest, I might entitle it “The Godfather” because of
Ethan’s expression. Somehow I feel that he wants Santa to go home to a dead
reindeer head in his bed (Godfather reference if you can’t keep up with me).
Ethan struggled on a day when my hair looked like
absolute shit. Yeah, that’s right. To make matters worse, I gave the camera a
beaver face smile. But, I laughed very hard at the picture and have decided
that the true title of our Santa family shot should be “Merry Chaos-mess.” Big
sister and dad represent normal…..at least as normal as a family can smile
under such strain. Again, this a memory that I have come to embrace and the
picture just cements that for me. I could choose to think of it as negative but
that too would be as tainted as the book reading shot between Santa and E.
I want to tell you how to make moments that may seem
unbearable awesome instead. Perception is reality. If you are worried about
Santa, about sensory, about fluorescent lights….about ho ho hos and no no
nos….let me tell you what I got from my own experience.
1.) Big
E high fived Santa goodbye right before he babbled a swear word at him.
2.) Big
E was able to tolerate the man in red for a full 15 minutes with a few yells
but no meltdowns.
3.) Big
Sis got to be funny with the man in red and told him not only what she wanted
for Christmas but served as E’s spokesperson as well.
4.) My
whole family, including nana, enjoyed laughs at breakfast after the shoot was
complete.
Some families may fear Santa time with their kids
with Sensory Processing Disorder or other diagnosis. Don’t fear the experience.
The memories and successes will run deeper than what happens for the average
family around the globe.
Wishing you happiness and good memories always,
Merry Christmas and All that Jazz! --Beth
*Beth
Lattime, M. Ed. is a developmental specialist and intervention specialist. Her
professional experiences span over classroom, clinical, home-based, and
recreational environments. She can now proudly add her own natural environments
to her list of experiences. Ethan was diagnosed with Infantile Spasms in 2012 which
is a rare type of epilepsy and had a former diagnosis of dysphasia. He is
currently undergoing intensive therapies at LLA for apraxia and deficits in the
arenas of physical and occupational therapy as well. For more on Beth’s story,
visit www.lattimeinterventionservices.com
Labels: Parents
