Ways to help kids with sensory disturbances focus

[Guest guest]

Hello all,

Well, I think I finally have enough time to sit down and do more than

scan a few notes; sorry it's taking so long. :-)

First, I wanted to recommend a few books to you; most of the ideas I

will post come from one or another of them. These are practical

books with ideas you can use right away; most have accompanying

workshops to further explain the information presented if you are

interested in exploring them further:

" Tools for Parents " and " Tools for Teachers, Parents, and Students " ,

from Henry OT

" How Does Your Engine Run? A Leader's Guide to The ALERT Program for

Self-regulation " , by and Shellenberger

" M.O.R.E: Integrating the Mouth with Sensory and Postural Functions " ,

by Oetter, Richter, and Frick

" Building Bridges through Sensory Integration " , by Yack, Suttton, and

Aquilla

Of these books, the " MORE " book is the most technical, IMO...the

others are very parent/teacher oriented.

Okay, now...what do you do if you have a child who cannot focus

during school or homework time, or cannot sit quietly for table

work? First thing you want to do, in my mind, is to look at what the

OT, SLP, PT, and teachers have told you by way of evaluation in terms

of specific sensory issues your child deals with. This will help you

create a road map for moving forward with the suggested ideas.

One of the big problems many children with autism and related

disorders face is sensory overload---too much information coming at

them at any given time. They lack the ability to filter out many of

the things that other people learn to ignore, and often cannot tamp

down sound, touch, or visual information enough to be able to deal

with other things. So one of the first things you will want to do is

take an objective look at the environment in which you expect your

child to work and see what can be done to take down the sensory

load. Is there a dishwasher or flourescent light on? Does the sound

of the clock or fridge running disturb your child? Is there a

bathtub filling somewhere? People with autism report that they can

hear water running through the pipes...consider even very faint

sounds as potentially disruptive. Look overhead; is there an

overhead fan or chandelier that is frightening your child? Turn off

anything that you can, or move your child to an area where these

things are less intense.

If you know, for instance, that your child is sensitive to light,

then look for ways to decrease the amount of lighting related

distractions your child is exposed to during the time you want

him/her to focus on academics. Use indirect lighting (making sure it

is adequate for the child to read/work with)...turn the blinds a bit

to decrease the sunlight coming in...try using beige paper instead of

white (decreases the light bounced back from the paper) or try pastel

colored plastic overlays over pages that are too bright...position

the child near light fixtures that use single bulbs instead of multi-

bulb units.

For auditory overload, try soft earplugs or headphones to dampen out

the sounds around the child...even a knitted headband/earmuff will

tone it down somewhat. Try playing a CD with gentle music, nature

sounds, or Native American drums for a few minutes before work time.

(One caution: Music can be very powerful; experiment with this

beforehand to see how your child will react to a particular piece of

music...if the response is negative, stop immediately.)

For tactile issues, position the child so that s/he will not be

surprised by sudden passersby. Consider the effect of breezes, etc

when choosing a place to work. A weighted lap pad or snake may help

the child feel calmer. (These are easy to make...I can post

instructions if you want.) If your child has a weighted vest

or " Bearhug " vest, have the child wear this during work time.

Okay... is awake, so life begins away from the computer for the

day. Let me know if this is helpful...next time I will post ways to

improve ability to sit quietly while working.

Raena

[Guest guest]

Let me know if this is helpful...next time I will post ways to

> improve ability to sit quietly while working.

>

> Raena

Thanks Raena~~

this is VERY helpful!!!!

nancy

[Guest guest]

Raena, these are excellent. Even with as far as has improved

in the last year these are applicable and reflect the difficulties he

has transitioning from school to the home environment. They also

apply to who is still without a diagnosis but most

definitely has strong sensory related issues. Thank you. :-)

[Guest guest]

Raena,

I wonder if any of these ideas might be helpful for at school?

Sue

Thanks!

[Guest guest]

Raena,

Can you post instructions on how to make a weighted lap pad or snake?

Do you have a pattern for a weighted vest too?

Thanks for all this helpful information.

Debbie

Ways to help kids with sensory disturbances

focus

Hello all,

Well, I think I finally have enough time to sit down and do more than

scan a few notes; sorry it's taking so long. :-)

First, I wanted to recommend a few books to you; most of the ideas I

will post come from one or another of them. These are practical

books with ideas you can use right away; most have accompanying

workshops to further explain the information presented if you are

interested in exploring them further:

" Tools for Parents " and " Tools for Teachers, Parents, and Students " ,

from Henry OT

" How Does Your Engine Run? A Leader's Guide to The ALERT Program for

Self-regulation " , by and Shellenberger

" M.O.R.E: Integrating the Mouth with Sensory and Postural Functions " ,

by Oetter, Richter, and Frick

" Building Bridges through Sensory Integration " , by Yack, Suttton, and

Aquilla

Of these books, the " MORE " book is the most technical, IMO...the

others are very parent/teacher oriented.

Okay, now...what do you do if you have a child who cannot focus

during school or homework time, or cannot sit quietly for table

work? First thing you want to do, in my mind, is to look at what the

OT, SLP, PT, and teachers have told you by way of evaluation in terms

of specific sensory issues your child deals with. This will help you

create a road map for moving forward with the suggested ideas.

One of the big problems many children with autism and related

disorders face is sensory overload---too much information coming at

them at any given time. They lack the ability to filter out many of

the things that other people learn to ignore, and often cannot tamp

down sound, touch, or visual information enough to be able to deal

with other things. So one of the first things you will want to do is

take an objective look at the environment in which you expect your

child to work and see what can be done to take down the sensory

load. Is there a dishwasher or flourescent light on? Does the sound

of the clock or fridge running disturb your child? Is there a

bathtub filling somewhere? People with autism report that they can

hear water running through the pipes...consider even very faint

sounds as potentially disruptive. Look overhead; is there an

overhead fan or chandelier that is frightening your child? Turn off

anything that you can, or move your child to an area where these

things are less intense.

If you know, for instance, that your child is sensitive to light,

then look for ways to decrease the amount of lighting related

distractions your child is exposed to during the time you want

him/her to focus on academics. Use indirect lighting (making sure it

is adequate for the child to read/work with)...turn the blinds a bit

to decrease the sunlight coming in...try using beige paper instead of

white (decreases the light bounced back from the paper) or try pastel

colored plastic overlays over pages that are too bright...position

the child near light fixtures that use single bulbs instead of multi-

bulb units.

For auditory overload, try soft earplugs or headphones to dampen out

the sounds around the child...even a knitted headband/earmuff will

tone it down somewhat. Try playing a CD with gentle music, nature

sounds, or Native American drums for a few minutes before work time.

(One caution: Music can be very powerful; experiment with this

beforehand to see how your child will react to a particular piece of

music...if the response is negative, stop immediately.)

For tactile issues, position the child so that s/he will not be

surprised by sudden passersby. Consider the effect of breezes, etc

when choosing a place to work. A weighted lap pad or snake may help

the child feel calmer. (These are easy to make...I can post

instructions if you want.) If your child has a weighted vest

or " Bearhug " vest, have the child wear this during work time.

Okay... is awake, so life begins away from the computer for the

day. Let me know if this is helpful...next time I will post ways to

improve ability to sit quietly while working.

Raena

[Guest guest]

> Raena,

>

> Can you post instructions on how to make a weighted lap pad or

snake?

> Do you have a pattern for a weighted vest too?

>

> Thanks for all this helpful information.

>

> Debbie

>

Debbie ~ a cheap way to make a weighted snake... buy a window

valance, where the rod goes through trim under it off , sew one end

shut , and fill with rice or beans, sew other end shut ,,, lap

snake...:) good luck

Amy mom to

Noah 6 Lucas 8 ASD's

[Guest guest]

Thank you Raena for taking the time to post this and for the book

referrals. It was very kind of you, even though I know you have so much

time on your hands with nothing to do anyway. ;-)

~ Karin

Jake 3, Autism