Taciturn Tuesday - Biological Basis for Sensory Processing Disorder

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Tranquil Thursday: Yoga for Kids on the Spectrum

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7-Benefits-of-Yoga-for-Kids-with-Autism

and also check this video:

ehow.com video Yoga for Kids With Autism

Taciturn Tuesday: Asperger Experts

Information and advice from those who have experienced life with Asperger's.

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http://www.aspergerexperts2.com/

Taciturn Tuesday: Sensory Triggers

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Taciturn Tuesday: Sensory Defense

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Taciturn Tuesday: Personal Space

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Taciturn Tuesday: SPD It's Not Just for Kids

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A Hint from a Sensory Seeker's Mom

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My daughter is a sensory seeker. She has painted the kitchen in ketchup, waxed her bedroom floor with skin cream and covered herself in various sticky and/or slimy substances. 
This time Sensi put Vaseline in her hair. This is a recurring problem; she has put lotion, rash cream, and other goopy things in her hair. 
I was lamenting the fact that her hair was still greasy to her occupational therapist. I had washed Sensi's hair 5 times, and used lots of dry shampoo spray; her therapist suggested using baking soda.

image via: http://www.bigoven.com/article/recipe/baking-soda

Apparently this is the new/old way to clean hair, like dry shampoo, only cheaper, and more importantly, readily available in my house. The difference is the recommended way to use baking soda to clean hair is a few teaspoons diluted in water to massage in and rinse with cider vinegar. I just dumped 2 tablespoons in her hair, rubbed it into the greasy spots, and washed her hair as usual with shampoo. Lo and behold...clean hair.

image via: http://www.hmitchellsalon.com/blog/tag/a-line-bob

If you have a sure method to clean up the messes a sensory seeker makes, please share. We all could use a little help when faced with the unique messes our sensory seekers can create.

Sensory Issues: A Grown Up Perspective

I just got a chance to take a little time by myself this last month and noticed some things. I started to think about my own sensory issues.

image via:  http://sushipot.blogspot.com/2010_09_01_archive.html 

We stopped to visit a second hand shop. You know the kind you find in the country on the side of the highway...antiques... a building crammed with dusty stuff. I was starting to get that fluttery feeling being in there, and it wasn't just the dust, it was ALL THAT STUFF. It was serious sensory overload.  Everywhere I looked there was a vista crammed with stuff. It was like a hidden object game, but even busier. I couldn't handle it. It might have helped if I had something I was looking for to distract me from my distress; my sister finds some really cool stuff. In my house with its limited amount of extra space, collecting knick-knacks or salt and pepper shakers is not for me.

image via:  http://detroit.ebayclassifieds.com/home-decor/warren/vintage-novelty-salt-and-pepper-shakers/?ad=1685000 

After shopping at several different venues I also realized why my SensiGirl really, really hates going to the Big Box store. The carpeted part of the store is okay, but the rest of the interior with its hard echoing floor and open high ceiling is a problem, especially with all the carts going by.

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There is too much stuff in most stores. It is hard to sort out what you are looking for from what else is there.
Fleet Farm is probably the worst, since you could literally live your whole life from everything they have in that store. It's not just clothes, houses wares and hunting gear. They have food, veterinary supplies, automotive items, landscaping and gardening supplies as well as toys, crafting supplies and hardware. I am sure I missed a category or two in there. Again it did help that I had an item or two that I was specifically looking for.

image via:  http://planetgreen.discovery.com/quizzes/food-health/first-quiz/shopping-list.jpg 

I think from now on I will involve my SensiGirl more in following our shopping lists and asking her to find things for me. It helps to know your progress of your shopping trip and it is reassuring to see the items ticked or crossed off the list to know there isn't much time left until you can check out and go.

image via:  http://occupational-therapy.advanceweb.com/Article/Strategies-for-Sensory-Integration.aspx 

So I am sensory sleuthing again and trying to find ways for it to be easier for my SensiGirl to make her way in the world. I will say it again, if you are out and about and your child has some whacked-out behavior, it may be a sensory issue not a "behavioral" issue. Look around, listen, and use your sense of touch. How does the air feel on your skin, what does it smell like? Are the lights bright, do they hum? How about the refrigeration section of the store, is it loud? Is it too cold? Are there vibrations? It may be that their bodies have had enough sensory input and they are going into overload.  Keep sleuthing!

SensiGirl's Extended School Year

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My SensiGirl goes to what is called Extended School Year. She has been attending for the last two weeks. She gets an extra 5 weeks of school over the summer to try to maintain progress she has made during the school year.  She attends school in the same building as her regular school year, for half days. In theory this is a good thing. In practice, I find that this year, not so much.
Her WunderTeacher worked to try to set up SensiGirl with the summer school special ed. teacher so she would know some of SensiGirl's quirks. She worked with them for over a week and checked in on them to answer any questions. I updated the getting to know you letter and WunderTeacher proofed it and added some things I omitted. I know that I wrote she is afraid of atriums and echo producing places. I checked that the teachers and paras read it. I even gave them a copy of her IEP. Still we missed some things.

The atrium in the school building. Fuzzy resolution, but you get the idea.
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This week they took my SPD child to a drumming show in the atrium of the building. Just hearing about it made me cover MY ears. I explained that SensiGirl was nervous about atriums because she had to participate in a parade with music and drums in the atrium two years ago. She has very sensitive hearing and is nervous about big echoing spaces. We made wonderful progress this past year on this issue, now I am not so sure where we stand.

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I had told them after the drum show not to take her into the atrium for any other loud activities. The sound echoes and hurts her ears. I explained it would be best to keep her schedule as routine as possible. Still, today they wrote a note: "Climb Theater will have a music presentation in gym. Do you want her to go?"
The teachers told me there were other activities coming up: a visit from Ronald McDonald, (false faced creepy clowns, anyone?), a theater performance and field day.

image via:  http://www.porteracademy.org/Sensory%20Processing%20Disorder.html 

The problem is the new summer school teachers haven't worked with SensiGirl before. They also don't seem to understand sensory processing disorder very well. Kindergarten was a hard transition but with WunderTeacher and the crew we got through the fall without too much progress being lost from her time at preschool. By the end of the year, great strides had been made by small incremental steps throughout the year.

My girl, who wouldn't go near a gymnasium without a food reward waiting was participating in adaptive gym every day, (sometimes they threw in a balloon reward for good measure.) Heck, she participated (again, with assistance,) in the Lion King play that the Autism Program put on. They had drumming for the scene changes, but she only covered her ears once, because of the off key singing. They had play practice every day for two months. That is how she was so successful.

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Now she is crying about going to school, she is becoming markedly upset at the merest mention of a gym and I don't know how to make it better for her.  I could take her out of school, but then she wouldn't have any time with the other kids who understand her and accept her. She is spending time with another girl who is actively trying to make friends with SensiGirl. I have to weigh everyday if I should keep her going to ESY. All I can do is show up every day for a debrief of her day, offer suggestions and answer any questions they may ask.

Our Sensory Science Friday

Family Friend Grad Student was here the other Friday and I was trying to think of more stuff for us to do.  We tried something different, Sensory Science Friday.  We got out the shaving cream, corn starch, and food coloring and started to experiment with it.

Random Guy wanted to get in on the action too. So I set him up
with vinegar and baking soda.

Random Guys experiment and SensiGirls formulations ended up getting put together and this is what we got.

SensiGirl stuck with this project for an hour, which for her is quite the accomplishment.  We were able to keep most of the mess in the baking pans. I found they are better for containing messes than the trays that the used in preschool and ECFE.

Sensory Recipes

image from: http://www.duhbe.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/eat2.png

Here are some sticky, slimy, gooey, chalky recipes these are classified as non- edible so keep a close eye on your SensiKid if they still put things in their mouth or have pica:

best play dough recipe
http://www.bestrecipes.com.au/recipe/Play-Dough-L926.html

side walk chalk paint (edible, but it's supposed to be paint.)
http://momscraftyspace.blogspot.com/2011/05/sidewalk-chalk-paint.html

gloop/glop/gak/ooblick
http://www.earthskids.com/sensoryrecipes.aspx#gak

dryer lint dough
http://www.ehow.com/how_5696083_make-play-dough-dryer-lint.html

slime/flubber
http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/glue-borax-gak

baking soda clay
http://thenewnew.blogspot.com/2011/07/baking-soda-clay.html

shaving cream bath paint
http://mommyapolis.com/hands-on/shaving-cream-bath-paints/

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SensiGirl always checks to see what I am making in the kitchen.  Sometimes I make something she can help me with. Here are some recipes that fulfill her sensory needs but are edible:

pizza dough
http://www.grouprecipes.com/71559/pizza-dough-or-bread-sticks.html

taffy
http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/sticky-stretchy-stuff-714859/

crispy rice treats- a link to many variations
http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-00,rice_krispie_treats,FF.html

oreo truffles
http://candy.about.com/od/kidfriendlytreats/r/oreotruffles.htm

image from:http://jennphan.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/nomess.jpg

For when you don't want to clean up the mess, here are some game apps from Shoe the Goose with real recipes:
http://shoethegoose.com/
We like
 cookie doodle
candy doodle
cake doodle

Have fun! Let me know if you have any cool sensory recipes you want to share.