My son had his evaluation and I could not feel more lost.

Rebecca - posted on 05/08/2012

Have you looked into "the Out of Sync Child" and "The Out of Sync Child Has Fun"? Awesome books and very helpful for home therapy and DIY help. Not saying, give up on the OT, but my son would be nowhere without them.

Anne - posted on 04/18/2012

p.s.- if your son is having problems in school you might request a "manifestation determination" meeting. This is supposed to get everyone together and talk about how his problems are a manifestation of his disability- if he's not getting OT through school and yet his problems are a direct result of his sensory processing issues- which they most definately are- you may be in a position to insist on getting quicker services through his school system- and in addition ask for parent training on how to help him at home. If there is resistance or refusal- do an appeal. Sometimes schools just need that appeal thing to happen in order to do what they are supposed to do- even when it would benefit everyone- don't ask me why.

Anne - posted on 04/18/2012

I have an 11 year old with Autism Spectrum and numerous sensory processing issues. I wanted to respond because I have often felt lost and overwhelmed with the recommendations given by various therapists (and even other parents) and then guilty because I felt incapable of putting together a program. My child has also always been stubborn and hyper and really intense . . . and getting him to do anything is a challenge- let alone some of the complicated stuff that has been recommended.

I suggest- (1) keep asking for help, don't be afraid to tell people/providers, etc. that you are overwhelmed, confused and you need help putting these recommendations into practice. (2) keep an eye out for other providers- perhaps BETTER providers who can help you help your son (I should mention as you go along you'll get a better, quicker feel for who can actually offer you real help and who is just phoning it in (3) take advantage of all appeal processes that would allow you to get faster or more services- esp. if your son is aggressive- communicate that to those who provide services- let them know it is very important that you get help as he is a child "at risk".

(4) keep talking to different people- you'll find these kids are really different from one another- some parent's experiences will be closer to your own than others- some providers/teachers better at communicating and offering real specific help that makes sense to you.

(5) be patient with yourself. Don't think you're supposed to know it all or even do it all- very, very few of us are able to raise and help children like these without real, actual help.

good luck!

Penny - posted on 04/11/2012

For me what helps is our daily sensory routine . There is so much we can do at home .

We combine floor time, Occupational therapy exercises and a lot of visual therapy.

I believe that the most important ground to overcome a lot of the difficulties is through movement, but as some kids are stubborn ...we must find play ways to encourge them to take part....its not easy but through a lot of patience and imagination it is possible....

Erin - posted on 03/10/2012

One of the big things that has always helped with my son is applying pressure, but you would want to speak to your doctor first because of the muscle tone issues. We have different games where he will lie on his back and I will push on his feet with his legs bent and he will push back and try to straighten his legs. Same thing with the arms, and we push down on his shoulders. As I said before, please check with your doctor before trying any of this, if he doesn't have the muscle tone for it, you could end up putting too much strain on his skeletal system.



Aside from that, we will use a sensory brush on his arms, legs and back to help him calm down and before bed. We also have a 4' diameter trampoline in the living room and spend as much time outside doing physical play (running and such) as possible. We do live in Colorado, so the weather is not always cooperative, but when it snows he comes out with us and helps us with his kid size snow shovel.



It helped for us to turn all the activities into a game. Reward systems can also help. My son is 6 years old now, but he was diagnosed at 3 and we have been doing the therapies ever since. They are now part of our daily routine which we stick to as closely as possible. Consistency helps a lot, I know it is a struggle, but it does get easier and the good days will become more frequent.

Laura - posted on 03/07/2012

My son is 3 years old, will be 4 in July. He is a sensory seeker. We try the list of heavy work activities and it is a struggle to get him to do them. We live in the Midwest, so outside activities are not always doable. The OT recommended a compression shirt to wear for 20 minutes prior to an activity and to not wear the shirt all day. But once the shirt is on it is a struggle to get him to remove it. I have a weighted vest on the way. Just not sure what else to try.

Annie - posted on 03/05/2012

How old is your son Laura. Can you plese give me a sense if he is a sensory seeker or sensory adverse? My daughter has a wonderful team of therapists, she is a sensory seeker and we are finding that heavy work, visual reinforcements, very clearly definted expectations are relieving the unacceptable behavior at school.

Ashley - posted on 02/27/2012

Yep - it is hard for us too. We just had to find stuff he liked - playdough, putty, a bin with dried beans in it that he looked for dinos in, etc. Some days one thing works, some days another. It is hard. Swings are good for vestibular stuff. Most kids like swings.

Laura - posted on 02/27/2012

Thank you very much!! I will look into these things. My son is 3 1/2. So trying to keep him interested is hard. I just have to keep trying!!

Ashley - posted on 02/27/2012

http://www.amazon.com/Spring-Swings-Twiz...

Here is the twisting thing we got - we put it in our basement for now. And it's fun.



http://www.amazon.com/Ball-Bounce-Sport-...

This has also helped his core muscles and strength immensely. And it's fun.



(don't know how old yours is, but mine was having such hard times at school - also very agressive - if he has this it is a disability, and at least here in the states (don't know where you are) they can't kick him out - you should talk to your special ed team because they will also help him.)



http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.c... These guys have tons of ideas for all different types of sensory input - and usually the kids need all of them - not just one.



http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.c...

Also, they use this at my son's Karate class and it really seems good for him.

Good luck, I will pass along more ideas as I think of them.

Ashley - posted on 02/27/2012

For the most part we do activities at home. We are going to be going to a feeding clinic, so we will be talking to the OT there about more OT work - we got our handouts from the school OT.

In general I think MOST of the work is done at home because it needs to be done every single day several times a day. Going to OT once a week just doesn't do it. We have had to find things he actually wants to do - like maybe pulling a bunch of stuff in a wagon, or we got something called a "twizzler" that he can spin on - and it works his core and arms. (Will provide a link) I also personally looked into hippotherapy - horse therapy. The riding really works on his core muscles which is supposed to be good for him, and the movement, etc. helps. There are several kids there with low muscle tone and the horses help a lot. Unfortunately it isn't cheap and we have to pay for it ourselves - insurance won't cover it. The OT will have you come in once a week, but they will just give you stuff to do at home mostly. I will link some ideas for you in a bit.