Not Just Spirited: A Mom's Sensational Journey With Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) [Paperback]

Chynna T. Laird (Author), Shane Steadman (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2009

What would you do if your child suffered with something so severe it affected every aspect of her life?

And what if your cries for help fell on deaf ears at every turn? You'd follow your gut and fight until someone listened. And that's what Chynna Laird did. When she was just three months old, Jaimie's reactions to people and situations seemed odd. She refused any form of touch, she gagged at smells, she was clutzy and threw herself around and spent most of her day screaming with her hands over her ears and eyes.

By the time she turned two, Jaimie was so fearful of her world they spent most days inside. What was wrong with Chynna's miracle girl? Why wouldn't anyone help her figure it out? Jaimie wasn't "just spirited" as her physician suggested nor did she lack discipline at home. When Jaimie was diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) at two-and-a-half, Chynna thought she had "the answer," but that was just the start of a three-year quest for the right treatments to bring the Jaimie she loved so much out for others to see. With the right diagnosis and treatment suited to Jaimie, this family finally felt hope. Not Just Spirited is one mother's journey to finding peace for her daughter, Jaimie. As Chynna says often, "Knowledge breeds understanding. And that's so powerful."

Parents and Therapists Praise Not Just Spirited

"Chynna's memoir is sure to encourage other parents to advocate with the same determination for their own sensational children."
--Carol Kranowitz, author The Out-of-Sync Child

"I only wish I had this book earlier. Even though my daughter and I live with this every day, I learned a lot from this book, and will return to my family with renewed hope and energy!"
--Nancy Pfortmiller

"Chynna's words touched my heart. Her memoir validated the overwhelming feelings I went through myself with my own daughter's struggles with her SPD. Raising and loving a child with severe SPD is draining for both your mind and your physical body. However, with a strong faith in God and the instincts only a mother can have, there is hope. Not Just Spirited will fill your soul with spirit and give you the strength needed to endure your own child's challenging behaviors, leading you on an enlightening journey of acceptance, strength, hope, and healing."
--Diane M. Renna, author Meghan's World: The Story of One Girl's Triumph over SPD

Learn more at www.LilyWolfWords.ca

Another empowering book for parents from Loving Healing Press www.LovingHealing.com

FAM012000 Family & Relationships : Children with Special Needs
PSY004000 Psychology : Developmental - Child
HEA046000 Health & Fitness : Children's Health

Product Details

• Paperback: 174 pages
• Publisher: Loving Healing Press (November 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1615990089
• ISBN-13: 978-1615990085
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 9.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,226,522 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Chynna lives in Edmonton, Alberta with her three daughters [Jaimie (almost seven), Jordhan (five), and Sophie (eighteen months)] and baby boy, Xander (three). Her passion is helping children and families living with Sensory Processing Disorder and other special needs.
You'll find her work in many online and in-print parenting, inspirational, Christian and writing publications in Canada, United States, Australia, and Britain. In addition, she's authored a children's book, a memoir (now available!) and a reference book about the Sensory Diet coming January 2011.
Please visit Chynna's website at www.lilywolfwords.ca to get a feel for her work and what inspires her.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Essential Resource for anyone involved with Special Needs Children., January 27, 2010

By 

Gavin Bollard (Sydney, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Not Just Spirited: A Mom's Sensational Journey With Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) (Paperback)

This book is firstly a memoir of Chynna's daughter, Jaimie's first six years. It covers her struggle to have her Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) recognised and accomodated. The book is also, at times, a text book on the SPD and related therapies. It provides a comprehensive list of therapies which can be applied as well as describing the condition in detail.

If you have a child with SPD, then there's no question that this is the book for you.

More importantly though, if you have a "special" child; a child with special needs, a child on the spectrum or simply a child who you feel, in your gut, is somehow different, then this book is an essential read.


So much of Chynna's story was familiar to me;

The difficulty getting doctors to even accept that your child is different, the pressure on the relationship, unsolicited disciplinary advice, the lure of medications and the army of pediatricians, psychologists, psychiatrists and teacher's aides - each with their own particular strategy.

One thing that impressed me with the book and with Chynna herself was the extraordinary breadth of her researches. She truly left no stone unturned and her thoughts both positive and negative on the various forms of therapy, diets and techniques are insightful and encouraging.

It was Chynna's husband, Steve's chapter which moved me to tears. As a father I appreciate the difficulties of bonding within an environment restricted by work and other commitments. To put so much of himself out there with so little hope of reward is the sign of a true hero.

Then there's a chapter which deals with Chynna's attempt to put herself in her daughter's shoes. It was heartbreaking to realise exactly what Jaimie goes through every waking moment of her day. Chynna's coming to terms with her daughter's world was certainly a key step in moving forward. It's a step that I wish more parents had the courage to make.

In the end, despite a variety of techniques the book leaves no doubt that the "answers" are once again to be found in acceptance rather than in change. It's a message that everyone working with special needs children (parents, teachers and doctors) must take onboard if their therapy is going to succeed. Special needs children do need to have their boundaries extended constantly. Pervasive therapy however isn't the only option.

There are also couple of amazing examples in the book where we see that the actions of other children socialising or playing are actually more effective than therapy. I won't spoil these - you need to read them for yourself. They're amonsgst my favourite passages though and I re-read them several times. In a world full of stories about bullying, it's so encouraging to see that children can also be so supportive and caring.

Not Just Spirited is a book for everyone involved with special needs children.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spirited and Loving, November 28, 2010

By 

D. Previte "Bookish Dame" (Naples, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Not Just Spirited: A Mom's Sensational Journey With Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) (Kindle Edition)

Having struggles and successes with a child who has Sensory Processing Disorder is an exhausting and bittersweet battle. Chynna Laird's book offers messages of both hope and a sense of "you're not alone in this" to the reader who seeks more enlightenment on this somewhat obscure and misunderstood problem called Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) or Sensory Integration Disorder.

Often mislabeled in the categories of autism, Asbergers, or even "gifted," SPD is a neurological or genetic problem that a child manifests as early as infancy, and which may be progressive up to later years if it's not discovered and facilitated for the child's health and well-being.

The Disorder is often recognized when a child fails to make eye contact, withdraws from or rejects human contact of any kind including being picked up and hugged even by parents, exhibits hyperactive or underactive behaviors at different times, has a multitude of issues with clothing, fine motor skills, eating foods, smells and noises, making transitions, and going into the outside world in general.

It is amazing to me how Ms Laird even had a moment's time to write her book! Her precious daughter, Jaimie, has a severe case of SPD requiring nearly constant care and intervention. But her dedication to her daughter, her family of 3 other children, her husband, the therapists and doctors and teachers who worked in tandem to reach her child...and to families who may feel isolated as they wonder what is wrong with their child and how to find help, gifted her with what has to be a Herculean strength to set down a lighted path for others. She is to be highly commended for her efforts and her love to all concerned.

This is a book for parents, family members, teachers and professional care-givers. It's a word of instruction as well as a word of caution and hope. It's a book that deserves a hardback edition and much more press!

The only thing I found missing in all her suggestions to parents was an urging to take care of themselves! Strangely enough, Ms Laird doesn't mention taking time out to refresh, recoup and relax so one can be ready to meet the challenges a child with SPD presents. Of all the suggestions...I think this should be high on the list. In her writings about recognizing and finding help for Jaimie, she doesn't mention having taken time for herself or with her husband and other children apart from Jaimie. As a mother who had gifted children who demanded my attention in a similar fashion; that is, they weren't on the average track of most children, I found this advice sadly absent from Chynna's book because I know how important it is.

I hardily recommend this book to anyone interested in the subject matter, in seekers of "what's wrong with my child," as well as for therapists interested in a teaching tool for parents of SPD children.

It would prove an interesting read for parents who may have a child such as Jaimie being integrated into their own child's classroom. And, if you are an adult with such issues as described above, you may want to read this comprehensive book. I found it most helpful in many respects!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Heartwarming Story About Parenting a Child Wtih SPD, April 2, 2010

By 

Hartley Steiner "H. Steiner" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Not Just Spirited: A Mom's Sensational Journey With Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) (Paperback)

It is all too easy for a family raising a child with Sensory Processing Disorder to feel like they are alone on this journey. Chynna's book reassures all SPD parents that they are truly NOT alone. The heartwarming story of her and her husband Steve's journey to find help for their daughter Jaimie is inspiring and moving. I could easily relate to the paths they took, the disappointments, and was in tears with each of Jaimie's triumphs. If you are raising a child with SPD, or someone close to you is, this book is an excellent way to see the real determination, dedication and love that goes into the SPD journey. Thank you Chynna!

Hartley Steiner
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