Noah Proofing Project #1
The summer has come and gone, and we are all excited about the cooler weather (especially here in Texas) and the opportunity to share how our first Noah Proofing project went.
A Noah Proofing project is when we go into a special needs family's home and do some minor fixes, updates, or changes to their home to help manage behaviours, promote safety due to those certain behaviours, and make it more functional for everyone who lives there. Think "baby-proofing" but for special needs. Our goal is not only to reduce caregiver/parent stress while creating a safe and functional environment but to also build the relationships that lead these families to the Lord, and connect them with a church family that can minister to their unique needs.
This family is local to the Fort Worth area and they have a son with Sensory Processing Disorder. If you'd like to know more about that, we have some links for you at the bottom to check out during your own time. The TLDR (too long, didn't read) version is it's a condition in which the brain has trouble receiving and responding to information that comes in through the senses.
Challenges:
1. Build a fence near/around the Air Conditioner to prevent the child from climbing on, inserting fingers, or dropping items into it.
2. Cover a large wire on an outside wall that the child sees as a fun "rope" to climb.
3. Patch and fill holes in some walls. This particular child has anxiety that things or people will come out of those holes.
4. Attach doorstoppers.
5. Secure two dressers to the wall to prevent climbing/tipping safety hazards.
6. Install a camera in two rooms that will allow the parents to monitor their children and keep them safe.
We had several people we know and have worked with in the past that came to volunteer their time and talents to make this a perfect project for this sweet family. We declare this one a success and are so excited to meet and serve many more families in the future!
Enjoy these pictures of our hard work!
Resources for Sensory Processing Disorder
https://www.webmd.com/children/sensory-processing-disorder
https://childmind.org/article/sensory-processing-issues-explained/
https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/te7831