We're parents of a 6 year girl Emma who has SPD. We're from Brisbane, Australia and Emma was assessed in 2009 by an OT.

We have basically been left to our devices. We were told by the OT that we needed to learn Emma's road map and go from there as hers is different to ours, handed 2 sheets of paper with basic info on SPD and that was that. It was and is frustrating.

Emma was born at 27 1/2 weeks.

We sensed that there was something different with Emma when she was about 2 years old and we still do. She was licking walls, eating shoes, walking on toes. She had a thing with tags on toys that she had to rub them constantly. She was delayed with her speech.

It took us nearly 12 months to get to see an OT and ST via the public system.

She never sits still and any form of motion will heighten her senses to such a level that it is hard to settle her down to a manageable level. She lines her toys up in a row and even presents at Christmas time in order of the colours on the wrapping paper.

She's a very picker eater - been to see a dietitian and have an appointment in 2 weeks time with the Feeding Team at the hospital for a multidisciplinary evaluation of feeding and swallowing skills.

She is a bright and friendly little girl. Started Prep this year and doing very well with learning - although we are having minor developmental delays with fine motor skills (due to being a premmie).

I know that as a Mum that I feel frustated that I can't manage her as I haven't learnt any skills to help her out, and that I feel that I'm letting her down. I tend to find that I don't or won't go out with Emma by myself without Michael (my partner) with me, as she is too hard to handle with all the stimilus arround.

There is only myself and my partner - so no support base, there are no family members who live close to us, they are in other states of Australia.

We found this forum by accident, and so glad that there is a place where we can go and share and learn from one another.

Kerry & Michael