Maverick’s Sensory Room Needs

I have always been very open about every detail of mine and Maverick's life. From day one in the NICU to our adventures in getting diagnosed with autism. I have always sworn I would never make one of these things for personal reasons, but earlier today during my devotional I was reading Luke 11 on how to pray from the Message Bible and it phrased it in a way I had never understood before, it said, “ “Here’s what I’m saying: Ask and you’ll get; Seek and you’ll find; Knock and the door will open. Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need.” So that’s what I’m doing. Trusting God, asking for what we need and then letting it go and letting God handle the rest.

The fun thing with autism is that you never know what you're going to get. It's also the hardest part. I was blessed earlier this year to find a job working from home which has been an absolute God send because one of the down sides of autism is a lowered immune system. So while I have an amazing job, that allows for me to be with Maverick whenever he needs me, it can be very difficult to actually work while he is home sick. And just to put it into perspective for you, Maverick misses an average of about 7-8 days of school a month and that puts a huge damper on my pay checks when I am the only one that can stay home and take care of a sick baby, especially with his Daddy working out of town so much lately. And with prices these days and basically only working part time hours the last few months, money has just gotten very tight. So tight it just disappears.

I just want to be able to provide my son a few safe places in our house that in return will allow me just a few extra moments of peace without fear of the dreaded “What now.” But I just can’t afford those things right now. I will always make sure the necessities are taken care of, rent, keeping the lights on, food on the table, car insurance, phone and internet. But lately it seems like that is all I can afford. Right now we do not have any living room furniture to sit on, my car windshield wiper motor went out the other day so those aren’t working, I need an oil change, and a few other things that push other important but not life or death related items further on down the list of ever being able to purchase on my own.

Graciously. a few months ago my parents built Maverick and I this beautiful new home for us to always have a safe place to live. And I would love to turn Maverick’s room into his own little sensory regulation dream room. And add a few things to the living room that would allow him safe play and me the ability to keep a side eye on him.

I would love to give Maverick a safe space to play and to contain himself when he feels the need to comfort himself in small areas or sensory regulated places. If I could make a dream room wish list for Maverick it would include these four things, a Cubby bed, a climbing arch rocker, a crash pad and a sensory table with removable bins full of sensory toys and changeable table tops.

The Cubby Bed is a game changer for children with special needs and sensory issues like the ones Maverick struggles with on a daily basis. It comes with padded walls, securable doors, and a tech hub monitoring system that allows me video monitoring 24/7. It also helps to create a calm environment that promotes self regulation and helps to minimize meltdowns, which would be amazing right now as Maverick is currently mad at his race track so he is screaming and throwing all the track pieces on the ground because they aren’t doing what he wants. Having somewhere to put him when he gets upset that Daddy is out of town working that helps calm him down instead of destroying the house would be life changing for me. The securable doors help ensure that he stays safe and where he’s supposed to be if he wakes up before me and doesn’t go wondering through the house where he will inevitably find the most dangerous thing to play with. The kid has no fear, it doesn’t matter how high I put something or how hard I hide it, he will find it. Always. But trust me when I say these amazing amenities are very much reflected in the price tag. I am hoping to be able to get this covered by insurance or at least some of the cost covered and if that doesn't work than I'll start applying for every grant I can find.

The climbing arched rocker would allow him something safe to climb on instead of my counters. And it flips over to become a full body rocking chair for him when he just wants to sit and look at a book but still need the stimulation from movement. 

And when spinning and jumping are the stimulation of choice the crash pad or a sensory spinning chair allows for just that. But it also provides enhanced motor skills, stimulates senses, promotes self-regulation and creates a secure place where Mavy can find comfort and safety.

But if I could really dream big and reach for the stars for my son, it would be providing those three things as well as a sensory table with interchangeable bins and changeable tops that gives him a space to play with all the things he loves most, like water and dirt, and slime and kinetic sand while not destroying my bathroom or kitchen sink. The kid loves him some water. But having the ability to have interchangeable bins and table tops means that it can provide HOURS of localized play time that would allow for Mommy to maybe even get a few more uninterrupted hours of work in with out constantly having to find him and then clean up the latest thing he has destroyed.

I know these are a large ask, but if you’re gonna ask might as well ask for what you really want. So if you have ever enjoyed one of my many Mavy stories or have fallen in love with my sweet boy and ever wandered how you could help or provide something to make his life a little easier or the tiniest bit more enjoyable, or maybe you remember being in our shoes as a single parent scraping pennies together to pay for gas to take your kid to school and now you want to help someone else because you know the struggle so well, we would love a donation that will go to purchasing one or maybe even all of these items. But I also know its Christmas and money is tight for everyone these days so if the only thing you can donate is your prayers for me and sweet boy, I’ll cherish those just as much as every single monetary gift.

So to anyone who so graciously donates, thank you. Thank you from the bottom of this exhausted, always worried, and desperate mother’s heart. We love you.