“Not Just Spirited”
Author: Chynna T. Laird
When asked if I would be interested in reviewing “Not Just Spirited” I jumped at the opportunity. I feel books that are informative, relate to hardships experienced by others, and can consequently provide helpful information in an easy-to-read understandable format are extremely important to us as a society.
I began reading “Not Just Spirited” and I was truly touched by the empathy the book’s author, Chynna T. Laird, showed to her daughter Jaimie. For those who don’t know: Sensory Processing Disorder is an inability of the brain to process information received through the senses. Consequently those who suffer from SPD are unable to properly understand how to interact with their environment. Light, touch, sound, taste and smell can cause moderate to severe discomfort which is made worse if the child is too young to verbally communicate what is wrong.
As I continued reading I wish I could say I was surprised by the lack of understanding and help Jaimie and her family received from the highly trained medical community but in all honesty, I wasn’t. I also find it amazing how the general response to a problematic child is “it’s just a phase” or “he or she will grow out of it.” Personally I would find those generalizations insulting. As a parent shouldn’t you know your child’s behavior better than anyone else? Isn’t there that mysterious “bonding” between mother and child so that even a “first time” parent’s concerns should be taken seriously? Shouldn’t the medical community give some credence to a parent’s observations? After all, parents generally live with their child twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, while a pediatrician may only see that same child once every few months.
In summary I found “Not Just Spirited” to be an incredibly well written and inspirational book. Laird shares with her reader the day-to-day and sometime even minute-to-minute struggles of someone who suffers from Sensory Processing Disorder. Her personal experiences enable us to better understand this disorder and Laird has found a way to help her daughter progress with her life in a healthy manner. I feel this book will also provide useful tips, information, and resources for other parents who may face the same, or similar, challenges. I would like to thank Laird for taking the time to share her family’s story with us and I am appreciative that she has done so using language that the common person can understand.