Dominick's OT Visit and his Sensory Integration Dysfunction

January 18, 2006

Selma,

That is such great info. I am copying all this and putting it in my

files,lol. Right now because Dominick hates clothes and can literally

get off anything(including his diaper) he usually takes his cue from

the fact that I make him put pants on,LOL, but yes we are just

starting with some real therapies for this, so your info is a great

help. I am so happy with the OT right now, she has even said that she

will meet me out somewhere to see how he is in public, so I feel

really hopeful.

CAROLG

> >

> > Carol:

> > Thanks for sharing this! I just wanted to share that I've just

> heard about

> > the stimulation (such as brushing the child all over with a soft

> brush) from

> > a friend who's child is very, very active, and emotionally

volatile

> and has

> > just been evaluated for SI. (Reading some of Dominick's reactions

> brought a

> > lot of memories back... crawling under tables at b-day parties,

> hiding even

> > at family gatherings, etc. I've found a timer to be the best to

> initiate a

> > change in home routine (though I don't use it all of the time, as

> that's not

> > what " real life " is like.) He's in a Montessori kindergarten

> class, though,

> > so a lot of the abrupt changes to environment that are found in

> traditional

> > schools aren't present.

> >

> > Lately Quinn asks me for a " rub down " (not his words) -- where I

> rub his

> > entire back and arms and legs.... and I found it interesting that

> in a way,

> > he might have been initiating his own SI therapy. *grin* I'll

have

> to look

> > into a massage item or two.... thanks again!

> >

> > Dominick's OT Visit and his Sensory Integration

> > Dysfunction

> >

> > Hey all,

> > Dominick had his Early Intervention OT visit yesterday and in an

> > interest of saving time and my eyes I am copying my post for his

> > website to update everyone. Sensory Integration Dysfunction is

also

> > called, Sensory Processing Disorder, and Sensory Integration

Issues.

> > Here's the news:

> > We had Dominick's OT visit from Early Intervention yesterday and

it

> > went great. I am so relieved because I was getting so

discouraged. I

> > finally had gotten the OT's email address and was able to write

out

> > everything I needed to tell her or that I was concerned about.

This

> > helped alot and will be something I will do from now on. I talked

> > about how hard it is because they don't see him day to day and

when

> > we are out and about. Well Dominick decided to be fully

cooperative

> > yesterday and showed off his many sensory issues. He is what is

> > called a sensory seeker. Fast movement, loud, obnoxious, rough

> > playing, can't relax, hitting themselves, banging heads, anything

> > that gives them big sensory input. He also has mixed in some

social

> > and emotional sensory issues. Takes a long time to adjust to new

> > surroundings, people, objects, toys. Also does not tolerate

changes

> > in routine well at all. And just to top it off he has some

> > proprioceptive sensory issues. This is when their brain doesn't

> > recieve the proper signals from thier joints and muscles. They

tend

> > to touch things too hard or too soft, they have trouble walking

and

> > balancing well, they have an unusually high pain tolerance(not

> good),

> > that sort of thing. So that's my kid a mess,lol.

> > A typical episode with Dominick goes like this. I set him down in

> > his playen and he is ok, then for some reason, not wet, not

hungry,

> > not hurt,not tired, he will start throwing himself around the

> > playpen, slamming his head into the sides and the floor,

screaming,

> > flailing arms and legs. I go to calm him and nothing works, it

just

> > gets worse. Now armed with the info. I have from my research I

grab

> > his stuffed animal massager. A bear that has a vibrating massager

> > inside it. I literally pin him down with it. He continues fighting

> > for a bit but slowly begins to calm down. I move the bear up and

> down

> > his back and legs until he is still and then I take about ten

> minutes

> > to do his whole body, head to toe. Finally he grabs the bear and

> > stuffs it under his belly and lays down. He stays like that for a

> few

> > minutes and then sits up to watch Elmo. He now plays quietly for

at

> > least an hour. He needed input to his body and the massager

provided

> > it and when that need is met he can go on normally.

> > The OT has given me some great new ideas and ways to reinforce

what

> > we are doing already. She is calling the PT to have her come and

see

> > what's going on physically with his walking. He is kind of leading

> > with his left and the right is slow to come along and at times he

> > slaps his feet so hard. This has been his weaker side throughout

his

> > life. The OT says that the I will really like my new case worker

at

> > EI so I'm glad. It will be nice if I can keep things moving for

him

> > now. I did ask if she thought we continued with the therapy if he

> > would get better as he grew or if this is something he will deal

> with

> > for a lifetime and we will just adapt therapies as he changes. My

> > answer is a little of both. I know that he has come so far already

> > and I am so proud of him so I am confident that he will be ok. He

is

> > my little man and that will never change no matter what happens.

> > CAROLG

> >

> > For more plagio info

January 18, 2006

,

When he is doing the rubbing, try telling him you know he is angry

and trying to make himself feel better, but he has to do it in a good

way, and give him a soft ball that he can throw at the wall( make it

fun, make a target if you have to and give him a place to put it) or

a drum that he can hit. If you get him doing something like this

after a while they start to have fun with it and the temper subsides.

Like when he starts pounding the drum, dance and try to get him to

dance, you might find out that in a few minutes the two of you are

laughing and having fun. Keep experimenting with things till you find

what works. Alot of this is finding an appropriate substitution for

the wrong behavoir, because you may never stop the need for the

behavoir.

CAROLG

>

> Carol.....

> I only wish I knew then (when he was Dom's age) what I know now....

(and I

> don't even know that much). If I could have had a dollar for every

> co-worker or well-meaning person who told me he just needed good

> " discipline " to show him who's boss.... I wouldn't have to work!

AND, I'm

> so glad that I didn't resort to that type of punishment on those

really

> trying days...

>

> I just got the Out-of-Sync child with a Christmas gift-certificate

though I

> haven't had time to crack it. I was really sick for about 5 weeks,

and just

> was getting by, never sick enough to stay in bed, but never well

enough to

> get anything completed fully, and I still haven't ventured to any

SI parent

> groups yet, either, though I really appreciate all of the

information

> you've given me. Just now starting to feel " alive " again. Hope to

start the

> book, and visit a group, soon.

>

> Quinn doesn't smack himself too often (more when he was younger)

(though

> when he is really mad, he's got quite an arm to throw things) but

he has

> gotten so many rug burns on his nose (from " bull-dozing " the

floor) -- that

> I hope he doesn't end up with a scar. He got mad at me a few weeks

ago, and

> I kept hearing this rubbing, screeching sound, like a tennis shoe

slowly

> being pulled on the wood floor. It was him, bull-dozing the wood

floor,

> (possibly liking the noise?), knowing that the rug does things to

his nose,

> but still needing/wanting to have that sensation, I guess. He

doesn't do it

> very often anymore, but it was interesting to see him change his

technique

> and still do it. *shaking head*

>

> It's good that the therapist can see all of the actions he takes so

she can

> help him work through them! Sometimes it feels as if I am going to

a car

> place, but the car doesn't do what I tell the mechanic it does,

when I talk

> with the OT about Quinn and certain things he's exhibited -- he

works well

> one-on-one so some of the issues she doesn't see, and the temper

hardly

> anyone has seen. At least now I'm finding out what some of those

triggers

> are (like papa playing with him running, chasing, getting worked up

etc.

> before a bath, and suddenly saying " OK, it's time for your bath "

with no

> down time or warning....). It's certainly an interesting journey!

>

> Take Care.

>

> Re: Dominick's OT Visit and his Sensory

Integration

> Dysfunction

>

> ,

> Good to hear from you. I don't know, but it sure sounds like

Dominick

> is a little version of Quinn,lol. The massagers are great cause you

> can do it or they can do it. We are actually going to start his

> brushing again too, I forgot to put that in his post. I also forgot

> to put that when the OT was ther he smacked his head on the wood

> floor. One of those that the sound it makes, makes you cringe, and

of

> course there were no tears, no whinning, just mad that I took his

> glasses off to check him. The OT was writting about as fast as she

> could in her notebook,LOL. I felt so bad that he hit his head, but

at

> the same time I was glad that she could see his indifference to

pain.

> You may already have the book The Out Of Synch Child ( if not get

it)

> but there is also The Out Of Synch Child Has Fun, this would be a

> great one for Quinn.

> CAROLG

>

> For more plagio info

January 18, 2006