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Sensory issues



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amother


 

Post Sun, Aug 18 2013, 11:52 am
We just had an OT eval and the therapist told us that our toddler has many sensory issues. She doesn't have spd but all senses besides for visual are effected. We need to have our meeting before we can start OT.

After dd received hearing aids 6 months ago, started intense speech, special Ed, and oral motor therapies she really calmed down. I had a feeling there was still something else that was causing her to be so difficult. At first the agency didn't want to give us an eval, but we pushed for it.

Until we get rolling with OT, I have no idea where to start. I was told to get the book "the out of sync child" and to purchase a mini trampoline. Now what? Can with a sensory child help me?
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fromnj




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Aug 18 2013, 12:13 pm
It sounds like your dd has a lot going on, so it might be difficult to sort out which symptoms arise from which issues. My DS has sensory issues and I found The out of sync child to be very helpful. I also learned a lot from "Raising a Sensory Smart Child." they have a web site here: http://sensorysmarts.com/
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Jewishmofm




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Aug 18 2013, 1:26 pm
Need a little more info on your DD. Does she seek out sensory experiences - touching everything, jumping around, banging and crashing, twirling and not getting dizzy, OR does she avoid touching certain textures, complain about her clothes (too itchy! my socks hurt my feet!) and avoid swings at the park?
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seeker




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Aug 18 2013, 1:50 pm
I think reading The Out of Sync Child is an excellent place to start. Asking here will get you a little of this and a little of that but the book was written to be more complete and organized in a way that you can process. I have read it and think you will find it very helpful. It is not a difficult read and should help you pretty quickly. I would also suggest the companion/sequel book, I think it's called The Out of Sync Child Has Fun or something like that.

How old is your kid?
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ra_mom




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Aug 18 2013, 2:55 pm
Jewishmofm wrote:
Need a little more info on your DD. Does she seek out sensory experiences - touching everything, jumping around, banging and crashing, twirling and not getting dizzy, OR does she avoid touching certain textures, complain about her clothes (too itchy! my socks hurt my feet!) and avoid swings at the park?
The child is very likely both hyposensative (touching roughly, crashing) AND hypersensative (labels are bothersome, seams on socks are intolerable).
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Jewishmofm




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Aug 18 2013, 6:36 pm
ra mom - that could be! I wasn't trying to say the above were the only possibilities, just giving ideas of the kind of info that would help.
I'm also a HUGE fan of out-of-sync child, DS used to work with OT trained by the author. Another great resource we have found is zones of regulation by leah kuypers
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amother


 

Post Sun, Aug 18 2013, 9:22 pm
Thanx everyone. Dd is almost 3. She is both hypo and hyper. We started oral therapy with her speech therapist because she was mouthing everything. She loves the swing and baby slide, but hates the rest of the playground. Hates when her socks arent on perfectly. She sits with her legs wide and bent (for support?) and hates descending down stairs. She loves deep massage and always wants to be held. Last year she wouldn't walk on grass or sand, this year she won't keep her crocs or socks on. Last year she resisted anything being put near her mouth, now she likes when I brush her mouth. It takes a while for her to fall asleep, she can only sleep in a crib, and she wakes up at least once nightly. She doesn't seem to have a sense of smell. I won't include hearing because she is hearing impaired.
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FranticFrummie




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Aug 18 2013, 9:52 pm
amother wrote:
Thanx everyone. Dd is almost 3. She is both hypo and hyper. We started oral therapy with her speech therapist because she was mouthing everything. She loves the swing and baby slide, but hates the rest of the playground. Hates when her socks arent on perfectly. She sits with her legs wide and bent (for support?) and hates descending down stairs. She loves deep massage and always wants to be held. Last year she wouldn't walk on grass or sand, this year she won't keep her crocs or socks on. Last year she resisted anything being put near her mouth, now she likes when I brush her mouth. It takes a while for her to fall asleep, she can only sleep in a crib, and she wakes up at least once nightly. She doesn't seem to have a sense of smell. I won't include hearing because she is hearing impaired.


Your DD sounds exactly like mine! What do you think is missing from the picture?

For practical help, if you can't afford a trampoline, or think it may be too dangerous at this age, put a crib mattress on the floor, and make sure that it's away from things she could fall on. Let her jump to her hearts content, and see if you can get her to sing the ABD or Alef Beis song while she's doing it. If she can count, that's great too. It will exercise all parts of her brain at once.

My DD loved Petco at that age. I would let her run up and down the aisle of the dog toys, squeaking, touching, patting, pinching everything she could get her hands on (not the meat based bones, just the toy stuff!) To calm her down I'd take her to watch the fish for a while, and she found that very soothing.

DD is 10 now, so I've learned a lot about living with a mixed sensory kid. Feel free to ask me anything, or PM if you want.
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amother


 

Post Sun, Aug 18 2013, 11:07 pm
Frantic frummie- I just ordered a mini indoor trampoline because I don't have a yard. Does doing abc's while jumping help sensory issues or just stimulate the brain? Do all the issues go away or we just have to learn to deal with it?

I forgot to mention, mealtime is a terror. Firstly, she will only eat a small number of foods which are mostly soft. I don't want to nag, push or punish, but if I'm not persistent she won't eat. Experts say kids will eat will they are hungry, but when dd is hungry it's harder for her to eat and she is a huge crank pot.
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Dolly Welsh




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Aug 18 2013, 11:28 pm
I am no expert, so treading lightly here, but maybe then don't let her get hungry? Some people need a granola bar in their pocket all the time for snacks?

Temple Grandin, who wrote an excellent book, made a squeeze box for herself. She could lie in it and control how tightly it squeezed her, for deep massage. She could then tend to her own needs for deep massage, without having to be dependent on others for that.

I had an adult woman friend who walked barefoot through a major city all the time. She stopped doing that eventually, and never got hurt. It was just in summer. Some people just like that. No, it's not prudent. But she's fine today.

You are a very insightful mother.
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cms




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Aug 18 2013, 11:55 pm
I love the book 'sensational kids'. It explains really clearly what causes children to have sensory issues and really helps you to 'get into their brain'.
It sounds like you know your child really well but it sometimes really helps to set aside special time to follow their activity. My two year old love playing with water by the sink and it is her biggest treat when I join her. I find the best sensory activities are the ones she initiates. Of course the OT will give you tons of ideas how to extend them.
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FranticFrummie




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Aug 19 2013, 12:00 am
amother wrote:
Frantic frummie- I just ordered a mini indoor trampoline because I don't have a yard. Does doing abc's while jumping help sensory issues or just stimulate the brain? Do all the issues go away or we just have to learn to deal with it?

I forgot to mention, mealtime is a terror. Firstly, she will only eat a small number of foods which are mostly soft. I don't want to nag, push or punish, but if I'm not persistent she won't eat. Experts say kids will eat will they are hungry, but when dd is hungry it's harder for her to eat and she is a huge crank pot.


Issues do not go away, but they can be managed in a way that is acceptable. Singing or counting is really helpful because it gives input on several levels, and helps connect all of the brain centers.

Ugh, mealtime! I feel you. I have literally stood in the middle of the kitchen and CRIED, yelling "What can I feed you???" Basically, give her whatever she wants, as long as it's fairly healthy. If she wants nothing but soft boiled pasta for three days in a row, go for it. She'll eventually get bored and want something else.

I have to admit, when DD was 5, Mommy had a meltdown. She was begging me for her Simchas Torah candy, which I was keeping in a jar above the refrigerator. She woke me up at the crack of dawn, and would not leave me alone. "I WANT MY CANDY!!!" I grabbed the whole jar, gave it to her, and went back to bed. Later on she wanted me to fix her lunch, and I said "No, go eat some candy." She wanted me to fix her dinner, and I said "No, go eat your candy. I'm not cooking for you. I'm tired of you not liking anything I make. I'm not going to waste food anymore. If candy is the only thing you like, then that is what you will get."

The next morning she wanted breakfast. I told her to go eat candy. At this point she started crying and saying "I don't like candy anymore! I want something HEALTHY!" So I fixed her scrambled eggs and some juice. She ate a huge salad for lunch, and had a lovely chicken dinner that night. 24 hours of candy didn't kill her, but it certainly got her to stop whining!

To this day, she will not over eat candy. Very Happy Obviously, you can only do that with a child who is old enough to understand what you're trying to accomplish, and your DD is too young for that. I just wanted to give you an idea of the sort of things you have to go through in order to cope.

She's still a picky eater, but we make compromises and talk about healthy food choices. She would live on boiled pasta and plain white rice if I let her. She has to eat 5 bites of protein and 10 bites of vegetables before she can have her starches. Dessert is home made sorbet with fresh fruit. She may eat more or less of any item in a particular day, but over the course of a week I make sure that everything evens out.

As for what Dolly said, my DD is the same when it comes to going barefoot. She'll go without shoes on boiling hot pavement, or in the snow, or in the mud, she loves it all. To this day she despises shoes of all kinds, and will only wear them when she absolutely has to. It was a lot of work getting her to keep them on at school, and she'll still slip them off when the teacher is not looking. She's just gotten more sly about it.

She hates tights, but will wear footless leggings, and sometimes ankle socks. She's agreed to wear tights for Shabbos, and I've compromised to let her wear leggings and socks to school (with a skirt on top). She still has to touch and feel everything, and still has a tendency to chew on things.

Gum has become a staple in our house. The Must sugar-free gum can be ordered by the case, and it really helps calm her down and help her concentrate. She can't do homework without it. I'm going to try to get it into her IEP next year, and see if the school will allow it.
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anonymrs




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Aug 19 2013, 12:08 am
Quote:
Ugh, mealtime! I feel you. I have literally stood in the middle of the kitchen and CRIED, yelling "What can I feed you???" Basically, give her whatever she wants, as long as it's fairly healthy. If she wants nothing but soft boiled pasta for three days in a row, go for it. She'll eventually get bored and want something else.

I have to admit, when DD was 5, Mommy had a meltdown. She was begging me for her Simchas Torah candy, which I was keeping in a jar above the refrigerator. She woke me up at the crack of dawn, and would not leave me alone. "I WANT MY CANDY!!!" I grabbed the whole jar, gave it to her, and went back to bed. Later on she wanted me to fix her lunch, and I said "No, go eat some candy." She wanted me to fix her dinner, and I said "No, go eat your candy. I'm not cooking for you. I'm tired of you not liking anything I make. I'm not going to waste food anymore. If candy is the only thing you like, then that is what you will get."


Sorry, I couldn't help laughing when I read this. This could've happened in our house, too. DD is just impossible when it comes to food and I've just about had it with preparing food for her that she won't eat anyway.
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FranticFrummie




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Aug 19 2013, 12:34 am
anonymrs wrote:
Quote:
Ugh, mealtime! I feel you. I have literally stood in the middle of the kitchen and CRIED, yelling "What can I feed you???" Basically, give her whatever she wants, as long as it's fairly healthy. If she wants nothing but soft boiled pasta for three days in a row, go for it. She'll eventually get bored and want something else.

I have to admit, when DD was 5, Mommy had a meltdown. She was begging me for her Simchas Torah candy, which I was keeping in a jar above the refrigerator. She woke me up at the crack of dawn, and would not leave me alone. "I WANT MY CANDY!!!" I grabbed the whole jar, gave it to her, and went back to bed. Later on she wanted me to fix her lunch, and I said "No, go eat some candy." She wanted me to fix her dinner, and I said "No, go eat your candy. I'm not cooking for you. I'm tired of you not liking anything I make. I'm not going to waste food anymore. If candy is the only thing you like, then that is what you will get."


Sorry, I couldn't help laughing when I read this. This could've happened in our house, too. DD is just impossible when it comes to food and I've just about had it with preparing food for her that she won't eat anyway.


Believe me, we all laugh about it now. At the time, it was the absolutely lowest point in my parenting career. I felt like a bad mom, and I just Did. Not. Care.

Oh, and guess what DD is having for dinner tonight? Plain boiled pasta. Confused She ate really well yesterday, and she'll probably eat well tomorrow. Gotta look at the big picture, or you'll make yourself crazy.
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amother


 

Post Mon, Aug 19 2013, 9:17 am
My ds is 5 and has some sensory issues as well. He also can't sit still and has very strong reactions to things that he doesn't like, or if we discipline him.
Is that connected to his sensory issues?
Also, his OT told me that while doing sensory type activities is good, it's not enough. She feels that the sensory issues stem from having core/muscle weakness and by strengthening those, his sensory issues will diminish. Is that accurate?
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fromnj




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Aug 19 2013, 5:29 pm
DS and I are reading "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing" where the 3 year old has a food strike and the father finally breaks down and tells him "EAT IT OR WEAR IT" pouring the cereal over his head. Funny, the kid ate after that.

I think kids get scared straight when they realize they've reached the limit -- or gone over. Nothing wrong with that; it is an important life lesson.
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