Jaycee
09-17-05, 07:49 PM
Recently my son began Sensory Integration Therapy with an Occupational Therapist. I've known about this for a while because my sister specializes in sensory therapy, but was reluctant to commit to the time it would take at home. Right before school started, my 5 yr old son's behavior was getting out of control and my sister urged me to try it. (with another therapist, not herself) She lod me that mayn kids with ADHD have some sensory dysfunctions that go with it and cause behavior problems.
I have never been so glad to have taken her advice. My son is MUCH calmer and has very few outbursts. It has helped our whole family and only takes about five minutes a few times a day (less time than I spent with his tantrums)
I urge you to check out the research and Carol Kranowitz bookThe Out of Sync Child. The book is easy to use and has a lot of helpful things that will make your child feel more in control, and they are incorporated into play.
Here's a look at what sensory dysfunction Looks like:
http://www.sinetwork.org/aboutspd/response.html
Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is a complex disorder of the brain that affects developing children and adults. People with SPD misinterpret everyday sensory information, such as touch, sound, and movement. They may feel bombarded by information, they may seek out intense sensory experiences, or they may have other symptoms.
What Does SPD Look Like?
There are several types of Sensory Processing Disorder; each one may result in a number of different behavioral and sensory patterns. Some of the most common behavior patterns are described below. All are described more fully in Defining SPD and its Subtypes. (http://www.sinetwork.org/aboutspd/defining.html)
Sensory-Avoiding Children
Some children with SPD are over-responsive to sensation. Their nervous systems feel sensation too easily or too intensely and they feel as if they are being constantly bombarded with information.
Consequently, these children often have a "fight or flight" response to sensation, a condition called "sensory defensiveness." They may try to avoid or minimize sensations, such as by avoiding being touched or being very particular about clothing.
These children may:
Respond to being touched with aggression or withdrawal
Fear movement and heights, or get sick from exposure to movement or heights
Be very cautious and unwilling to take risks or try new things
Feel uncomfortable in loud or busy environments, such as sports events, malls
Be very picky eaters and/or overly sensitive to food smells
These children may be diagnosed with Sensory Over-Responsivity (http://www.sinetwork.org/aboutspd/defining.html).
Sensory-Seeking Children
Some children are under-responsive to sensation. Their nervous systems do not always recognize the sensory information that is coming in to the brain.
As a result, they seem to have an almost insatiable desire for sensory stimulation. They may seek out constant stimulation or more intense or prolonged sensory experiences, such as by taking part in extreme activities or moving constantly.
Some behaviors seen in these children include:
Hyperactivity as they seek more sensation
Unawareness of touch or pain, or touching others too often or too hard (which may seem like aggressive behavior)
Taking part in unsafe activities, such as climbing too high
Enjoying sounds that are too loud, such as a very loud television or radio
These children may be diagnosed with Sensory Under-Responsivity (http://www.sinetwork.org/aboutspd/defining.html).
Motor Skills Problems
Other children with SPD have trouble processing sensory information properly, resulting in problems with planning and carrying out new actions. They have particular difficulty with forming a goal or idea or developing new motor skills. These children often are clumsy, awkward, and accident prone.
These children may have:
Very poor fine motor skills, such as handwriting
Very poor gross motor skills, such as kicking, catching, or throwing a ball
Difficulty imitating movements, such as when playing "Simon Says"
Trouble with balance, sequences of movements, and bilateral coordination
A preference for familiar activities or play, such as lining up toys
A preference for sedentary activities, such as watching TV, reading a book, or playing video games
These children may get frustrated easily and may seem manipulative and controlling. Some may try to compensate with an over-reliance on language and may prefer fantasy games to real life. They also may try to mask their motor planning problems by acting like a "class clown" or avoiding new group activities. These children may be diagnosed with Dyspraxia (sensory-based) Motor Planning Disorder (http://www.sinetwork.org/aboutspd/defining.html).
The forth link describes the Brushing therapy used on Caleb called Wilbarger Brushing. i hope something here sparks you to check into it for your own child. It's not for every child but most of us are looking for anything that we can add that is not harmful to our child and does not require new drugs for their young systems.
Research links
http://www.tsbvi.edu/Outreach/seehear/fall97/sensory.htm
http://www.sinetwork.org/aboutspd/response.html
http://brain.hastypastry.net/forums/printthread.php?t=4483
http://parents.berkeley.edu/recommend/medical/sid.html
http://www.thetherapyplace.net/newsletter/newsletter3.pdf#search='Wilbarger%20Brushing%20pro tocol'
http://www.nathhan.com/artsecret.htm
I have never been so glad to have taken her advice. My son is MUCH calmer and has very few outbursts. It has helped our whole family and only takes about five minutes a few times a day (less time than I spent with his tantrums)
I urge you to check out the research and Carol Kranowitz bookThe Out of Sync Child. The book is easy to use and has a lot of helpful things that will make your child feel more in control, and they are incorporated into play.
Here's a look at what sensory dysfunction Looks like:
http://www.sinetwork.org/aboutspd/response.html
Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is a complex disorder of the brain that affects developing children and adults. People with SPD misinterpret everyday sensory information, such as touch, sound, and movement. They may feel bombarded by information, they may seek out intense sensory experiences, or they may have other symptoms.
What Does SPD Look Like?
There are several types of Sensory Processing Disorder; each one may result in a number of different behavioral and sensory patterns. Some of the most common behavior patterns are described below. All are described more fully in Defining SPD and its Subtypes. (http://www.sinetwork.org/aboutspd/defining.html)
Sensory-Avoiding Children
Some children with SPD are over-responsive to sensation. Their nervous systems feel sensation too easily or too intensely and they feel as if they are being constantly bombarded with information.
Consequently, these children often have a "fight or flight" response to sensation, a condition called "sensory defensiveness." They may try to avoid or minimize sensations, such as by avoiding being touched or being very particular about clothing.
These children may:
Respond to being touched with aggression or withdrawal
Fear movement and heights, or get sick from exposure to movement or heights
Be very cautious and unwilling to take risks or try new things
Feel uncomfortable in loud or busy environments, such as sports events, malls
Be very picky eaters and/or overly sensitive to food smells
These children may be diagnosed with Sensory Over-Responsivity (http://www.sinetwork.org/aboutspd/defining.html).
Sensory-Seeking Children
Some children are under-responsive to sensation. Their nervous systems do not always recognize the sensory information that is coming in to the brain.
As a result, they seem to have an almost insatiable desire for sensory stimulation. They may seek out constant stimulation or more intense or prolonged sensory experiences, such as by taking part in extreme activities or moving constantly.
Some behaviors seen in these children include:
Hyperactivity as they seek more sensation
Unawareness of touch or pain, or touching others too often or too hard (which may seem like aggressive behavior)
Taking part in unsafe activities, such as climbing too high
Enjoying sounds that are too loud, such as a very loud television or radio
These children may be diagnosed with Sensory Under-Responsivity (http://www.sinetwork.org/aboutspd/defining.html).
Motor Skills Problems
Other children with SPD have trouble processing sensory information properly, resulting in problems with planning and carrying out new actions. They have particular difficulty with forming a goal or idea or developing new motor skills. These children often are clumsy, awkward, and accident prone.
These children may have:
Very poor fine motor skills, such as handwriting
Very poor gross motor skills, such as kicking, catching, or throwing a ball
Difficulty imitating movements, such as when playing "Simon Says"
Trouble with balance, sequences of movements, and bilateral coordination
A preference for familiar activities or play, such as lining up toys
A preference for sedentary activities, such as watching TV, reading a book, or playing video games
These children may get frustrated easily and may seem manipulative and controlling. Some may try to compensate with an over-reliance on language and may prefer fantasy games to real life. They also may try to mask their motor planning problems by acting like a "class clown" or avoiding new group activities. These children may be diagnosed with Dyspraxia (sensory-based) Motor Planning Disorder (http://www.sinetwork.org/aboutspd/defining.html).
The forth link describes the Brushing therapy used on Caleb called Wilbarger Brushing. i hope something here sparks you to check into it for your own child. It's not for every child but most of us are looking for anything that we can add that is not harmful to our child and does not require new drugs for their young systems.
Research links
http://www.tsbvi.edu/Outreach/seehear/fall97/sensory.htm
http://www.sinetwork.org/aboutspd/response.html
http://brain.hastypastry.net/forums/printthread.php?t=4483
http://parents.berkeley.edu/recommend/medical/sid.html
http://www.thetherapyplace.net/newsletter/newsletter3.pdf#search='Wilbarger%20Brushing%20pro tocol'
http://www.nathhan.com/artsecret.htm