Sara is a six year old who wears the same soft pink dress each day. She is very fussy about her clothes and how the textures feel on her sensitive skin. She will cry easily if made to wear something new. John is an 11 year old who will only eat chicken strips and French fries. At a glance, some may call John a picky eater, but the explanation is more complex. He has a strong preference for foods that are cut lengthwise, just the right size for him to place on the center of his tongue while not touching any other area.

Sara and John are two of many children who experience the symptoms of a sensory processing disorder, also known as sensory integration dysfunction, and defensiveness related to the developmental disorder of autism.

Occupational Therapists help children in their primary activities or “occupations”—which include playing, school work, social interaction and self-care.

The music was loud, the mirrors were bright and the pace was fast. So five-year-old Cooper covered his ears and climbed into a costume bin. It was his own safe spectator zone.

Nearby, Cooper’s sister Erin clutched a stick horse and twirled to the merry-go-round dance. This was fun! Joseph and Miranda, also siblings, frolicked to the oompah-pah rhythm. It was the first day of Special Delivery dance class at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City.

The Rohde family has given us permission to include their video about their autistic son, Nick. We include this to show the personal perspective of the love, work and hope involved in raising an autistic child.

Is autism in Oklahoma an issue of compromise or indifference? Those on the side of House Bill 2027—otherwise known as Nick’s Law—are passionate and clear on one point: without insurance coverage for autism spectrum disorders, it won’t matter how many new Board Certified Behavior Analysts are enacted in this state through Senate Bill 135. There will be very few families who can afford to pay them.

I have never met a child with sensory processing disorder, autism, Asperger's, ADHD, or other learning, behavior, or mood disorders who did not have nutrition problems. Up to 80 percent of children with autism, for example, may have active bowel symptoms, gut inflammation, and even malnutrition. When a child can't eat and absorb nutrients normally, she can't sleep, grow, explore, learn, or develop typically either.

Many children with autism, Asperger's, ADHD, sensory processing disorders, learning disabilities, or mood/behavior issues have nutrition problems stemming from malabsorption, bowel problems, and/or inadequate diet. These impede learning, growth, behavior, and functioning in all children—not just special needs children. Not surprisingly, when you address the nutrition problems of these kids, the symptoms of their disorder lessen and, in some cases, disappear.