09/10/2025
At 18 months old, Charlotte "Charlie" Ruhnke's mom, Taylor, started noticing her daughter hated being dirty, avoided certain textures and foods and bathtime had turned into a nightmare. To top it off, she would be awake from midnight to 4 a.m.
Although Charlie was a happy child, she had a difficult time being in groups of kids. She wouldn't touch grass, sand or snow. She had a hard time looking at yogurt, pudding and paint. Soft things made her gag.
Referred by their doctor, Charlie started coming to Select Kids Pediatric Therapy at UnityPoint Health Marshalltown with Pediatric Occupational Therapist Cobey Brau. At first, the family was unsure and nervous about where to start. But, Cobey could see from the girl's first appointment that we could help.
Eventually, Charlie was diagnosed with sensory processing disorder and, with the help of Cobey, they've worked on handling some of her primary sensory triggers.
Fairly quickly, Charlie was playing in the water table with Cobey, getting her nails painted and finding ways to process her sensory needs such as using sensory swings.
"As a mother, I gained so much knowledge and insight to be able to help and understand my daughter," Taylor shared.
When Taylor felt hopeless, Cobey was able to provide guidance and walk her through how to better understand Charlie.
Taylor was proud to share with Cobey that Charlie is sleeping through the night, walking barefoot in the grass and now loves taking baths. While she still may struggle with food aversions and loud noises, the family now has the resources to work through them together and they know where to find the support, if they need it from Cobey.
"She feels amazing, watching her personality bloom and enjoying all of these things with a smile and excitement has been amazing," Taylor said.
