child who wants sensory input

[Kathy G]

Hi

 

I know there is a word for this and I can't remember it. (haven't had my caffeine yet- that may be the issue!)

 

My DD is very touchy feely and it isn't to the point where it is annoying but I want to do some reading on it. I know it can fall in Dabrowski's sensual overexcitibility. In about 2 months I will finally have some time to read some books and I would like to order some on this sort of thing if anyone has recommendations. My big concern is not for now- it is for when she is a teen and starts dating- we have several years- she is 7! She isn't overly anxious- loves new activities and is the first one to make friend on the playground. I have read "The Anxious Child" and that doesn't describe her. She just wants to constantly be touching something. A friend suggested one of thos hanging swings for her to use with ho,eschool- I have no idea whether that will help- we may try it- they are not cheap.

 

Any thoughts?

[Dmmetler]

Do you have a place to put a swing in general, inside or out? It doesn't necessarily have to be one of the fancy therapy swings-just a porch swing or a swing set will do. We have one on our back porch and then a back yard set, and both get regular use. A mini trampoline is good, too, as is a balance ball or balance cushion indoors. Basically, something to involve that vestibular system.

 

The other thing I've found is this-when DD's mind is fully engaged, she's largely still and much less touchy. When we get into the rocking, bouncing, touching, chewing, spinning stuff is when there's not enough going on to fire all cylinders and she's actually trying to stay on task and listen. If you don't allow that outlet for the extra motion, her brain starts firing off random stuff and she really can't concentrate. So consider carefully whether you're providing the right level of input for school stuff.

[Tracy]

It sounds like Sensory Processing Disorder. The Out-of-Sync Child is a good read on that topic.

[junepep]

She sounds a lot like my youngest. Mim loves meeting new people and talking, but she's also requires an incredible amount of sensory and physical stimuli. Before I realised that she just wasn't getting enough stimuli she was really hard for me to get a handle on. I was terrified that there was something wrong with her because I could tell that she was bright, but I just couldn't reliably reach her.

 

We bought a jumpstart indoor trampoline, it's huge, it's loud, it can't ever be put up because it doesn't fold, and watching Mim on it has given me more gray hairs than anything other than the trees in our backyard, but my youngest sensory-craving daughter loves it. Within a month of getting she started climbing up on the handlebars and jumping off or doing various gymnastics tricks (is standing on the bars and falling to the wall and then handwalking up and down it), recently she's realised that if she tied a thick strap on each bar she could turn the bars into a swing for sitting and standing on. Luckily now that she's approaching 5 she spends more time in imaginative play instead of thinking up new ways to endanger herself.

 

The other two things that helped was getting a lot of children's instruments (plus a full electric piano and my old guitar) and allowing her to smash, bash and combine them in any way she wanted to (except for standing or kneeling on the guitar - but playing with her feet or hair/head/ears was okay) and we started Science! She loves nature study and taking samples or pictures. She adores playing with the mini-indoor/outdoor microscope that I bought for her sister (who is now graduated to a regular elementary microscope) and 'experimenting' out in our backyard pond and the sandbox.

 

Te winter and deep summer months are the hardest, but I try to find a balance between my oldest who can't tolerate too much sensory input and my youngest who requires too much. Luckily they've learned to accomodate eachother to some extent.

 

PS - We also put youtube videos up on the TV (I love the historyteachers, melodysheep's syphony of science channels, any video with Hilary Hahn (she likes that Hilary wears really pretty dresses, although she is very sad that she's not blonde) and any of the instrumental videos of Lindsay Stirling... I put them on Mim can run back and forth endlessly across the living room (or twirl dance herself sick) and Kit can stay or wander off out of hearing range depending on how she's feeling that day.

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

It sounds like Sensory Processing Disorder. The Out-of-Sync Child is a good read on that topic.

 

 

 

This is a great book. Worth reading even if it turns out a child doesn't have Sensory Processing Disorder.

[clemota]

It sounds like Sensory Processing Disorder. The Out-of-Sync Child is a good read on that topic.

 

That book and it's cousin: The Out-of_Sync Child Has Fun were the most help to us. Trampolines, swings, cocooning, massaging, and wrestling all help with the strong desire for sensory input. We have one of these for when swinging and jumping isn't an option (and it's portable - great for trips.)

 

The Wilbarger Brushing Protocol can help with this as well - it uses a soft nylon brush and a series of brushes and compressions. We learned it from our OT, but there is a lot of info about it online, as well as

explaining how to do it. It seems to either work really well, or not at all for kids with sensory processing disorder. For us it was a godsend, and ended the daily tantrums my daughter had been having because she was so out of touch with her body.

 

It's a lifelong issue. If she starts to learn now how to deal with the need for sensory input, she'll know how to recognize and deal with it when she's a teen :-)

 

One of my daughter's favorite books is The Goodenoughs Get in Sync a fictional account of a family who each have different aspects of SPD. It's really helped her connect with and feel better about her sensory issues.

[Kathy G]

Thanks everyone! I just got the out of sync book and have been reading al afternoon (and avoiding my own work!). I think she fits in some ways but is likely mild. These are great suggestions and with a birthday coming up soon I can get some ideas for presents too!

 

Clemota... For the super shape changer may I ask how the size correlates? Mine is a size 7/8 girl. Do you have the green one? I am wondering if it will be big enough

 

Kathyk

[clemota]

I do have the green one - the length on it with no one in it is 47", but the material is SUPER stretchy - my DD is now 10 and still fits in it. Heck, even I just tried it on and I'm 5'8"! We got it for her when she was 6, so I think it would fit a size 7/8 child just fine.

 

For being a product from Oriental Trading Company, it's surprisingly durable. The velcro sticks to the fabric sometimes and causes the fabric to pill in that location, but other than that it's been a wonderful purchase.

[The Governess]

Gymnastics has been great for my sensory seeker. She goes six hours a week and she is truly a different child when she gets enough input - she's calmer, more focused, sleeps well... best thing we ever did for her. :)

 

ETA: I get kicked and head-butted a lot less frequently now, too ;)

[Tracy]

Thanks everyone! I just got the out of sync book and have been reading al afternoon (and avoiding my own work!). I think she fits in some ways but is likely mild.

 

 

 

We actually had my ds evaluated, and the OT declined to diagnose it, because he was able to overcome his sensitivities (he is a sensory avoider) when he wanted something, rationalizing that it is not a serious impairment in his life. But even though we couldn't get a diagnosis and therapy, SPD still is the best explanation for many of his behaviors. Knowing that make a lot of difference.

[Dmmetler]

I think SPD is one of those things they don't like diagnosing if the IQ is too high. DD ended up with a label of being "borderline" for SID (and aspergers) but in both cases, we were told that it was part of her being PG and that, basically, she'd figure it out over time. And she has improved a lot, but I do wonder how much of that is because I've handled it at home as though she was on the OTHER side of that borderline.

[quark]

Would something like silly putty or thinking putty work in addition to all else that has been suggested here? My DS needs to be doing something with his hands all the time and we have tins of the stuff all over the place, including in my purse for when we are outdoors.

[morgan]

I found the book Sensational Kids http://www.amazon.com/Sensational-Kids-Children-Processing-Disorder/dp/0399533079 to very helpful even though my dd doesn't technically have SPD but is very sensitive. Although I have read a lot of other SPD type books, this one in particular helped me relate to what kind of things was annoying my dd throughout a typical day. It was far more helpful than OT for us.

 

I agree with the others that have suggested gymnastics, swings, trampoline, and brushing. I would also consider swimming, the warm water and the movement seem to be very therapeutic and my dd is so much more relaxed on swimming days. I have talked to other parents that feel the same. Also, I would look into one of those bouncy balls to sit on instead of a chair. They make kid sized ones and they are great for sitting on and slightly bouncing while doing school work :)

[Momof3littles]

Some things you could try, although obviously sensory issues aren't one sized fits all, and some kids crave certain input and avoid others-

wheelbarrow walking and crabwalk soccer

swinging

move n sit cushion

sitting on a therapy ball for lessons (may need a stand for it depending on her core strength and balance

weighted or compression vest

safe areas for jumping

being rolled up and squeezed like a "burrito"

 

Sensational Kids and the Out of Sync books are good. Consulting with an OT might be worthwhile to better understand her sensory needs and curtail a sensory diet to her specific needs. They even will look into using different types of swings, as the different types of swings available provide different input

[kiwik]

I don't know whether it is the same think but ds6 needs so much physical contact - if he had his way he would be on my knee and/or in my arms most of the day. The rest of the time he would be physically active. It is exhausting and can drive ds3 and I nuts. Well meaning people tell me to just push him away but I don't think that is the answer.

 

I sympathise with what you are going through.

[kohlby]

My two boys have sensory issues. There's were extreme when they were younger - especially my oldest. (Though it was my youngest who was incapable of eating until 2 years old, while the other was *just* 18 months). My oldest is a seeker in more ways than not however. The Out of Synch Child Has Fun had a lot of great ideas. His SPD was never diagnosed. My old ped looked at my physically healthy child and didn't think it was an issue - and I was a first time mother who listened to the ped - but then tried to come up with solutions on my own. It was a lot of work to get through it. I wish I had known to have him in therapy. We did get through it though. He still has sensory issues, of course, but they're managable now. Managable means a lot!! He's almost 10 years old and most wouldn't even notice that he has it anymore.

 

*The compression shirt was wonderful for my youngest. He was doing a lot of twitching - like over 20 episodes in 5 minutes whenever he was still. He still twitched when active, but not as much. A compression shirt made him able to twitch less and focus much better. We also switched him to a higher protien diet and that helped immensly as well.

 

*As for needing more, I had to schedule roughhouse time for my oldest or there would have been way too much hitting/biting/kicking. I also had to be out of the house almost constantly when he was younger. He's the reason I decided to homeshool - I knew he would always be in trouble in public kindy due to his behaviors and he was incapable of suppressing them at that time. Alternatives were helping, but all day kindy in public school would have been torture, for him and the rest of the class!

[ThoughtfulMama]

I think an OT eval may be helpful if you want to go that route. I have a friend who says a weighted vest has done wonders for her son. They also had a weighted blanket for lounging/reading/watching tv because needed more downtime than he was able to accomplish on his own.

[Uff Da!]

nm