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Post by sockthing on May 15, 2014 13:35:28 GMT
Just opening this thread as I am finding Kippers sensory processing issues one of my biggest challenges.
I hadn't realised how much of his behaviour was being caused by this and also how much seems to be proprioception problems presenting in different ways, whether it is chewing, squashing, jumping, teeth grinding!
Seems a lot of us on here have children with SPD symptoms. Wondered if we could use this thread to share helpful tips, and ask questions.
To kick off.....
I keep seeing trampolines recommend as a calming tool for SPD, and OT suggested one might be good for the garden, however although K loves and craves jumping, I have a hunch that trampolines send him very disregulated and loopy.
Gym club was a nightmare today, as first thing he did was jump like a loon and run around on the trampoline in a wobbly way and then went totally hyper for the rest of the session .... Couldn't calm down and regulate at all, tried to RUN along a balance beam, and of course slipped. Luckily was only 2" off the ground! But very stressful to contain.
Anyone else have any experience like this?
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Post by ham on May 15, 2014 18:14:07 GMT
My dd loves swinging to sooth herself .
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Post by sockthing on May 15, 2014 19:08:50 GMT
Thanks ham. Kipper really doesn't like swinging at all.
He seems to crave jumping but channelling it constructively is tough in the home.
I'm seriously wondering about buying a crash mat for our lounge.
Our poor sofas are dying rapidly...squashed, holes in them, broken springs.
Don't really get why the trampoline sends him hyper.
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Post by janpan on May 15, 2014 19:33:35 GMT
Don't know the answer to this but totally with you and agree about the trampolines.
I've heard swinging is good.
Bee's are a lot about her sense of space, bumping into things, people, lack of awareness of bodily sensations (nightmare in puberty for a girl!!!).
It very much affects her cleanliness and personal care too.
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Post by wibbley on May 15, 2014 20:02:27 GMT
The thing is, what works for one doesn't necessarily work for another. My DD loves swinging, she would swing for hours. Within about 30 seconds DS is turning green and needs to get off the swing, same with anything that spins. Spinning REALLY disregulates him.
My DS needs to climb when stressed and in overload, he needs heavy lifting and intense muscle work - hence the charging about, crashing, throwing himself to the floor, shoving, pushing, slamming doors, throwing - basically it is all giving him something he craves. In an ideal situation he would just climb, but strangely enough I don't walk about with a portable climbing frame so that need is pretty hard to manage as it comes out in all the other non-acceptable ways.
His OT always says "the body knows what it wants" and she is right, what we need to to is help channel that 'need' into more appropriate avenues. Right now we are working on doing 'lemons' (tight fists like squeezing a lemon in each hand) when DS is on the up. It has to be done early though or it's pretty well impossible to get him to do it.
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Post by sockthing on May 15, 2014 20:16:35 GMT
Ah yes. That all sounds like kipper, janpan and Wibbley, both the sense of space, and the pushing, crashing, slamming. It's exhausting isn't it? One of the things he does is climb into the curtain ties and sit in them with legs dangling...unfortunately I can't get rid of them because the people that were in the house before us installed these huge heavy curtains that don't retract properly, so the ties are essential!
JanPan, really good to hear that you have the same with trampolines! Do yours need to jump....that's what confuses me. I guess maybe it's because trampolines are also a bit wobbly and uncontrolled....it's not the same high impact jumping as crashing onto a stable surface. Maybe??
He also climbs excessively over people in the home...up their backs, trying lie across their shoulders like a fur stole...pushing them , jumping on them. Our OT has some training in sensory attachment , and she's unsure how much if this is attachment combined with the sensory.
Wibbley... My suspicion with K is that he craves the sensory seeking stuff but if he gets too much of it he tips the other way and goes really disregulated. Do you find this?
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Post by wibbley on May 15, 2014 20:35:11 GMT
Hmmm. Not sure, my understanding is if it's right it will work. Though perhaps you can have too much of a good thing  Wobble cushions & gym balls have a disastrous reaction here - yet climbing, cycling, scootering etc are fab. Books in a rucksack worked well too when walking up the road. The most helpful, although not necessary positive, thing I have been told is that sensory issues are likely to come back full force during the teen years due to all that brain pruning that goes on. Yay! Can't wait. |
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Post by serrakunda on May 15, 2014 21:50:17 GMT
Sounds like Simba
Swimming really helps here in simba land. Specially likes the pools with wave machines, shutes and slides. When he learnt to body board last summer the effect was amazing, I definitely think it was power of the surf.
He's a lot better than when he first came. I try and do as much physical exercise as possible. Swimming both Saturday and Sunday, we walk to the pool, with backpack. He has his personal trainer, we run, box, do work with weights, all sorts of stuff. Scootering is a good one. He does tennis is the school holidays. We walk a lot, I try to find opportunities for lots of different activities, anything where he can hit or throw something, use a bit of power and force
Thinking about a pogo stick.
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Post by janpan on May 15, 2014 21:57:39 GMT
Yes, Bee swims. She swims and swims and swims. Beautifully and yes, I think it's great.
She does still bump into the others in the swimming club in the lanes and is completely ungainly on the edge of the pool, but she loves it and it works for her really well.
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Post by doubletrouble on May 16, 2014 7:52:32 GMT
Hi, At 4 DD was exactly the same, she was asked not to come to Gym club any more as they couldn't control her.
She came to us at 18mths with no fear, wanting to climb up over everyone and jump off things often from a very high height. She ran off if I let go of her in an open space - playing fields, country parks and beaches were a nightmare. School were very concerned that when she was out at break she could run away so they kept her in every break time.
As she grew older she calmed down a fair bit and now won't go anywhere with out holding my hand and is much more risk averse now. At 4 she would have done exactly what Kipper does with a trampoline and bounce off the netting on the sides but she was contained and relatively safe. She was definitely calmer once she had been on it for a while - if not tired out!
I think you need to get an O.T. with more experience of sensory processing disorder to look at him. DD has a weighted vest and a weighted blanket for getting to sleep and these have made an enormous difference.
At 6 she was diagnosed with ADHD as well and that was a turning point. |
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Post by mayan on May 16, 2014 11:12:40 GMT
Pony/ horse riding - really helped our dd - some LA's have funded this for children and has much wider benefits in terms of empathy building, self esteem etc but the limbic motion is very calming.
Swimming was good too but we always had to go to the earliest of sessions so there weren't too many kids about as the noise levels escalated and ds really would find it hard to not get over excited. It made a big difference just moderating the environment. We could do the london sights for example but early morning or evening not at the busy times
Until they were more able to hold it together....
Lots of walking - up hill and down dale, coastal walking at every opportunity - never used a buggy for dd - walking to play group/ school etc again helped calm them on the way there and de stress on the way back -
Weighted vests or blankets work very well for some children so may also be worth checking out.
My dd still gets hyper over slippery surfaces so Iceland and glacier walking was a challenge this year to say the least but she did it, I wouldn't avoid things that stimulated them in a sensory way but rather limited the size of the dose if that makes sense and then go from there.
Definitely agree with having an OT with spd experience have involvement -
Mx
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Post by lovelybee on May 16, 2014 11:28:00 GMT
Littlebee is a sensory seeker and the more I read about SPD the more I feel she has it. I was interested to hear about what the OT thought about sensory attachment.
At what age can you get a diagnosis? She doesn't appear to have any autistic traits not needing set routine and no ritualistic behaviour and she had good eye contact and she is quite intuitive with people's emotions and has excellent verbal and non verbal communication but she is also quite hyperactive - the manager at her nursery describes her as the most active child they have ever had and she has been there 16 years! She really struggles with visuo spatial activities which always ends with her frustrated and hitting out. She still mouths objects and sucks her hair and is a big climber - people, furniture, shelves!
She is a few months off her 3rd birthday at the moment. Would an OT referral be the most appropriate place to start?
Jumping and bouncing definitely regulates her but our garden is too small for a trampoline. Swinging, spinning and being held upside down are other things. She is another one who really responds to swimming - I just need to make sure I have blocked off a lot of hours as she is difficult to extract from the pool!
LB x
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Post by sooz on May 16, 2014 12:37:28 GMT
Snooz had an OT assessment a couple of years ago, some recommendations I put in place some things I've discovered along the way, trial and error.
At school it was recommended by ed psych he was given 'heavy work' to do at regular intervals. Sweeping, lifting boxes, stacking chairs, and it really helps. Pushing heavy objects is also good for him, great help when moving my furniture to vacuum! Even trying to 'move a wall' by pushing against it. OT told me to try pushing hard against a wall then noting how my arm muscles felt afterwards, it has a very relaxing effect.
He has a gym ball which he literally takes around the house with him, he loves sitting on it and it's great for core strength which ultimately gives him more stability.
His trampoline is great, I've seen him spend two hours on it, usually shouting at the top of his voice so heaven knows what the neighbours think!
Weekly horse riding, he loves it and is so chilled afterwards.
Swimming is a huge favourite, he spends more time underwater than above so I'm guessing the muted noise and pressure is beneficial.
Swinging and spinning he likes but for short whiles, rocking and swaying are good. Those round dish shaped swings with net bottoms that go in all directions he particularly likes.
Just try stuff out, watch for reactions, talk to him about how it makes him feel, say what you like to do. (There is some unwritten point in your life where spinning is no longer fun like it was when you were a kid lol, so we must change as we age). I'm no good with certain types of motion, I can't, for example, watch a carousel go around without feeling ill, or read while travelling, where others are not affected at all. Snooz now recognises his need to bounce, and will take himself off outside, I try to remember to say to him 'do you feel better now? You needed that didn't you?'
I think trial and error is the way to go. Work out what it is you are trying to achieve. Allowing him to vent frustrations, calming, physically wearing??
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Post by sockthing on May 16, 2014 14:29:53 GMT
Yes, heavy work recommended for kipper too. And cosy dens etc, I've ordered a weighted blanket. In fairness to the OT she's only seen him once so far, and at home. We're going to her clinic soon to have some fun in her treatment room, and explore his issues in more detail. She's got lots of experience with SP and autism. Also she and K really hit it off which is important as he can be quite oppositional.
Swimming is loved by both k and I. I think the gym ball sends him a bit crazy too, the heavy work and proprioception stuff makes sense to me but feel a bit lost when it comes to stuff with more erratic movement. She also spotted that he has problems with sensory regulation - so when he goes up past a certain point he keeps going and going and going.......
Helpful tip about the wobble cushion as I was thinking of getting one but don't think I will now.
Lovely bee - does sound a possibility for your LO. My understanding was that SPD can be spotted wuite young and that early intervention is very helpful, so it might be good for you to gets an assessment done.
You could ask your GP for an NHS referral, but the advice you get will be very limited in my experience, but will be a starting point at least.
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Post by wibbley on May 16, 2014 20:51:53 GMT
By all means try a wobble cushion, I think they work well for some. I think for my DS anything that gives him that sort of uncontrollable movement sends him sky-high. I guess rocking about on a wobble cushion isn't that different to spinning or swinging in terms of how your body might feel. I think in particular my DS needs solid workouts, not wibbling about on something filled with air! In terms of age, my DS had an assessment by a specialist in sensory integration and attachment (very helpful) around 2.5-3yrs old. He then had a year of intensive OT work. This is in contrast to the standard 6 weeks offered here(as a maximum, some get 1 session). He still sees this OT, but on a more relaxed basis now. But that first year was essential and it taught me so so much about him and sensory integration too. So no, 3 years is not too young, but I would strongly advise finding a specialist in SI, rather than a run-of-the-mill OT. |
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Post by serrakunda on May 16, 2014 22:36:38 GMT
A crash mat sounds like a good idea. If I had a spare room I would absolutely kit it out as with soft play furnishings so Simba could bounce off the walls to his hearts content
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Post by sockthing on May 20, 2014 10:06:09 GMT
Ooh yes me too Serrakunda. Don't think I haven't seriously considered it!! Our sofa is AWFUL...holes in, no springs etc etc. But it's working.
His weighted blanket arrived at the weekend, thankfully he loves it and is dragging it from room to room with him and has nicknamed it his "cosy" blanket. Doesn't really want to sit with it on top of him yet but I guess the carrying it around is providing some weight lifting!
Glad this thread took off - was worried it would be a "Sockthing asks a million questions" thread.
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Post by sockthing on May 22, 2014 14:05:56 GMT
Think DH needs training up.; overheard him saying to kipper "would you like me to carry your cosy blanket for you? it's quite heavy isn't it!"
Seen a bit of hand flapping this week, for the first time. Have to confess made me feel a bit funny.
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Post by sooz on May 22, 2014 18:41:43 GMT
Yeah it hits home doesn't it when you see more behaviours coming out.
Snooz hasn't got a dx, and I've kind of been on the fence re asd, not that I have a problem with that, it's just some of his behaviours haven't fitted.......but just lately I think it's becoming more apparent. The child psychiatrist didn't think it was asd, although he could see why he presents that way, still awaiting an assessment.
Heard this week the assessment is imminent though, they are going into his school 'in the very near future' whatever that means.....
His tics have been very 'busy' in the last few weeks, sometimes each word is punctuated with a hmmm or uh or ahh. He's sat watching tv right now, peaceful and quiet except a noise every few seconds!
Half of me hopes he gets asd dx, the other half of me hopes it's something else, and I don't know why I'm so anxious about it, nothing will change, I guess it's just finding out what the future holds.
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Post by wibbley on May 22, 2014 19:50:41 GMT
We have a lot of 'stims' and flaps here. When DS was a baby he used to go rigid when he was exited by something he watched, these movements were tiny, not visable and you could only feel it if he was sat on your lap. His whole body would tense up momentarily, like a quiver running through him. As he got older the movements got bigger. DD flaps too, I became aware of it when she started Reception. She wasn't coping too well with the whole 'sensory' side of school. She started flapping A LOT and for some reason it was the first time I really registered it. Then I looked back at an old film of her when she was 2, she was flapping like crazy. So it was obvious that she had always done it. I think perhaps many toddlers flap, so that's why it didn't register when she was younger, but when it increased I couldn't miss it. Other than flapping, DDs 'stims' are small and barely noticeable. DSs flaps & stims are BIG. You can't miss them and people do stare at times. I have to say though, with DS in particular, I LOVE them. He does his biggies when he is very happy and excited - I can tell from behind, even from very far away, if he is excited from how his hands and arms are moving. The bigger the excitement, the more body parts are involved. It makes me smile. Sometimes it's because he is having 'happy thoughts' and he is off in his own world. I always ask him what he is thinking about because I know it is something fun - it is usually something like imagining motorbikes going fast, or re-living a recent fun thing he did. It's lovely. Though he stands NO HOPE of playing it cool in the future on a date! I am not sure how much stims and flapping is common in kids who are not ASD, but it's common in my house DS is HFA, but when I see DD flapping it does make me wonder if she is an Aspie rather than all her 'quirk's being attachment based. |
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Post by serrakunda on May 27, 2014 10:12:45 GMT
Oh wibbley, sounds just like Simba, we have BIG stims here, the more excited he is the bigger and louder.
Auk have a sensory integration workshop in September in Bristol. I'd love to go but would need a second mortgage to cover the train fare at peak times, cost of the course is quite reasonable though
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Post by donatella on Jun 6, 2014 11:19:46 GMT
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Post by kstar on Mar 27, 2015 22:05:01 GMT
Didn't realise this thread was here when I started the one elsewhere!
Has anyone ever tried a trapeze bar? I am seriously considering a pull up bar for Starlet because she loves hanging and the proprioceptive input into her shoulders really seems to work wonders. I have seen one with a trapeze attachment for gentle swinging and also for hanging upside down - she adores being upside down but can't balance in a handstand for long enough yet!
Those stretchy resistance bands look fab, and Amazon also have a pogo stick for indoor use with a foam block on the bottom.
Will definitely invest in a gym ball too.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2015 11:21:40 GMT
Aah see you have found this thread kstar. Was about to suggest it to you. Also there is a thread on the resources boards which has lots of sensory ideas for using at home if you want to have a look. Think it's under the adoptive parenting board. |
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