Sensory Diet Activities For Children With Sensory Processing Disorder

Many activities can provide needed vestibular (movement) and proprioceptive (body awareness) sensory input for children with sensory processing disorder. A sensory smart pediatric occupational therapist can design a unique sensory diet for your child that incorporates such activities, which will help keep a child's sensory needs met throughout the day and, over time, actually retrain his system to function more typically. Alas, parents often find themselves frustrated by their child's unwillingness to participate in activities that would seem perfect for meeting the child's sensory needs. This makes it difficult to carry through the sensory diet at home and at school when the OT isn't there coaxing and coaching the child.
It can be a challenge to find activities that provide movement (vestibular input) and compression and pulling apart of joints (proprioceptive input) that the child with sensory issues will willingly engage in. In part, this is due to the increased anxiety kids with SPD and/or autism experience (remember, children with autism almost always have sensory processing issues but a child can have sensory processing disorder without having autism). Often, individualized sports and private lessons, such as bowling or swimming, where the child doesn't feel she has to compete with others who are more coordinated than she is, are a good bet. Physical activities that incorporate other interests, such as dancing to music she likes, can be excellent choices because the child's natural attraction to some aspect of the activity may help get her past her anxiety about her lack of body awareness and coordination. Martial arts and yoga work well for many kids with SPD, in part because they can be individualized and involve body awareness and minimal stimulation (for instance, there isn't a lot of noise or children moving about quickly when they practice).
At school, the child with SPD (sensory processing disorder) may need an adaptive gym class at school in order to be able to get the sensory input she needs without going into sensory overload, withdrawing, or becoming upset and even aggressive.
Whether at school, at home, or away, always consider the environment in which your child with sensory issues is exercising. Is it echoey, with the squeak of sneakers against a hardwood floor? Can she stand the smell of chlorine at the pool? Think about ways to alter the environment so she can better tolerate it. Perhaps your child would be better off with a dance class that involves quieter music, no mirrors, and a smaller group. Pools that are kept clean without chlorine and activities in an open field, large room with few echoes, or on a nearly empty playground may be less distressing for her.
If the child is verbal, ask him what is making him reluctant to engage in the activity. It may be that his system needs to be perked up with energizing music or a little super sour candy because he is in a state of low arousal. Or, it may be that he is feeling hypersensitive and uncomfortable in his body, and needs some calming, focusing activities before engaging in something more active and stimulating.
Planning for the activity, giving concrete information and details about what is involved and the sequence of activities, and working with the coach or teacher to accommodate your child's reluctance can all make it easier for your child with sensory processing issues to push himself to get the sensory input his system needs. Whenever possible, work with a sensory smart OT who can observe your child, analyze what is holding him back, and help you to strategize ways to get him moving. You might be surprised at how much your OT is able to get your child to do in the low-pressure, inviting environment of a sensory gym where he is free from the eyes of curious onlookers and is receiving support for working through his anxiety as he tries new activities. Once past his initial fear of, say, a swing, he may be willing to try it out in a different environment, such as on the playground.
Every child's sensory needs are different. The more you and your OT know about your child and ways to accommodate his needs with clever strategies, activities, and toys and equipment that make movement fun, the easier it will be to meet his sensory needs. Over time, these activities will increase his comfort in his body and environment. Develop sensory smarts and you can help your child to do so as well.

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Helping the Child Who Has Sensory Processing Issues

There's something up with a child you know. He's clumsy, picky, always on the move, or flopped in a chair like a wet noodle. He's impulsive, intense, and quirky. Maybe he has a learning disability, ADHD, or autism, or maybe not, but his behavior and responses to everyday sensations are puzzling. Why does he withdraw or act out? Why are transitions so difficult? Can he really hear the fluorescent lights that he claims are distracting him?
It's very likely that this child you're concerned about has sensory processing disorder, also known as SPD or sensory integration dysfunction. An estimated 1 in 20 children and almost all children with autism have SPD.
The nervous system of a child with sensory processing disorder is wired atypically, causing her body to process everyday sensations differently. Unable to rely on her senses to give her an accurate picture of what is going on in her body and her world, she is prone to anxiety, distractibility, impulsivity, and frustration. A child with SPD will tune out or act out when overstimulated. The need for sensory input such as movement and touch can be so overpowering that the child truly can't control her need to seek it out. An everyday sound or sensation may be experienced as so intense that it sets off a primitive fear response, also known as a fight-or-flight response. Many of us have difficulty tuning out background noise, or prefer clothes that fit a certain way. These are sensory preferences. When a child's sensory issues interfere significantly with learning and playing, he needs the help of an occupational therapist and a sensory smart adult who can teach him how to feel more comfortable in his body and environment.
Fortunately, many of the accommodations that can make a huge difference in the life of a child who has sensory issues are simple and inexpensive. Here are just a few:

• Cut out clothing tags, turn socks inside out or buy seamless ones, and avoid clothing with embroidery and elastic that will touch the skin and create distracting, irritating sensations.
• To tolerate the intense sensation of having his teeth brushed, the child with SPD may need to use nonfoaming toothpaste and have his mouth and lips desensitized by using a vibrating toothbrush or even just gently pressing a hand-held vibrator against his cheek, jaws, and lips before attempting to brush.
• To calm and focus a child with sensory issues, you can try applying deep pressure against the skin as you compress her joints. Hugging, or pressing pillows against her body or rolling her up in a blanket to play "burrito" are often enjoyable ways for a child to get input. Always pay close attention to what a child is telling you, in words or body language, about her response to sensory input. Do not upset her with unwanted touch.
• In school or at home, allow him to sit on an exercise ball or an inflatable cushion, with a smooth or bumpy surface. This will meet the movement needs of a child who just has to be able to squirm and help the child with poor body awareness to better sense where his body is when he's seated. When these needs for movement and body awareness are met, the sensory child will focus better on listening, eating, or doing schoolwork.
• Provide a quiet retreat when she's overwhelmed by the sensory onslaught of everyday life. Whether she sits alone with you in a car outside of a party or restaurant, or in a quiet, darkened room, listening to relaxing music on a personal music player with headphones, a sensory break can do wonders for a child's ability to tolerate her environment.

A pediatric occupational therapist who is both trained and experienced in helping children with sensory issues can work with parents and teachers to plan and carry out activities for the child that can help him or her function better at home, at school, and away. She can also help problem solve and discover accommodations that will ease the child's discomfort, and set up a "sensory diet" of activities that will help him. Whether working on a consultation basis, in a sensory gym nearby, at home or at school, the right sensory smart OT can make a huge difference for a child with sensory processing disorder.

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Diagnosing Autism and the Differences With Sensory Integration Disorder

When it comes to diagnosing autism, there are many different factors that need to be considered. This is because the autism spectrum disorders have such a vast range of potential symptoms and no two cases are alike. Therefore, it is very easy to mistake autism for another condition. Among the most common mistakes when diagnosing autism is not understanding the difference between being on the spectrum, and sensory integration disorder.
This leads to the question of whether autism spectrum disorder and sensory integration disorder (also known as sensory processing disorder) are the same condition, or at the very least if they are related. Does one exclude the other? To begin, they are considered to be completely separate disorders, but to further understand them, Dr. Lucy Jane Miller performed a study "Quantitative psychophysiologic evaluation of Sensory Processing in children with autistic spectrum disorders", involving 40 high functioning autism or Aspergers Syndrome children who were tested for sensory integration disorder.
Dr Miller's results showed 78 percent of the participating children also displayed notable signs of sensory integration disorder. While, 22 percent of the participants did not show signs. However, a secondary study by the same researchers, "Relations among subtypes of Sensory Modulation Dysfunction" looked into children diagnosed with sensory integration disorder and tested them to see how many also had autism. Within that experiment, zero percent of the participants had autism. The reason that this is interesting is that while children with autism can exist without having sensory integration disorder, the majority show signs of the condition. On the other hand, there is no inclination toward autism in children who have only sensory integration disorder.
Children with both disorders demonstrate challenges with high-level tasks that involve the integration of different areas of the brain. This can include emotional regulation as well as complex sensory functions. However, the key to diagnosing autism as opposed to sensory integration disorder usually lies in the fact that autistic children experience greater problems in the areas of language, empathy, and social skills. Sensory integration disorder children do not experience the same connective breakdowns for controlling emotional empathy and social interaction.
In both disorders, children experience difficulties in tasks that require their brains to make long-distance connections, for example, between the frontal lobes (which coordinate the activities of the brain) and with the cerebellum (which regulates the perceptions and responses within the brain).
If you think that your child may have one or both of these disorders, it is important to speak to your child's pediatrician for autism diagnosing or identification of sensory integration disorder on its own or in combination with autism. If autism or autism alongside sensory integration disorder is the diagnosis, then you will be able to begin talking about the possible treatments available. These treatments can include various medications as well as alternative therapies and may overlap in terms of addressing aspects of both conditions simultaneously. For example many children with autism benefit from sensory integration therapies that also work well for children with sensory integration disorder.

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Do You See, Hear, Feel, and Smell Too Much? Could it Be Sensory Processing Disorder?

The senses take in sensory information, but the brain does not process them correctly. A person who is ultra-sensitive to environmental input (see, smell, hear, taste, touch, movement, balance, body position) can feel overloaded, anxious, tense, or scared. A feeling of the "fight or flight" response can set in.
The SPD Foundation writes on their website,

"Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD, formerly known as "sensory integration dysfunction") is a condition that exists when sensory signals don't get organized into appropriate responses. Pioneering occupational therapist and neuroscientist A. Jean Ayres, PhD, likened SPD to a neurological "traffic jam" that prevents certain parts of the brain from receiving the information needed to interpret sensory information correctly."

Both children and adults can have SPD. Today, it is primarily children who are treated by an occupational therapist specializing in sensory integration therapy. More adults are learning about SPD and recognizing that they may have had this their entire lives and have adapted in ways that can both help or hinder their lives.
Here are ways that an adult with Sensory Processing Disorder can adapt:

• Avoiding situations such as a state fair or amusement parks
• At family gatherings, wandering off to a quiet place for a while to rest from the sensory input
• Doing balancing exercises
• Taking Tae Kwon Do to improve body position awareness
• Closing windows in the summer when the neighbors are using leaf blowers
• Muting commercials and looking away from the fast-moving images
• Wearing clothes that are soft
• Cutting labels out of clothing
• At meetings, sitting at the head of the conference table so the sound and movement is coming from one direction
• Doing grocery shopping and other errands only early in the morning when the stores are quiet
• Never shopping on Black Friday
• Exercising
• Going to sensory integration therapy
• Seeking inputs such as scented candles or perfume
• Listening to music in surround sound or with headphones

This list is only a few of the adaptation or avoidance techniques that a child or adult may do because each person reacts differently.

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Losing Friends May Happen When Raising a Child With Sensory Processing Disorder

My child got diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder when he was 5 years old. Before that time, doctors told me that he'd grow out of his screaming and crying when I tried to dress him and that he was just a picky kid who was slow to move and to listen. Five years ago, doctors weren't as familiar with the signs of Sensory issues, or the Autistic Spectrum, and they just classified my hyper son as ADHD.
Over the years, I've learned so many things that work for my son. We keep the house low on stimulation, with little TV, music or computers. I know that he takes time to transition so we make sure he wakes up really early every day, which means he has to get to bed early every night. Because he takes ADHD medication to get through school, he often can't sleep at night so in addition to our night time prayers, he gets a melatonin to help him sleep. I know that if he doesn't sleep well, that morning will be a disaster.
I also know that Jeremy needs a lot of activity which means that sports are a priority in our house. I have spoken to the teachers and explained that while he has inattention, that ADHD is not the core to his issues, it's an underdeveloped system that is still building. It's the body, not the brain that is the issue. Additionally, he has auditory processing disorder so we're aware that he has to be told things a number of time and we have to get his attention first before talking.
All of this awareness took trial and error and thankfully, because we changed his diet, his defiance is mostly gone. That happened in a few short weeks, by getting the preservatives out, high fructose corn syrup out, and the vitamins into his system. We stopped doing white bread and gave him healthy alternatives. The difference in his behavior was and is remarkable. He can now eat a bunch of candy or chips and he's off the wall within 15 minutes.
Imagine the complaining that we get from an 8 year old who wants to get high on candy like his peers. We have to set limits and we discuss it thoroughly. We let him have candy or sugar if there is nothing planned but outdoor activity. Otherwise, we tell him that he will have to live with his behavior and if he can't control himself and if and when he goes a bit nuts while having a sugar high, which can be hyper or annoyed and whiny or uncomfortable somehow. The result is never fun.
Imagine a child though who has mostly gotten through a lot of these issues. At age 8, he's able to mostly determine how to conduct himself and when he doesn't, his mom is right there making sure he apologizes to the kids or to the parents or whomever. He is on ADHD medicine which helps his impulsivity and constant talking but there are days when he still has to apologize. But, he doesn't keep repeating these things over and over. He finally gets the message usually by us taking away play dates. He changes his behavior immediately when he knows he'll lose privileges.
So I guess I understand when I kept hearing our best friends slip when they were talking about the evenings their families got together and noticeably we weren't invited. Over and over it happened this summer and my husband and I explained it away that they're all on the same baseball team or all go to the same school. But then, last weekend at the Cub Scout campout, I realized how mean their boys were to Jeremy! Jeremy told me that they told him they didn't want to play with him. They didn't give a reason, they just told him to go away.
When we got home, I tried to put together a Halloween party for us all and mentioned that perhaps my friends could mention this to their sons and that whatever I needed to do to get Jeremy in line, I'd do. Their answer? "We need to talk".
At first I told them I'd talk, and I shared with them by email that I'm sure that Jeremy was hurt, because I was hurt that they had stopped socializing with us, and that shouldn't we learn how to deal with our differences? And regardless, no one should be mean in spite of our challenges. If it were me, I'd go right to the parent and tell him or her that their child was saying inappropriate things, or I'd go right to the child and share with them that saying hurtful things aren't going to win friends and then demonstrate another way of doing it. I would have shared with them to come to me if Jeremy was saying anything or doing anything that wasn't nice as well.
But, nope, my friends have chosen to not socialize with us unless they have to, and because of that, I'm now reevaluating whether I want to talk it through or even hang with them at all. After all it was them who heard me share my frustration of trying to figure my child out, and they knew how difficult my daily life was and were there as things got better and better. And I never dreamed that they'd decide that they'd stop seeing us because of it and can't imagine that they think this was the right thing to do. And perhaps if they would have talked with me first, then I would have been a bit more open to hearing about how frustrating it was from their end.
Instead, my husband and I have discussed that some people just cut others off without saying anything about it, even if they're your so called best friends. They don't know what it's like to raise a child with a disability and they would rather not deal with it. And even though I've told them I'll talk with them about it, I feel like I've been kicked in the gut and I don't even want to be around them right now. Perhaps in time, I'll understand that they didn't know how to discuss this with me in the first place and that they may feel that the kids need to get older before they should play together. But I'll never understand why a person would not apologize for their child being rude or mean. It's just a different way of handling things I guess.
We all grow in compassion when we go through trials and challenges and make it out on the other side. Perhaps I have had to lose our best friends temporarily so I can be of service to another family who will go through the same thing. It's not fun, but perhaps its part of life when you're dealing with a child who is a bit out of the box.
I found this quote that I thought was a great line:
A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out."
~ Walter Winchell
And it made me realize, perhaps they weren't really friends who would be there through thick and thin. That was the most hurtful thing at all that I thought they were real friends and instead they were just friends out of convenience not commitment.

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Learning to Live with Sensory Processing Disorder Successfully

I've spent thousands of dollars on Occupational therapy for my son who has had Sensory Processing Disorder and ADHD. I believe in Occupational Therapy and who knows where we'd be if we didn't have the OT. But I've found how to integrate it into our life, and save us some money.
My son loved OT and I know the many benefits that he received from it. But it didn't come without a struggle. Each session was $60 per half hour, or $120 an hour. I loved seeing him thrash around in the mats, swinging on the swings or spinning, running and jumping. I knew that he was getting mental benefits as well as physical and we continued the work at home by doing jumping on the trampoline, wheel barrels and crab crawls. But the money I was spending without being reimbursed started to cut into other things I wanted to do for my son. For instance, I wanted to get him allergy testing, but that $1300 for the test was something I'd have to save for, so we cut out OT.
I've made hundreds of little changes in our lifestyle over the past year and a half since I became somewhat educated about my child's needs. It truly has been a series of trying something and seeing if it worked, and trying another to see if that worked. Some days, it seems we have moved forward several steps, but then we can take several steps backwards in one day, or one giant, dramatic episode.
Here are a few things I've learned about my son. I need complete structure in the house and with his routine. He gets up at a certain time, eats, bathes and does story time every day and every night. We have to plan far in advance to do something out of the ordinary, and the whole house has to be set up to accommodate that. That means, if we have cub scouts or basketball practice, then the house has to be clean before he gets home and I will focus 100% of my time on him before he goes. If we have a play date, the date wraps up at exactly 5PM so I can get home and get dinner on the table by 6:15 and have him in the tub by 7PM. His bedtime is strictly 8:30 and there is no negotiating.
I've learned that I have to spend more time with him in the afternoon. I get all of my work and chores done during the day around my work, so when he gets home, I play with him and part of that play is his OT. He jumps on the trampoline, we box, wrestle, go hunting for treasures in the yard or go for a walk. The afternoon routine always consists of homework and exercise.
I have learned that TV and play dates with other kids are rewards. For good behavior, he can watch a cartoon. He does not get to plop down in front of the TV whenever he wants or turn on the computer. He has to do his home work and gets to play with friends if he has good and we usually plan these play dates. We do this so there is not much stimulation and there isn't a lot of chance where he can get over stimulated.
All throughout the morning and day and evening, I rub Jeremy's muscles. I scratch his back and affectionately massage his legs, arms or feet. In the bathtub I scrub him with a washcloth and he always makes sure that I get under his armpits! That wash cloth takes the place of the OT brush and the massage he gets throughout the day must help too. He doesn't seem to complain about it because I tell him we want to warm up his muscles and keep him in shape.
I have asked Jeremy to help me get in shape so we do push ups together, crab crawls and bear crawls. We race each other and we compete. In the evenings or in the mornings, I have my husband wrestle with Jeremy or have Jeremy try to push my husband over by pushing his hands against my husbands' hands. This helps with the upper body strength and is similar to wall push ups. The wrestling is good for his body as well and acts like the mats in therapy.
Bath time used to be the worst time of the day. Getting him in and out of the tub was a literal nightmare. I dreaded it for the hour before bath time. Now, I give him choices. He can stay in the tub for the whole time or he can get out and watch 15 minutes of TV. He has choices to make and it doesn't matter to me which choice he makes, it is up to him. He usually gets out the tub to watch a few minutes of TV. I have stopped screaming for him to get out of the tub. I simply give him a choice of two things: tub or TV. If he chooses to stay up for longer than he is supposed to, then he loses a play date with friends the next day. If he gets in bed on time, then he gets a special reward and I'll make a special play date for him the next day if I'm able.
We've experimented with no dairy, magnet therapy, supplements and tae kwan do. We've done allergy testing, toxin testing and are hoping to do Mind mapping in the near future. My goal is to get him off of any type of ADHD medication. We'll keep doing different therapies until we've found the magic potion of what works for him. We regularly read healing scriptures and the Psalms in the Bible.
We are on a journey together and I'm definitely not "there" but I have learned a few things along the way. I've learned that my child needs me to keep him comfortable and needs me to structure his life. I've learned that yelling isn't the answer and that building up his body is a process but it's one that is worth the effort. I've learned that putting him first above everything else has worked for me. My career is on hold. Marketing is on hold. Moving ahead with dream projects are on hold. Jeremy has my complete and full attention at the moment.
I've never worked so hard in my life. I don't even eat sugar or drink alcohol much anymore because it might affect my mood and I just don't have time to slow down. I do many of my workouts at home with hand weights, pushups and lunges because I know I need to be strong for this journey.
My son has made me into a better person. His challenges that he had early on due to a premature delivery has made us all work harder in our life. But I see a remarkable person developing right in front of me. He's smart about nutrition and exercise. He understands the value of hard work. He sees that when he eats well and exercises that people comment positively on his body. He has such in depth knowledge of historical bible characters from the cartoons, that he often shares pearls of wisdom with me from the leaders of the Bible. He understands that everyone is a little bit the same like that we all have skin, eyes and hair, and that we're all a little different, in our attitudes, beliefs and actions.
I feel honored to have a child that has had challenges in life out of the gates. He changed my attitude of entitlement to one of hard work and commitment and devotion. I would never give up the last several years of incredible struggle and learning that we've gone through. Now I know what it takes for him to have a good day. It takes muscle work, good food to feed his body, reading to him, being with him and loving him.
Sensory Processing Disorder is a situation that can cause families to be in crisis and have chaos. When the kids are whiney and uncomfortable and mom and dad aren't sleeping, the whole family life is turned upside down. There is hope though, and I hope one day I'll be able to say that all of my discoveries are things that worked over the long haul, but for right now, they seem to, and I'm going to continue to integrate our OT, healthy eating and nurturing of my son into our daily routine.

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Testing Accommodations For Students With Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)

If your child with sensory processing disorder and/or autism has an IEP (individual education plan) or a 504 plan, it may include accommodations for test taking to make it easier for him to do his best given his underlying issues and any learning disabilities he has. Think of testing accommodations like glasses for someone who is nearsighted and can't read the blackboard: You can't get a clear picture of what that child understands if he can't see the problems and questions written on the board. And the "prescription," that is, the school sensory diet and accommodations, will have to fit the individual child.
If your sensory child is distracted by his sensory issues when he is taking the test, the results won't accurately reflect his knowledge. For example, a child with auditory issues may not be able to focus in a classroom filled with children because of the background noise that 23 children create-he might need to be in a room with fewer children, and at a separate table.
Sometimes, accommodations for the child with sensory processing issues don't have to be formalized into a 504 plan or an IEP if the teacher and others helping in the testing process are willing to consistently provide them for your child. There are many sensory aspects of the environment and the test-taking experience to consider. Pay attention to ambient sound as well as seating and lighting. Ask the child if he has difficulty focusing in particularly bright light, or under fluorescent lighting. As for sitting, an inflatable cushion on his chair, or a ball chair, may help him stay focused by providing needed proprioceptive (body awareness) and vestibular (movement) input. Sitting for long stretches may cause his mind to wander, more so than with a child who doesn't have sensory needs, and the movement these cushions and chairs provide can help a lot.
If your child has difficulty with handwriting, and grips pencils so tightly that his hand cramps and the point breaks, or so lightly that he is constantly dropping them and his marks are too light, he may need to do testing using a keyboard or with an aide to assist in filling in the circles. Hand exercises before writing can prevent hand cramping. Your school district's occupational therapist may be able to provide pencil grips, often sold in office supply stores as well as in therapy catalogues, for your child to use. (If your child does not get OT for handwriting issues that are interfering with his writing, consider formally requesting an evaluation, in writing.)
Then too, make certain your child gets plenty of sleep the night before testing, even if that means moving bedtime and waking time back by 10 or 15 minutes. It is easier to do this if you start several days ahead of time so that she can adjust to the change.
Make sure your child eats a good breakfast with protein that will keep his blood sugar steady and prevent mental and physical fatigue. Simplify your bedtime and morning routines to alleviate stress, so that he heads off to school on time and in a good, calm mood. If at all possible, have him walk or ride his bike or scooter to school so he gets focusing input before the day begins. Otherwise, you may want to drop him off at the schoolyard a few minutes early so he can get some movement and exercise before he enters the building. Encourage him to do some focusing physical activities (such as marching and touching his right hand to his upraised left knee then his left hand to his upraised right knee) before school and if possible, before the test and during breaks. Chair and wall pushups and stretching can help too. If he is not allowed to chew gum during the test, try giving him an oral toy to chew on to improve his focus-again, these can be found in therapy catalogues.
Don't forget to ask your child what accommodations he finds helpful. Kids can surprise you with their awareness of what they need to do their best. Finally, be sure your child knows that doing her best is all you expect of her, that grades and scores don't matter as much as perseverance, progress, and a good attitude. Ease her anxiety by sending her off to test day with a big hug and a promise of a special treat, whether it is video games on a weekday, her favorite supper, or a rare sugary treat at the end of the day.

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