Helping sensory kid get comfortable with instability?

[Dmmetler]

I met with DD9's cheer coach. She's concerned (as am I) about DD moving up to the u13 team because they stunt at a higher level and a large percentage of scoring in u13 is based on stunting-and, as she says, she can't promise that they'll have the right numbers to allow DD to be an extra and not be part of a stunt group-if they have something that divides evenly into the correct number, the only way to leave DD out of a group would require leaving an entire stunt group out, which would probably lead to a lot of frustration from other girls against DD. And even if DD can do it in the gym, in a controlled setting, doing it at competition or exhibition when there's more noise, colors, smells, etc around her is totally different. I suspect if she hadn't had the meltdown at show night a few weeks ago, the coach wouldn't be nearly as worried-and the coach doesn't see it as "but she got through it and finished, even though it was hard for her"-the coach sees DD as a weak link.

 

DD could stay on u10 another year with a waiver-her coach doesn't think it would hard to get one for a really petite kid with SPD issues, but I don't think DD would see being asked to stay on a lower team in a rec program where placement is supposed to be based on age only as anything but a major failure in a sport she loves. Very literally, NO ONE has ever stayed on u10 once they were 10 in the time DD has been on the team. And DD's been on u10 for three years.

 

So, we're going to let her try the skills classes for u13 this summer. The big thing for DD isn't heights-she's fine being off the ground on a stable surface. It's also not even the tosses and motion-she actually likes that sort of thing as long as she feels that she's under control.But if a surface moves, it triggers that fight or flight response in her because she really does feel like she's going to plummet to her doom. And we're talking 12-13 yr old girls basing. It's NOT going to be a stable surface! The sad thing is that DD is actually quite easy to base-because she's so nervous, she does a good job of holding herself up and rigid, which makes her easy to lift and to keep stable, and add that to a small, light build, and it makes her about ideal if it weren't such a trigger for her anxiety-wise.

 

I'm trying to get her back in for an OT consult-which won't be covered by insurance, but will hopefully give her some things we can do at home. I've talked to the coaches at her tumbling classes, and they've got some ideas (unfortunately,the OT grad student who DD worked with her first year as part of the grad student's thesis has long since graduated and moved on), but I figured I'd ask the experts here, too. (I'm also looking for other options that I can offer-in the hopes that one of them will be attractive enough that she'd choose it over cheer next year).

 

It's one of these things that is kind of a grey area-it's not something that affects her life as a whole-but at the same time, I want to give her the chance to triumph over her body and develop that control if she can.

 

Does anyone have any ideas?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[LMV]

-Has she done any CBT work regarding the anxiety/panic piece of this?  I suspect she is definitely at a cognitive level where she could benefit from CBT.  At nine she may still be at an emotional level where she needs you and or DH to be learning the skills alongside her, modeling skills at home between sessions, and encouraging skills use in the moment.  You could do that though, and I think a lot of therapists who are trained to do CBT with younger children plan for this.

-If you're looking for a substitute sport for cheering perhaps consider artistic gymnastics.  I think she might find many of the things she liked about cheering in gymnastics and I think gymnastics might meet the "instability under her control" criteria. I realize you're probably not looking for the commitment involved in the USAG JO track but the Excel program in a USAG gym or a YMCA program might meet her needs and allow her to compete. You may also find that some aspects of gymnastics end up helping with some of the SPD as well.  There is some soft science out there that supports this.  The strength of evidence is not at a level that I would recommend everyone (or even anyone with a child not excited about the sport) rush to enroll their child in gymnastics but I have seen some of this for our own gymnastic child.  

 

Good Luck whatever path you and DD decide to take!

[LMV]

If you feel like sharing, how is the summer going?  Another thought for an alternative activity might be the Trampoline and Tumbling arm of gymnastics.  Some of her cheer tumbling should give her a place to start and she wouldn't have to contend with the other gymnastics apparatus.

 

[Dmmetler]

She's actually doing really well! She did her first pyramid last night ;)

[mommymonster]

How about a balance trainer (something like this: http://www.amazon.com/BOSU-Sport-Balance-Trainer-55cm/dp/B002GF79QA/ref=sr_1_23?s=exercise-and-fitness&ie=UTF8&qid=1404261095&sr=1-23) that she could start just balancing on with two feet, then one foot, then elevate the balance trainer (safely), and let her keep working on getting used to the feel of balancing in a safe, controlled environment?

[Dmmetler]

She has a balance disc for exactly that. We also have a boogie board.

[mommymonster]

If you already have them, do you use them at home in the quiet? If she does OK with them at home in the quiet, how about (with her permission) having her work with them when some of her SPD triggers are going on? I'm thinking things that would simulate the things she might encounter at a meet? Things like having the television on loudly, making it warmer, have people wandering around when she's trying to concentrate. If she's all good with that, how about taking them to the park when there are other people around?

[LMV]

She's actually doing really well! She did her first pyramid last night ;)

 

:hurray: Yay!  :hurray: