Costa's sensory processing journey and a natural wine fair in Torino.

Plus, a bit of This & That

Costa’s Sensory Processing Journey

As many of you might know from following our journey over the years, Costa has struggled with specific sensory sensitivities. Simple everyday tasks like getting dressed, brushing teeth, and wearing socks and shoes were extremely challenging. After being diagnosed with a sensory processing disorder at age four, Costa worked weekly for several years with an incredible occupational therapist in Studio City at Sprout Children's Therapy Center, who helped Costa increase his tolerance for these tasks by developing skills to better process and tolerate the uncomfortable. While the therapy definitely helped him to a certain degree, the sensitivities always remained and were something we worked to manage in our everyday life and routine with him.

When Covid hit, Costa also developed a throat-clearing tic. After a ton of research and talking to several doctors, we implemented many things into his diet and routine, covered in this previous post, including giving him various supplements, reducing gluten and sugar in his diet, etc, and the tic finally subsided after about 6 months. Another tic, a rotating neck movement, began once he started 2nd grade and again lasted for several months. From my viewpoint, it seemed like these tics and sensory sensitivities became more pronounced during periods of high anxiety, change to a regular routine, or moments of stress. The start of a new school, the fear of COVID-19, and the lack of socializing seemed to be the catalysts, and his body and mind were looking for positive reinforcement in those overwhelming times.

Once we arrived in Italy, I wondered how such a monumental life change would manifest in Costa's body. I could feel how overwhelming it was for Andre and me, let alone a young boy who feels things so deeply. Could he wear a new uniform with an itchy logo sewn into it? Would he be able to wear uniform pants made of corduroy? Would the stress of so much unknown and a new school cause a tic to return? I held my breath on the first day of school as he dressed in the new uniform. But he eagerly put on his clothes, no complaints. And to my surprise and disbelief, each day since has been just like this. It got to the point where I completely forgot about his sensitivities until someone sent me a message the other day after I posted a picture of Costa wearing a wool jacket, asking how he was managing his sensory sensitivity in this new environment. They, too, were blown away by seeing this image of him. He was wearing a thick wool jacket with a big smile. It really brought into perspective how far he has come and how much he has blossomed in the past few months.