Sensory Integration Disorder

My six year old daughter has sensory processing disorder. She's on a varied "sensory diet" at home. She bounces on an underinflated exercise ball & a mini-trampoline, she swings (the best kind of swings for most of these kids are the kind where they can swing in all directions, not just back & forth), plays with Thera-putty (much like silly putty), slides, blows on things (bubbles, pin-wheels, straws), sucks/chews on things (water bottles, necklaces), plays with a cool-whip tub full of dried beans & tiny toys, and does heavy work (pushing/pulling heavy objects).

All these things help her calm herself & feed her nervous system. It's amazing how much change there is in her with just a month and a half of this kind of activity.

Good luck to you!

hi V.. What preschool does your son go to? my son has been at Hope Wall in Aurora since he turned 3 and he is almost 5 now and in preschool there still and I hope he stays there. He also is being diagnosed, although not officially yet, but it is coming with SI and he also was diagnosed with a seizure disorder he is on meds for now. That was about 2 mths ago. I have thought he has Autism since he was 3 and I am so sure of it now, but still we have not had that formally diagnosed. His Neuro thinks it is PDD, but we are still waiting to get all evals in from school to see and then test him for Autism at a later date since so much testing for him is going on at once. I hope this helps and if you need someone to talk to, I know what you are going through. my son is so much better at school too and they do not see the behaviors that he displays at home that much. He gets home and all heck breaks loose sometimes. He will have a couple good days and then a few bad at home.

S. Bailey CLD
aurora
www.tendermomentsdoula.com

Do you have Carol Stock Kranowitz's Out of Sync Child? It is a wonderful book on SID; she also has a follow-up book called the Out of Sync Child Has Fun. They are great resources!

Also, regarding his behavior, have you had any success with deep pressure? I work with children with autism, and the pressure helps calm them quite a bit. It doesn't have to be a full massage; it could be something as simple as squeezing a hand or rubbing shoulders.

Good luck!

always have something readily available that he can acces by himself if he feels the need to find something to do, it can be as easy as an art center, to a box with different textured fabrics... hope this helps!

OT, Social Work and Resource teacher at school for my 6 year old and this is just kindergarten. The book Raising a Sensory Smart Child (by Lindsey Biel)has a section on toys in the back of the book. Heavy work, like moving the laundry for you always does wonders for my son when he gets out of control. He is also difficult to engage in activities with his brother. Pretty much the televison and arts and crafts are all he wants to do. No games unless they involve imaginary play (Dressing up like Peter Pan,etc). Art is a wonderful outlet for him. He loves painting, fingerpainting, coloring, playdoh...in preschool they had him work with paper pulp and he was quiet forever! I actually have a craft box that they are allowed to pick stuff out to do.

I don't think that my son knows what to do with himself either. My son did wonderful with private ot, but as soon as the insurance company stopped paying, his symptoms increased dramatically. My son is a good boy and I am sure yours is V. and this is very difficult to watch them spin out of control. We had a neuropsychiatric evaluation for my son and they said that he's probably ADD as well. Now, I am looking into how much diet has a role in the behavior. Check out that book if you haven't already. Good Luck!

Definitely get the book "Out of Sync Child" as was suggested.

What helps him calm? With my oldest (asperger's) he likes to jump. We didn't understand this at the time but we had a little trampoline set up and he would bounce to his heart's content. We thought, "Wow-it's good cardio."

Sometimes when he's really crabby (he's 11 now), he uses it on his own.

You need to find out what will calm your child down. If you live in the EP area, please e-mail off site.

My son is almost 4 and has SPD as well. He is very hyposensitive and requires constant sensory stimulation throughout the day. I definitely recommend "The Out of Sync Child has Fun;" it has been a lifesaver. We do insane things in the house that parents of average kids would find horrifying I'm sure. We jump on the beds, the couches, anything really. We sled down the stairs (we land on a bean bag chair to be safe). We play baseball with a soft bat and a large beach ball. We fill a plastic pool with shredded paper and let him roll around in it for the tactile stimulation. He loves to take bubble baths in very warm water, so that eats up 30 minutes at least. My house is a total mess, but my son is happy and gets the stimulation he needs to function. Good luck. If you ever want to talk or have a playdate, email me.

I would read the Out Of Sync Child. Try making a bean bin or noodle bin for him to play in. Have you gotten an OT eval. ? I'd get that also. They can get you a weighted vest, swing and blanket if need be. A bean bag chair is good too.

Hi V. M,

My granddaughter has the same disorder as your son, my daughter and son in law have the same problem, one thing they do is have an activity ready for her to do with down time to keep her in focus. She is on a rigous schedule and it seems to work, until the parents have their down time then she tends to stray. she has speech therapy and it has worked wonders for her, we can tell a difference everytime she comes to visit us. Her speech is getting so much better to understand.

Cindy M