March Support Group Meeting

The March SPD support group meeting will be a chance for everyone to get to know each other.

Erin

January Support Meeting

We will be doing weighted items. See December support meeting post for details on what to bring.

Erin

We are doing weighted items for our December Meeting!

Reminder that the meeting time has changed to 7-8 (This meeting may go longer if you need to schedule babysitters)

Materials to bring if you are interested...
Lap Pad:Pillow case or material of choice (bring more material for a blanket)
Optional: Extra material or pillowcase to make a cover
Matching thread
Pins
Aquarium gravel (I buy mine at wal-mart) or polybeads (Jo-Ann fabric or the like)
NeedleYardstick or sewing tapeFabric Chalk (Wal-mart)
Sewing Machine if you have one
The blanket or pad will be hand washable, but the covers are nice for general dirt attraction. If you plan to make a full size blanket, plan to stay for a few hours or bring work home...

Vest:Vest sized for the person you are making the vest for (Whatever is comfortable, I prefer fleece)
Pins
Copper BB's (Again I buy these at Wal-mart)orPolybeads (I have been told that these can be found at Jo-Ann Fabric or the like)
Pins
Small amount of fabric to match the vest (to make the pockets for the weight)
Needle
Sewing machine if you have one.

Weighted Stuffed Animal:
Stuffed animal
Seam Ripper
Thread to match the stuffed animal
Coppor BB's or Polybead

Ask your OT for appropriate weights in these products.

November Support Group Meeting

We are going to talk about holiday related crafts for your SPD kiddos (I like to do them too!), and how to get through the holidays for the sensory person. Also, there will be some info on how to deal with the "Unwilling and Unbelievers" of SPD. Sensory friendly holiday gifts are on the agenda as well. Please feel free to bring any information you have on holiday crafts, and any questions you have on making it through the holidays in a Sensory friendly fashion.

The Meeting will be held on the 21 of November at 6 pm at the Valley of Peace Lutheran Church in Golden Valley.

Also, if a later time works better, contact me, and we can discuss changing the time of the group.






Coming for December....



How to make a weighted blanket or lap pad and vest.

Materials to bring if you are interested...



Lap Pad:

Pillow case or material of choice (bring more material for a blanket)

Optional: Extra material or pillowcase to make a cover

Matching thread

Pins

Aquarium gravel (I buy mine at wal-mart)

Needle

Yardstick or sewing tape

Fabric Chalk (Wal-mart)

Sewing Machine if you have one



The blanket or pad will be hand washable, but the covers are nice for general dirt attraction. If you plan to make a full size blanket, plan to stay for a few hours or bring work home...



Vest:

Vest sized for the person you are making the vest for (Whatever is comfortable, I prefer fleece)

Pins

Copper BB's (Again I buy these at Wal-mart)

or

Polybeads (I have been told that these can be found at Jo-Ann Fabric or the like)

Pins

Small amount of fabric to match the vest (to make the pockets for the weight)

Needle

Sewing machine if you have one.



Ask your OT for appropriate weights for the items.

October SPD Support Group Meeting Schedule

The group will be held the third Friday of every month starting in Oct at:
The Valley of Peace Lutheran church in Golden Valley.
4735 Bassett Creek Dr
Golden Valley, MN 55422
We meet in Room 2.

We will be meeting from 6 to 7.

It is open for anyone affected by SPD including parents of children, adults with, educators, caregivers and professional dealing with SPD.

*This is a group for adults only, please make arrangements for your children.

Our guest speaker will be Lynn Kopfmann OTR from The Therapy Place, and she will be speaking on:
~Sensory Integration
~Sensory Dysfunction
~The Senses
~And there will be time for question and answers!

Please feel free to bring more people to educate them on what Sensory Processing Disorder is.

You can e-mail me at spdmetro@yahoo.com to register or for any questions. There will be no charge for the meeting.

November's topic will be a discussion with group members "SPD and the holidays, how to live through it!"

SPD Awareness Month!

October is SPD awareness month! The purpose is to educate people about SPD; what it is, how it affects the lives of those who have it and those who live with them, what research is being done, and what treatment there is.

You can e-mail Kathleen Morris for a free packet that is filled with ideas to spread knowledge, and also includes a bookmark at kesm@sbcglobal.net . She gets them back to you quickly in my experience.

You can do as much or as little as you please, and there are perks like a discount on the S.I. Focus magazine, and also being able to donate a subscription to a clinic of your choice.

Please help me to spread the word on this misunderstood, little known disorder.

If you have any questions or suggestions e-mail me at spdmetro@yahoo.com and I will do whatever I can to help you out.