Guest guest Posted April 24, 2004 Report Share Posted April 24, 2004 What is the best way to introduce enzymes? I checked into Houston enzymes and they are sprayed with corn and my son is highly sensitive to corn. Is there another enzyme that you would recommend? ...thanks.. In a message dated 4/23/2004 8:08:28 PM Central Standard Time, beezygirl2004@... writes: wrote: " Houston enzymes really helped him to slow down and focus " . Thank you for this information . My daughter does not sound nearly as serious as your son was with sensory integration issues, especially in his early days. But, it is worthwhile to hear that he was helped by the enzymes. I have decided to order the Houson enzymes and now I just have to figure out which ones. Amber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 25, 2004 Report Share Posted April 25, 2004 Can you please explain the corn being sprayed on the enzymes or let me know where I can read this? I was unaware... Thank you. We are fairly new to these also. a mom to > What is the best way to introduce enzymes? I checked into Houston enzymes and > they are sprayed with corn and my son is highly sensitive to corn. Is there > another enzyme that you would recommend? ...thanks.. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 13, 2006 Report Share Posted October 13, 2006 My time in the book aisles has turned up another title--this one I bought. It's called " Sensational Kids " by Lucy Jane and is about sensory issues and dyspraxia. It is a page turner, with lots of examples of typical and non-typical development and easy to understand explanations. There's also a cool strategy template acronymed " A SECRET " that helps you look at situations and try to devise ways to mitigate your child's sensitivities in those situations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 18, 2006 Report Share Posted December 18, 2006 Debra: Just to second your thoughts...My day revolves around sensory - what kids get for meals, what activities or chores, WHEN it all happens. Evidenced that in a week of disrupted Medical testing- Grant was able to perform well (DARN) because he's now able to ask for sensory feedback and is aware of what helps himself calm and focus. SI trained OT's are the backbone of our sucess. -Ann, Mom to Grant 5, AS, who's decided he wants to play Football with crashing and tackleing :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 18, 2006 Report Share Posted December 18, 2006 I wholeheartedly agree!! Within 10 minutes of initiating his SI therapy my son is making (and maintaining) eye-contact, following directions and controlling his impulses unlike he ever does under " normal " circumstances. --- debramelamed <melamedj@...> wrote: > Hi everyone, > > Since this is a forum for presenting different > opinions, I just > wanted to give mine. I am reading posts about SI > therapy not being > effective and I am worried that readers will > discount this type of > therapy as a viable treatment because of a few > influential people's > opinions on this list. Please realize that not all > OTs who are > providing SI therapy are SI certified. Some therapy > is better than > others based on the provider. Also, outcome will be > based on the > specific needs of each child. SI therapy is > researched based and > taught at major universities. I do believe it is > effective, and > although it can be expensive for private OT SI > therapy, it doesn't > have to be long term because the parents learn the > techniques and > take over at home. You may just have to invest in > some equipment if > you choose. > > From my own experience as an OT, my son could not > complete his > homework unless he was swinging on a swing or > jumping on a > trampoline. It's just a simple example but amazing > when all the > answers would come out of his mouth so easily. Too > bad he can't > write like that! > > Thanks for listening, > > Debbie > > __________________________________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 18, 2006 Report Share Posted December 18, 2006 The private SI trained OT who works with the little boy I tutor has done nothing to help him. She had us brushing him every two hours because it would stop his stimming. It didn't do a thing pro or con for the stimming. She was going to actually fix all his stimming issues and hasn't fixed even one yet. All she does is have him jump on a mattress and swing in a swing. To be sure, he likes that. So there is no harm in it. But it hasn't helped him with anything else. I have noted no difference in him pro or con since he started seeing her. We actually have been teaching him to string beads (something she should be working on) and we get paid a lot less for the work and we have actual results to show for it. Oh, and then this week she said he bites his hand because he is trying to " figure out where he is at. " Total nonsense and she gets paid good money to do that. I'm sure there are good OT's out there but I've never seen anyone actually fix a sensory problem. If one has, then that's great news for you! Roxanna ( ) Re:Sensory Integration Debbie, I agree. An OT trained in SI can be invaluable. But the key is finding one that is truly SI trained. We saw great improvement in our son after jumping on the trampoline ( behavior) and brushing worked great until he phased himself out of it. It was definitely a piece of the puzzle for us. All the best, Jill " And all things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive. " Matt 21:22 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 18, 2006 Report Share Posted December 18, 2006 I whole heartedly agree. We had to stop a's SI-OT therapy due to change in job and insurance. Last week I went in and told her OT office I would do anything to get her back in because I had noticed such a decline....and honestly it was getting impossible to deal with her. Well thank God we have a great therapist and we are working out the financial issues until insurance coverage begins....but she is back in therapy and boy have we noticed a good change. I can not tell you the reasons why it all works but it does!!! at least for her - C. Mom to Cassie 15 PCOS, Austin 13 ADHD and a 3 HFA/AS & SPD/SID ( ) Sensory Integration Hi everyone, Since this is a forum for presenting different opinions, I just wanted to give mine. I am reading posts about SI therapy not being effective and I am worried that readers will discount this type of therapy as a viable treatment because of a few influential people's opinions on this list. Please realize that not all OTs who are providing SI therapy are SI certified. Some therapy is better than others based on the provider. Also, outcome will be based on the specific needs of each child. SI therapy is researched based and taught at major universities. I do believe it is effective, and although it can be expensive for private OT SI therapy, it doesn't have to be long term because the parents learn the techniques and take over at home. You may just have to invest in some equipment if you choose. From my own experience as an OT, my son could not complete his homework unless he was swinging on a swing or jumping on a trampoline. It's just a simple example but amazing when all the answers would come out of his mouth so easily. Too bad he can't write like that! Thanks for listening, Debbie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 19, 2006 Report Share Posted December 19, 2006 Hi Kara and Debbie, Just wondering if you are giving credit to where the credit is due. I know you are happy with your child's responding during SI but is it similar to how he makes eye contact with you and follows directions and controls his implulses when you are tickling him or throwing him up and down in the air? Is that sensory integration therapy as well or is that just engaging in an activity the child finds reinforcing and using that activity to motivate participation and social interest (ABA/VB)? Kids tend to do really well when given the opportunity to swim with Dolphins but does that ability transfer to post Dolphin life? Not according to any study I have seen. In fact, I have seen some Dolphin therapy and it is nothing more than mediocre to bad ABA with an amazingly motivating reinforcer. Similarly to SI, Dolphin and horse riding therapy are both very reinforcing activities that motivates children to begin making better choices in order to maintain that reinforcement for as long as the Dolphin and horse or SI procedures are available to continue the motivation. On the contrary, understanding the principles of motivation (Verbal Behavior) and reinforcement (ABA) and applying them comprehensively throughout your child's entire day will allow you to not only use swings, brushing and trampolines or anything else your child finds motivating to encourage better choice making in the present but to have some sort of control over what will motivate your child in the future allowing to to change that reinforcement over time from swings and brushes to tickles and toys, to puzzles and praise. Given the lack of scientific support for SI, Music, Dolphin, and Horse therapy I would consider the fact that all the fun activities your child is experiencing in SI could be even more effectively used as motivation and reinforcement in a comprehensive ABA/VB program (something that does have quite alot of experimental support). ________________________ Schramm, MA, BCBA www.lulu.com/knospe-aba www.knospe-aba.com ________________________ Re: ( ) Sensory Integration I wholeheartedly agree!! Within 10 minutes of initiating his SI therapy my son is making (and maintaining) eye-contact, following directions and controlling his impulses unlike he ever does under " normal " circumstances. --- debramelamed <melamedjcomcast (DOT) net> wrote: > Hi everyone, > > Since this is a forum for presenting different > opinions, I just > wanted to give mine. I am reading posts about SI > therapy not being > effective and I am worried that readers will > discount this type of > therapy as a viable treatment because of a few > influential people's > opinions on this list. Please realize that not all > OTs who are > providing SI therapy are SI certified. Some therapy > is better than > others based on the provider. Also, outcome will be > based on the > specific needs of each child. SI therapy is > researched based and > taught at major universities. I do believe it is > effective, and > although it can be expensive for private OT SI > therapy, it doesn't > have to be long term because the parents learn the > techniques and > take over at home. You may just have to invest in > some equipment if > you choose. > > From my own experience as an OT, my son could not > complete his > homework unless he was swinging on a swing or > jumping on a > trampoline. It's just a simple example but amazing > when all the > answers would come out of his mouth so easily. Too > bad he can't > write like that! > > Thanks for listening, > > Debbie > > ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ __ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 19, 2006 Report Share Posted December 19, 2006 What is the age recommendation for children to be involved in a comprehensive ABA/VB program? Is it just for the very young, or would a 8 yr. old benefit just starting the program? Just curious. Re: ( ) Sensory Integration I wholeheartedly agree!! Within 10 minutes of initiating his SI therapy my son is making (and maintaining) eye-contact, following directions and controlling his impulses unlike he ever does under " normal " circumstances. --- debramelamed <melamedjcomcast (DOT) net> wrote: > Hi everyone, > > Since this is a forum for presenting different > opinions, I just > wanted to give mine. I am reading posts about SI > therapy not being > effective and I am worried that readers will > discount this type of > therapy as a viable treatment because of a few > influential people's > opinions on this list. Please realize that not all > OTs who are > providing SI therapy are SI certified. Some therapy > is better than > others based on the provider. Also, outcome will be > based on the > specific needs of each child. SI therapy is > researched based and > taught at major universities. I do believe it is > effective, and > although it can be expensive for private OT SI > therapy, it doesn't > have to be long term because the parents learn the > techniques and > take over at home. You may just have to invest in > some equipment if > you choose. > > From my own experience as an OT, my son could not > complete his > homework unless he was swinging on a swing or > jumping on a > trampoline. It's just a simple example but amazing > when all the > answers would come out of his mouth so easily. Too > bad he can't > write like that! > > Thanks for listening, > > Debbie > > ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ __ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 20, 2006 Report Share Posted December 20, 2006 As a mother I have had to change my philosophy towards research; I don't have the time to wait for double blind studies. As a therapist before having children, I would have never believed something without these studies. But then again, if you feel sensory intergration is a waste of time, than I would think you would not consider OT to based on science. I have gone in a different direction since finding out my daughter has autism. I have put her on the gfcf diet, starting chelation based on the theory by one chemist, and started supplementing based on observation. I would have thought all this was a waste of people's time and money 5 years ago. What I have witnessed in my daughter in the last 9 months is regression if gluten or casein is accidently introduced, improvement in cognition and sensory function since adjusting supplements, and drastic decrease in autistic characteristics since starting chelation. I assume you could easily give me reasons why these regressions/improvements are due to other forces at work, but it is much easier to tear down my point than it is for me to prove my point. As a parent I have decided to do what works for my child, of course keeping my eyes open to the scams out there. Personally I feel it is not advisable to state that SI is not a viable treatment option. Most autistic children need as much therapy as possible, with some treatments being more appropriate for some children. Some need ABA, but I think all should receive OT (SI or other) if eligible. Everyone on this list has something to offer whether a professional or a parent who has been through it 24 hours a day. > > > > > Hi everyone, > > > > > > Since this is a forum for presenting different > > > opinions, I just > > > wanted to give mine. I am reading posts about SI > > > therapy not being > > > effective and I am worried that readers will > > > discount this type of > > > therapy as a viable treatment because of a few > > > influential people's > > > opinions on this list. Please realize that not all > > > OTs who are > > > providing SI therapy are SI certified. Some therapy > > > is better than > > > others based on the provider. Also, outcome will be > > > based on the > > > specific needs of each child. SI therapy is > > > researched based and > > > taught at major universities. I do believe it is > > > effective, and > > > although it can be expensive for private OT SI > > > therapy, it doesn't > > > have to be long term because the parents learn the > > > techniques and > > > take over at home. You may just have to invest in > > > some equipment if > > > you choose. > > > > > > From my own experience as an OT, my son could not > > > complete his > > > homework unless he was swinging on a swing or > > > jumping on a > > > trampoline. It's just a simple example but amazing > > > when all the > > > answers would come out of his mouth so easily. Too > > > bad he can't > > > write like that! > > > > > > Thanks for listening, > > > > > > Debbie > > > > > > > > > > ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ __ > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 20, 2006 Report Share Posted December 20, 2006 , You make excellent points. I agree with you that the evidence is not there for things like the GFCF diets etc. But the sheer number of pleased families is ever growing and in many cases I think it is worthwhile to see if there are dietary influences that could be exasperating a child's symptoms. I also do not mean to imply that SI has no value. I just think that its long term value is marginal in most cases and believe that asking for the science behind the hypothesis is a worthwhile endeavor. Even with the overwhelming number of single subject designs available to back up ABA it is still lacking in overall double blind studies. The reason for this is the ethical implications of knowingly withholding services from a child who would likely benefit from them. This makes scientific " proof " difficult to obtain for any therapy. But the complete lack of effort to demonstrate effectiveness beyond testimonials on the part of the SI, Dolphin, horse, Facilitated Communication and music therapy options is in my opinion negligable. My goal is not to put down all other forms of therapy (although I suppose it might seem that way). I actually feel that within the context of a good behavioral program there is room for programs such as speech therapy, PECS, Sign language, some TEACCH visual structures (as long as they are actively faded) RDI, and Bio Medical intervention. I have just seen so many kids who have been getting SI for years and still cannot talk, follow simple instructions or use the toilet. These families have been led to believe that a sensory diet holds the secret to their child's problems. These kids may or may not have a great time being brushed, swinging on swings, climbing and having joint compressions etc. They often like going to the OT and seem to be more connected when there. But they still aren't learning the skills they will need to be more successful in life. For these kids, the money and time spent on SI could be put to much better use with evidence based education approaches. Don't even get me started on the Dolphins. I have talked to families who have spent upwards of $10,000 for 2 week vacations to a Dolphin therapy clinic for the family. I have seen videos of what occurs at these places in the name of therapy as well. Although families usually have an excellent time and are often impressed with the behavior their child exhibits during the experience, they have not seen any long term benefit of any kind and later begin to realize that the $10,000 could have gotten them more than a years worth of behavioral consultation toward life long improvement. Facilitated Communication is another area that the Asperger's world doesn't have to deal with but their claims are often as baseless as the Dolphin folks (although in rare occasions FC therapy has likely helped a non-verbal child to communicate) The problem is that because it might help less than 1 percent of the kids who are taught to use it, what about the other 99+ percent that could be actually learning how to talk? Honestly, I am glad that there are different opinions and experiences on this group and others like it. I just like to share my experiences the same as you do and am willing to question testimonials to find out what the substance is behind them. I hope you consider discussion and even disagreement in a public forum such as this a worthwhile event for all involved. I do and have no problem with your posts in favor of SI. I am truly glad that it has helped your family. ________________________ Schramm, MA, BCBA www.lulu.com/knospe-aba www.knospe-aba.com ________________________ Re: ( ) Sensory Integration As a mother I have had to change my philosophy towards research; I don't have the time to wait for double blind studies. As a therapist before having children, I would have never believed something without these studies. But then again, if you feel sensory intergration is a waste of time, than I would think you would not consider OT to based on science. I have gone in a different direction since finding out my daughter has autism. I have put her on the gfcf diet, starting chelation based on the theory by one chemist, and started supplementing based on observation. I would have thought all this was a waste of people's time and money 5 years ago. What I have witnessed in my daughter in the last 9 months is regression if gluten or casein is accidently introduced, improvement in cognition and sensory function since adjusting supplements, and drastic decrease in autistic characteristics since starting chelation. I assume you could easily give me reasons why these regressions/ improvements are due to other forces at work, but it is much easier to tear down my point than it is for me to prove my point. As a parent I have decided to do what works for my child, of course keeping my eyes open to the scams out there. Personally I feel it is not advisable to state that SI is not a viable treatment option. Most autistic children need as much therapy as possible, with some treatments being more appropriate for some children. Some need ABA, but I think all should receive OT (SI or other) if eligible. Everyone on this list has something to offer whether a professional or a parent who has been through it 24 hours a day. > > > > > Hi everyone, > > > > > > Since this is a forum for presenting different > > > opinions, I just > > > wanted to give mine. I am reading posts about SI > > > therapy not being > > > effective and I am worried that readers will > > > discount this type of > > > therapy as a viable treatment because of a few > > > influential people's > > > opinions on this list. Please realize that not all > > > OTs who are > > > providing SI therapy are SI certified. Some therapy > > > is better than > > > others based on the provider. Also, outcome will be > > > based on the > > > specific needs of each child. SI therapy is > > > researched based and > > > taught at major universities. I do believe it is > > > effective, and > > > although it can be expensive for private OT SI > > > therapy, it doesn't > > > have to be long term because the parents learn the > > > techniques and > > > take over at home. You may just have to invest in > > > some equipment if > > > you choose. > > > > > > From my own experience as an OT, my son could not > > > complete his > > > homework unless he was swinging on a swing or > > > jumping on a > > > trampoline. It's just a simple example but amazing > > > when all the > > > answers would come out of his mouth so easily. Too > > > bad he can't > > > write like that! > > > > > > Thanks for listening, > > > > > > Debbie > > > > > > > > > > ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ __ > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 20, 2006 Report Share Posted December 20, 2006 , Some issues are behavioral and some are sensory (or a little of both). However, I don't see how you would address a purely sensory issue with behavioral techniques. As an example, my 6 year old son had oral sensory issues where he had an aversion to certain textures in his mouth. Soft cooked veggies were makin him gag. I substituted with hard crunchy veggies which give proprioceptive input to a low tone mouth and added lemon to wake up the mouth. He eats plates of raw cauliflower, cucumbers, carrots, fennel, broccoli, and snap peas like this. Another very simple example but I don't think there is a motivator that could get a child to eat something that his body is rejecting because of neurological issues. Also, I don't know how you can compare dolphin therapy to OT. Insurance companies pay for OT for a reason. The school districts apply sensory techniques for a reason, because they work. You are not putting kids in a sensory zone, you are regulating and teaching the child to regulate his own senosry system. Another problem is that my son has inertia and is not motivated by much of anything except food (which I don't believe in using as a reward) and TV. He could care less about anything else. He doesn't have any behavioral problems other than not being able to self initiate activity. He does have sensory issues such as not being able to tolerate loud noises. Is that a behavioral issue? I think not. Thanks for listening, Debbie Re: ( ) Sensory Integration Just because I looked into the dolphin therapy, I have to disagree that it is just an activity. I read that the sound waves the dolphins give off have an organizing affect on the nervous system. I am also an OT and have used SI principals on my children with good results. I cannot give you hard proof because it just does not exist. But the problem I have with therapy is that the goal is to get the child into the 'zone' to enable to child to focus, but there is not a lot of carryover to real life. The thinking is that the more time the child spends in the 'zone', the shift is from out of the 'zone' into the 'zone'. Then the child will be able to stay in the 'zone' at home and school with less assistance from caregivers. But I have created my own 'therapy' with my children to decrease the gap from direct therapy to real life. With my 5 year old daughter, the focus is more on teaching her to control her impulses to function in school. I have never done any ABA therapy because she was diagnosed late, but it would probably have been good when she was younger. But now she is in kindergarden and I try not to allow accommodation at school because she has progressed so much. But she needs support (SI and others) at home because she still cannot fit in it the 'real' world 24 hours a day. Just my 2 cents, Jen > > > Hi everyone, > > > > Since this is a forum for presenting different > > opinions, I just > > wanted to give mine. I am reading posts about SI > > therapy not being > > effective and I am worried that readers will > > discount this type of > > therapy as a viable treatment because of a few > > influential people's > > opinions on this list. Please realize that not all > > OTs who are > > providing SI therapy are SI certified. Some therapy > > is better than > > others based on the provider. Also, outcome will be > > based on the > > specific needs of each child. SI therapy is > > researched based and > > taught at major universities. I do believe it is > > effective, and > > although it can be expensive for private OT SI > > therapy, it doesn't > > have to be long term because the parents learn the > > techniques and > > take over at home. You may just have to invest in > > some equipment if > > you choose. > > > > From my own experience as an OT, my son could not > > complete his > > homework unless he was swinging on a swing or > > jumping on a > > trampoline. It's just a simple example but amazing > > when all the > > answers would come out of his mouth so easily. Too > > bad he can't > > write like that! > > > > Thanks for listening, > > > > Debbie > > > > > > ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ __ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 20, 2006 Report Share Posted December 20, 2006 Hi Debbie I always worry if I should answer each email such as this or just let them go and move on to another topic. But, I can only imagine that you would be interested in discussing it further, so I will try to address your example in behavioral terms. (Anyone else who is bored with my opinion please feel free to stop reading now). In your SI example, your child found soft cooked foods to be aversive. He did not like them for whatever reason. Your response was to offer him quality foods in a way that he preferred. Sounds like you accommodated for him and everyone was happy. As to whether you were giving him " proprioceptive input " and " waking up his mouth with Lemon " , that is interesting to say and like I said before sounds plausible to people looking for answers to complex delays, but did it offer him any progress in is ability to ingest soft cooked foods? Did it offer him any neurological benefit that you can measure? Now don't get me wrong, from what I know hard veggies are better for you than cooked and I have no problem with a child who is eating hard veggies. But, I don't see where the teaching is in this example or where the therapy is either. As for comparing Dolphin therapy to OT, please, I would never do that. I compared the theory of Sensory Integration therapy to Dolphin therapy. It just happens that OT's are the ones currently pushing the concept of SI but that is not what the profession started out as. Back when Occupational Therapy was approved by Inscurance companies and school districts, the concept of SI was not even dreamed up yet. Occupational Therapists have been doing valuable and helpful work for many years. They are an important part of a well rounded team. (Teachers , Speech and language pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Physical therapists, Adapted Physical Eduation specialists and behavior analysts). OT has been an accepted therapy for years for its ability to work on fine motor skills such as writing etc. Occupational Therapists didn't begin selling SI until long after they were already an approved service. I think OT's are valuable team members. I just felt they were more valuable when they worked on actual visable deficits such as handwriting, grip improvement, and other fine motor skills. Based on the writings and hypothesis of Jane Ayres and the percieved benefits of her Sensory Integration approach, the OT profession seems to have been pretty muched highjacked by SI with absolutely no evidence to its overall benefit to the child. By the way there are many OT's who have never bought into the concept of SI and are still doing the same important work that OT's have traditionally done before the SI wave hit. OT's like everyone else have been trying to find answers for the delays of ASD forever. I can understand why a seemingly plausible idea such as SI has gained popularity in the OT profession. Especially since many of the procedures seem to have an immediate effect on the child. However, what does that effect transfer into long term is still an important consideration. I have seen OT's who have insisted that if we just gave a child a steady sensory diet, all of his behavioral issues would melt away. This was back in 1997. We did exactly what she asked us to and although the child enjoyed the activities and was engaged with us when doing them. There was no affect on his overall compliance or growth. In fact the amount of time and energy put into developing sensory tasks, wearing weighted vests, letting him chew gum in class, play with koosh balls, sit in a chair instead of on the floor with his classmates, run around when he was overstimulated, use therabands on his chair, and putting a small quiet place under a table in the classroom for him to go to when he was feeling overwhelmed just gave him all the control he needed to avoid learning anything the entire year. I write about this boy and this experience in my book and he is one of the main motivators leading me to begin really looking into the science behind the method and eventually to begin studying the science of ABA and eventually VB. Again, I think there is some value to Sensory approaches when used appropriately within the context of a larger program but, having sensory preferences is much different than the concept of having sensory needs. We all have sensory preferences and so do our kids. Combine a sensory preference with a rigid self-centered controlling approach to social interaction (one of the symptoms of ASD) and you can easily be tricked into thinking that child's preference is an actual need. I know this opinion doesn't fall into the current culture of accommodation and makes me a target but I can't look beyond my experiences and the lack of evidence to the contrary. ________________________ Schramm, MA, BCBA www.lulu.com/knospe-aba www.knospe-aba.com ________________________ Re: ( ) Sensory Integration Just because I looked into the dolphin therapy, I have to disagree that it is just an activity. I read that the sound waves the dolphins give off have an organizing affect on the nervous system. I am also an OT and have used SI principals on my children with good results. I cannot give you hard proof because it just does not exist. But the problem I have with therapy is that the goal is to get the child into the 'zone' to enable to child to focus, but there is not a lot of carryover to real life. The thinking is that the more time the child spends in the 'zone', the shift is from out of the 'zone' into the 'zone'. Then the child will be able to stay in the 'zone' at home and school with less assistance from caregivers. But I have created my own 'therapy' with my children to decrease the gap from direct therapy to real life. With my 5 year old daughter, the focus is more on teaching her to control her impulses to function in school. I have never done any ABA therapy because she was diagnosed late, but it would probably have been good when she was younger. But now she is in kindergarden and I try not to allow accommodation at school because she has progressed so much. But she needs support (SI and others) at home because she still cannot fit in it the 'real' world 24 hours a day. Just my 2 cents, Jen > > > Hi everyone, > > > > Since this is a forum for presenting different > > opinions, I just > > wanted to give mine. I am reading posts about SI > > therapy not being > > effective and I am worried that readers will > > discount this type of > > therapy as a viable treatment because of a few > > influential people's > > opinions on this list. Please realize that not all > > OTs who are > > providing SI therapy are SI certified. Some therapy > > is better than > > others based on the provider. Also, outcome will be > > based on the > > specific needs of each child. SI therapy is > > researched based and > > taught at major universities. I do believe it is > > effective, and > > although it can be expensive for private OT SI > > therapy, it doesn't > > have to be long term because the parents learn the > > techniques and > > take over at home. You may just have to invest in > > some equipment if > > you choose. > > > > From my own experience as an OT, my son could not > > complete his > > homework unless he was swinging on a swing or > > jumping on a > > trampoline. It's just a simple example but amazing > > when all the > > answers would come out of his mouth so easily. Too > > bad he can't > > write like that! > > > > Thanks for listening, > > > > Debbie > > > > > > ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ __ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 20, 2006 Report Share Posted December 20, 2006 , I for one thank you for your recent post. I have a wonderful, challenging 10 yo son, in 4Th grade . He's one of those " shadow kids " . He's been to many MDS, pdocs, developmental pediatricians, and in phosp last summer for repeated self-injury and suicidical ideations. No one can spit out a dx. - we've heard bipolar, selective mutism, social phobia, anxiety, depression, Asperger's, ADD and SID. We been on many med trials, and seen " therapists " out the yin-yang. He's been in private OT since 8/06. One practice closed to peds and we had to change OTs - we started with his current ones in 11/06. The sensory diet- which we are working on completing/perfecting- does seem to be of some benefit. He loves to be " brushed " and bouncing on the large theraputic balls. However, today the OTs tell me that he is not as sensory challenged as they once thought at his initial eval. They feel he was moderately to severely sensory challenged as a younger child - learned to accomodate the best he could - which has resulted in less than desirable behaviors that are now escalating. Now the OTs are recommending Behavior Modification and want to work with us and " behavior therapists " for our sons and our family's benefit. Of course ABA is a non-covered expense , out of pocket, and I can't afford that intervention. The frustrated mom part of me can only hear I have a BAD kid and I'm a BAD parent. Deep down I know SOME of his undesirable behaviors are really out of his control- and he's not a bad kid. Today in a physicians waiting area ( after OT ) I was waiting for labs to be drawn on me. We had to wait about 20 minutes. He's not the best " waiter " in the world. He had a meltdown. Kicking , laying in the floor, rearranging the lobby etc. The fill in receptionist there yelled at him and told me to take him out. I pulled a muscle in my chest dragging him out of the lobby. I was very embarrassed, but at the same time did not want him to win my attention if he was just truly " pushing my buttons " as so much of the world likes to tell me is what is going on with my son. I was correcting him during the meltdown- but not yelling- I've learned during a meltdown nothing " goes in " anyway. The MD there knows his issues, but this was a fill in staff person. UGH !! Part of our daily lives. The OTs tell me today that they do not believe he has AS. I tend to disagree. All the research I've done sure points to AS. No one in our local area seems to know how to " test " for AS. And besides no two Aspie kids are alike so how can you really test anyway. ?? So in a nutshell- your post has helped me by letting me know that maybe all this SI therapy may not be all its cracked up to be - and starting a behavior modification program may be the way to go ?? How $$$ ??? You know it's funny - they say not AS dx. - but isn't behavior modification therapy a huge part of treatment for ASD kids ?? Kim Conner's mom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 20, 2006 Report Share Posted December 20, 2006 HI Connors mom, I suppose this conversation could probably take place off list so if you want to email me privately after this I can probably offer you some assistance. However, first, I would recommend that you find a way to get an Aspergers/autism dx. It is crucial to be able to have access to services. With a diagnosis you can take the recommendations of your OT's and other professionals to your school and insist that they implement positive behavior plan for your child based on a functional analysis of his behavior. You can even ask for ABA services to help deal with the way that your son is being affected by his diagnosis. If the school does not have someone qualified to offer these services, you can then request that they pay for you to take him to an outside service. The outside source will probably need to be a non-public agency, meaning they have to have jumped through all the legal hoops to be contracted with the school dist. If the school fights you on this (and they might) you may be forced to pay for services out of pocket and sue them to reimburse you for the free and appropriate education services your child needs. None of this is easy and you shouldn't try it alone. Where are you located and do you have access to any special education advocates? Worst case scenario you can begin to teach yourself how to address your child's behaviors by reading about ABA/VB and going to a few workshops. A great place for behavioral advice is the " " and " verbalbehavior. " I am a member in those groups as well. The folks there will help you find services in your area and offer you insights to your questions as you get started. BTW, unless you feel they are doing your son harm, I do not know if getting rid of the free services you do have is wise at least until you have a better option available but I would begin researching your area and reading about in-home behavioral intervention. ________________________ Schramm, MA, BCBA www.lulu.com/knospe-aba www.knospe-aba.com ________________________ Re: ( ) Sensory Integration , I for one thank you for your recent post. I have a wonderful, challenging 10 yo son, in 4Th grade . He's one of those " shadow kids " . He's been to many MDS, pdocs, developmental pediatricians, and in phosp last summer for repeated self-injury and suicidical ideations. No one can spit out a dx. - we've heard bipolar, selective mutism, social phobia, anxiety, depression, Asperger's, ADD and SID. We been on many med trials, and seen " therapists " out the yin-yang. He's been in private OT since 8/06. One practice closed to peds and we had to change OTs - we started with his current ones in 11/06. The sensory diet- which we are working on completing/perfecti ng- does seem to be of some benefit. He loves to be " brushed " and bouncing on the large theraputic balls. However, today the OTs tell me that he is not as sensory challenged as they once thought at his initial eval. They feel he was moderately to severely sensory challenged as a younger child - learned to accomodate the best he could - which has resulted in less than desirable behaviors that are now escalating. Now the OTs are recommending Behavior Modification and want to work with us and " behavior therapists " for our sons and our family's benefit. Of course ABA is a non-covered expense , out of pocket, and I can't afford that intervention. The frustrated mom part of me can only hear I have a BAD kid and I'm a BAD parent. Deep down I know SOME of his undesirable behaviors are really out of his control- and he's not a bad kid. Today in a physicians waiting area ( after OT ) I was waiting for labs to be drawn on me. We had to wait about 20 minutes. He's not the best " waiter " in the world. He had a meltdown. Kicking , laying in the floor, rearranging the lobby etc. The fill in receptionist there yelled at him and told me to take him out. I pulled a muscle in my chest dragging him out of the lobby. I was very embarrassed, but at the same time did not want him to win my attention if he was just truly " pushing my buttons " as so much of the world likes to tell me is what is going on with my son. I was correcting him during the meltdown- but not yelling- I've learned during a meltdown nothing " goes in " anyway. The MD there knows his issues, but this was a fill in staff person. UGH !! Part of our daily lives. The OTs tell me today that they do not believe he has AS. I tend to disagree. All the research I've done sure points to AS. No one in our local area seems to know how to " test " for AS. And besides no two Aspie kids are alike so how can you really test anyway. ?? So in a nutshell- your post has helped me by letting me know that maybe all this SI therapy may not be all its cracked up to be - and starting a behavior modification program may be the way to go ?? How $$$ ??? You know it's funny - they say not AS dx. - but isn't behavior modification therapy a huge part of treatment for ASD kids ?? 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Guest guest Posted December 20, 2006 Report Share Posted December 20, 2006 , I enjoyed our discussion and thank you for your opinion. I am an OT so you see where mine comes from. I have also seen what has worked over the years with my son. I think there is great validity to what we both do in helping these kids. I guess it just matters what their needs are. My son is quite mild in that he doesn't have rigidity, tantrums, anxiety, etc. He is also passive and compliant almost to a fault. He does have developmental delays but the severity has lessened in all areas. I believe his progress would not be what it is without the SI therapy. We couldn't even get into the fine motor issues because his focus wasn't there and his " engine " was either running too high or too low. He was afraid of being bumped, didn't like loud noises, etc. which caused him to avoid social situations. He did lots of stimming that looked like he was clenching his jaw and biting all day. That's why I knew he was seeking prorioceptive input to his mouth and crunching on raw veggies helped. He doesn't do much of the clenching anymore. He has learned how to regulate his system and will ask for a hug, to wrestle, or will go jump on the trampoline when he needs to. At school if he gets overstimulted by the large # of people they take him out and do some sensory calming activities so he can get back to the seated activities. They are just techniques that are valuable and prevent behavior problems that would otherwise be inevitable. Now if I see behavior issues, I know they are purely behavioral. I had my 1st conference at school (1st grade) since my son was 3 where they said he is performing at grade level, there are no behavioral issues, and he is playing and initiating play with the other children very well. Now he still has trouble with higher level social interactions that will surface more as he gets older so I still always worry but right now I am taking a break and enjoying the quiet. Thanks for your input, Debbie Re: ( ) Sensory Integration Just because I looked into the dolphin therapy, I have to disagree that it is just an activity. I read that the sound waves the dolphins give off have an organizing affect on the nervous system. I am also an OT and have used SI principals on my children with good results. I cannot give you hard proof because it just does not exist. But the problem I have with therapy is that the goal is to get the child into the 'zone' to enable to child to focus, but there is not a lot of carryover to real life. The thinking is that the more time the child spends in the 'zone', the shift is from out of the 'zone' into the 'zone'. Then the child will be able to stay in the 'zone' at home and school with less assistance from caregivers. But I have created my own 'therapy' with my children to decrease the gap from direct therapy to real life. With my 5 year old daughter, the focus is more on teaching her to control her impulses to function in school. I have never done any ABA therapy because she was diagnosed late, but it would probably have been good when she was younger. But now she is in kindergarden and I try not to allow accommodation at school because she has progressed so much. But she needs support (SI and others) at home because she still cannot fit in it the 'real' world 24 hours a day. Just my 2 cents, Jen > > > Hi everyone, > > > > Since this is a forum for presenting different > > opinions, I just > > wanted to give mine. I am reading posts about SI > > therapy not being > > effective and I am worried that readers will > > discount this type of > > therapy as a viable treatment because of a few > > influential people's > > opinions on this list. Please realize that not all > > OTs who are > > providing SI therapy are SI certified. Some therapy > > is better than > > others based on the provider. Also, outcome will be > > based on the > > specific needs of each child. SI therapy is > > researched based and > > taught at major universities. I do believe it is > > effective, and > > although it can be expensive for private OT SI > > therapy, it doesn't > > have to be long term because the parents learn the > > techniques and > > take over at home. You may just have to invest in > > some equipment if > > you choose. > > > > From my own experience as an OT, my son could not > > complete his > > homework unless he was swinging on a swing or > > jumping on a > > trampoline. It's just a simple example but amazing > > when all the > > answers would come out of his mouth so easily. Too > > bad he can't > > write like that! > > > > Thanks for listening, > > > > Debbie > > > > > > ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ __ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 21, 2006 Report Share Posted December 21, 2006 Amen Jen! I guess you and I are our own case studies. All the best, Jill " And all things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive. " Matt 21:22 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 21, 2006 Report Share Posted December 21, 2006 I have no problem with disagreement. I believe that there are many treatment options, and of course not all will work for all children. But also training of those helping our children is vital. Even within each therapy, some strategies will work for some children and others are not appropriate. My 2 year old son hates to be on swings. This tells me he has problems with vestibular input but I am not going to put him on a swing to change it. My daughter who has autism loved the swings and followed the SI theory by the book. But still SI only went so far with her. She still did not know where her body was in space or where others were around her. For her the diet was what she needed. In my son's case, diet is most likely not the problem. He responds well to brushing and weight bearing activities. Both my kids love epsom salt baths to decrease their hyperactivity. So my point is even with siblings, the treatments are dependent on the child's needs. Also the other therapies have the same problem as with SI, poor carryover. But if the parents along with support from some professional can learn to carryover what is gained in these treatments to real life, than the outcome may be much better. > > > > > > > > > Hi everyone, > > > > > > > > > > Since this is a forum for presenting different > > > > > opinions, I just > > > > > wanted to give mine. I am reading posts about SI > > > > > therapy not being > > > > > effective and I am worried that readers will > > > > > discount this type of > > > > > therapy as a viable treatment because of a few > > > > > influential people's > > > > > opinions on this list. Please realize that not all > > > > > OTs who are > > > > > providing SI therapy are SI certified. Some therapy > > > > > is better than > > > > > others based on the provider. Also, outcome will be > > > > > based on the > > > > > specific needs of each child. SI therapy is > > > > > researched based and > > > > > taught at major universities. I do believe it is > > > > > effective, and > > > > > although it can be expensive for private OT SI > > > > > therapy, it doesn't > > > > > have to be long term because the parents learn the > > > > > techniques and > > > > > take over at home. You may just have to invest in > > > > > some equipment if > > > > > you choose. > > > > > > > > > > From my own experience as an OT, my son could not > > > > > complete his > > > > > homework unless he was swinging on a swing or > > > > > jumping on a > > > > > trampoline. It's just a simple example but amazing > > > > > when all the > > > > > answers would come out of his mouth so easily. Too > > > > > bad he can't > > > > > write like that! > > > > > > > > > > Thanks for listening, > > > > > > > > > > Debbie > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ __ > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 21, 2006 Report Share Posted December 21, 2006 I started with behavior modification before learning she was on the spectrum. It helped a lot. But I feel it needs to be in conjunction with other therapies. We made much more progress when behavior modifications were used after addressing underlying isssues. Diet changes, supplementation, and chelation removed the cause of many sensory issues that resulted in behavior problems. Then I could teach her strategies to regulate herself. Now she can hear me and also wants to feel better. She can express her emotions and notify a teacher/ caregiver that she is getting fustrated. She still requires some assistance but is on the road to independence. At this point she does not look like she has autism at all to other people, even school. She would not get a diagnosis or receive any services, including ST that was vital a year ago. At home we now see more OCD that was covered up by the autism, which I have also. She is now at a stage where we can talk about obsessions and come up with strategies to control them. She may have a meltdown if I don't give in to the obsession but she ruminates on it for less time and can tell me maybe she can do it tomorrow. At school her OCD tendencies do not show much because she has developed control over them. But as with most kids with AS, home is decompression time. Jen > > , > > I for one thank you for your recent post. I have a wonderful, > challenging 10 yo son, in 4Th grade . He's one of those " shadow > kids " . He's been to many MDS, pdocs, developmental pediatricians, and > in phosp last summer for repeated self-injury and suicidical > ideations. No one can spit out a dx. - we've heard bipolar, selective > mutism, social phobia, anxiety, depression, Asperger's, ADD and SID. > We been on many med trials, and seen " therapists " out the yin- yang. > He's been in private OT since 8/06. One practice closed to peds and > we had to change OTs - we started with his current ones in 11/06. > The sensory diet- which we are working on completing/perfecting- does > seem to be of some benefit. He loves to be " brushed " and bouncing on > the large theraputic balls. > > However, today the OTs tell me that he is not as sensory challenged > as they once thought at his initial eval. They feel he was > moderately to severely sensory challenged as a younger child - > learned to accomodate the best he could - which has resulted in less > than desirable behaviors that are now escalating. Now the OTs are > recommending Behavior Modification and want to work with us > and " behavior therapists " for our sons and our family's benefit. Of > course ABA is a non-covered expense , out of pocket, and I can't > afford that intervention. The frustrated mom part of me can only > hear I have a BAD kid and I'm a BAD parent. Deep down I know SOME of > his undesirable behaviors are really out of his control- and he's not > a bad kid. > > Today in a physicians waiting area ( after OT ) I was waiting for > labs to be drawn on me. We had to wait about 20 minutes. He's not > the best " waiter " in the world. He had a meltdown. Kicking , laying > in the floor, rearranging the lobby etc. The fill in receptionist > there yelled at him and told me to take him out. I pulled a muscle > in my chest dragging him out of the lobby. I was very embarrassed, > but at the same time did not want him to win my attention if he was > just truly " pushing my buttons " as so much of the world likes to tell > me is what is going on with my son. I was correcting him during the > meltdown- but not yelling- I've learned during a meltdown > nothing " goes in " anyway. The MD there knows his issues, but this > was a fill in staff person. UGH !! Part of our daily lives. > > The OTs tell me today that they do not believe he has AS. I tend to > disagree. All the research I've done sure points to AS. No one in our > local area seems to know how to " test " for AS. And besides no two > Aspie kids are alike so how can you really test anyway. ?? > > So in a nutshell- your post has helped me by letting me know that > maybe all this SI therapy may not be all its cracked up to be - and > starting a behavior modification program may be the way to go ?? How > $$$ ??? You know it's funny - they say not AS dx. - but isn't > behavior modification therapy a huge part of treatment for ASD kids ?? > > Kim > Conner's mom > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 21, 2006 Report Share Posted December 21, 2006 I don't think an OT is not a viable option for kids with autism. I simply said that I've never seen anyone fix sensory issues via therapy. If someone has had that happen, then they should keep at it. I think the big message I would have in this is that parents should get goals and data. Don't just blindly do any therapy without knowing why and having goals which you can monitor for progress. An OT can be great for fine motor problems. I am also wanting to get a sensory diet for my 10 yo at school since he keeps falling asleep. He has a terrible time with " self regulation " and I think he needs a program where he has to get up and move around from time to time to help keep him awake. I think a lot of SI therapy is accommodating towards the sensory issues and not remedial in nature. I don't mind accommodating either but I want to keep an eye towards remediation as we go along. Roxanna Re: ( ) Sensory Integration As a mother I have had to change my philosophy towards research; I don't have the time to wait for double blind studies. As a therapist before having children, I would have never believed something without these studies. But then again, if you feel sensory intergration is a waste of time, than I would think you would not consider OT to based on science. I have gone in a different direction since finding out my daughter has autism. I have put her on the gfcf diet, starting chelation based on the theory by one chemist, and started supplementing based on observation. I would have thought all this was a waste of people's time and money 5 years ago. What I have witnessed in my daughter in the last 9 months is regression if gluten or casein is accidently introduced, improvement in cognition and sensory function since adjusting supplements, and drastic decrease in autistic characteristics since starting chelation. I assume you could easily give me reasons why these regressions/improvements are due to other forces at work, but it is much easier to tear down my point than it is for me to prove my point. As a parent I have decided to do what works for my child, of course keeping my eyes open to the scams out there. Personally I feel it is not advisable to state that SI is not a viable treatment option. Most autistic children need as much therapy as possible, with some treatments being more appropriate for some children. Some need ABA, but I think all should receive OT (SI or other) if eligible. Everyone on this list has something to offer whether a professional or a parent who has been through it 24 hours a day. > > > > > Hi everyone, > > > > > > Since this is a forum for presenting different > > > opinions, I just > > > wanted to give mine. I am reading posts about SI > > > therapy not being > > > effective and I am worried that readers will > > > discount this type of > > > therapy as a viable treatment because of a few > > > influential people's > > > opinions on this list. Please realize that not all > > > OTs who are > > > providing SI therapy are SI certified. Some therapy > > > is better than > > > others based on the provider. Also, outcome will be > > > based on the > > > specific needs of each child. SI therapy is > > > researched based and > > > taught at major universities. I do believe it is > > > effective, and > > > although it can be expensive for private OT SI > > > therapy, it doesn't > > > have to be long term because the parents learn the > > > techniques and > > > take over at home. You may just have to invest in > > > some equipment if > > > you choose. > > > > > > From my own experience as an OT, my son could not > > > complete his > > > homework unless he was swinging on a swing or > > > jumping on a > > > trampoline. It's just a simple example but amazing > > > when all the > > > answers would come out of his mouth so easily. Too > > > bad he can't > > > write like that! > > > > > > Thanks for listening, > > > > > > Debbie > > > > > > > > > > ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ __ > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 21, 2006 Report Share Posted December 21, 2006 I have addressed sensory issues that way before - before I knew what I was doing and what all these fancy words were. My oldest ds was about 4 or 5 and he would not eat any food that was not cold. We learned that when he was a baby and we had always just accommodated this issue by making everything cold for him. I started to think we should try fixing this and so I slowly began making his food a little less cold each time. I did this very slowly over a month or so one summer. And it actually worked really well. Today, he is almost 18 yo and he eats a variety of food with a variety of temperatures which he began doing after we started warming things up over time. He has no clue we used to order chicken nuggets and a glass of ice water so we could stick the nuggets in the ice water before he would eat them. I didn't know anything about SI or ABA back then either - it was just something I did on my own. With my younger ds, when he was 3 he still had to take all his clothes off all the time. Trouble was he would do this at the store. The ABA consultant that worked with us had me take him to the store and start praising him for keeping his shoes and socks on (the first pieces of clothing he took off) and he also got his favorite fish cracker as a reward (food as a reward, I did it and lived to tell about it, lol) which was very motivating for him. It did take some months of doing but eventually the fish were faded, the praise was faded and he could go through the store with only an occassional, " great job! " by the time we considered the problem fixed. Now he is 10 and happy to report that he knows he has to wear shoes in the store and does so without any problem ever since then. Roxanna Re: ( ) Sensory Integration Just because I looked into the dolphin therapy, I have to disagree that it is just an activity. I read that the sound waves the dolphins give off have an organizing affect on the nervous system. I am also an OT and have used SI principals on my children with good results. I cannot give you hard proof because it just does not exist. But the problem I have with therapy is that the goal is to get the child into the 'zone' to enable to child to focus, but there is not a lot of carryover to real life. The thinking is that the more time the child spends in the 'zone', the shift is from out of the 'zone' into the 'zone'. Then the child will be able to stay in the 'zone' at home and school with less assistance from caregivers. But I have created my own 'therapy' with my children to decrease the gap from direct therapy to real life. With my 5 year old daughter, the focus is more on teaching her to control her impulses to function in school. I have never done any ABA therapy because she was diagnosed late, but it would probably have been good when she was younger. But now she is in kindergarden and I try not to allow accommodation at school because she has progressed so much. But she needs support (SI and others) at home because she still cannot fit in it the 'real' world 24 hours a day. Just my 2 cents, Jen > > > Hi everyone, > > > > Since this is a forum for presenting different > > opinions, I just > > wanted to give mine. I am reading posts about SI > > therapy not being > > effective and I am worried that readers will > > discount this type of > > therapy as a viable treatment because of a few > > influential people's > > opinions on this list. Please realize that not all > > OTs who are > > providing SI therapy are SI certified. Some therapy > > is better than > > others based on the provider. Also, outcome will be > > based on the > > specific needs of each child. SI therapy is > > researched based and > > taught at major universities. I do believe it is > > effective, and > > although it can be expensive for private OT SI > > therapy, it doesn't > > have to be long term because the parents learn the > > techniques and > > take over at home. You may just have to invest in > > some equipment if > > you choose. > > > > From my own experience as an OT, my son could not > > complete his > > homework unless he was swinging on a swing or > > jumping on a > > trampoline. It's just a simple example but amazing > > when all the > > answers would come out of his mouth so easily. Too > > bad he can't > > write like that! > > > > Thanks for listening, > > > > Debbie > > > > > > ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ __ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 21, 2006 Report Share Posted December 21, 2006 " Combine a sensory preference with a rigid self-centered controlling approach to social interaction (one of the symptoms of ASD) and you can easily be tricked into thinking that child's preference is an actual need. " I like the way you wrote that. How interesting. Roxanna Re: ( ) Sensory Integration Just because I looked into the dolphin therapy, I have to disagree that it is just an activity. I read that the sound waves the dolphins give off have an organizing affect on the nervous system. I am also an OT and have used SI principals on my children with good results. I cannot give you hard proof because it just does not exist. But the problem I have with therapy is that the goal is to get the child into the 'zone' to enable to child to focus, but there is not a lot of carryover to real life. The thinking is that the more time the child spends in the 'zone', the shift is from out of the 'zone' into the 'zone'. Then the child will be able to stay in the 'zone' at home and school with less assistance from caregivers. But I have created my own 'therapy' with my children to decrease the gap from direct therapy to real life. With my 5 year old daughter, the focus is more on teaching her to control her impulses to function in school. I have never done any ABA therapy because she was diagnosed late, but it would probably have been good when she was younger. But now she is in kindergarden and I try not to allow accommodation at school because she has progressed so much. But she needs support (SI and others) at home because she still cannot fit in it the 'real' world 24 hours a day. Just my 2 cents, Jen > > > Hi everyone, > > > > Since this is a forum for presenting different > > opinions, I just > > wanted to give mine. I am reading posts about SI > > therapy not being > > effective and I am worried that readers will > > discount this type of > > therapy as a viable treatment because of a few > > influential people's > > opinions on this list. Please realize that not all > > OTs who are > > providing SI therapy are SI certified. Some therapy > > is better than > > others based on the provider. Also, outcome will be > > based on the > > specific needs of each child. SI therapy is > > researched based and > > taught at major universities. I do believe it is > > effective, and > > although it can be expensive for private OT SI > > therapy, it doesn't > > have to be long term because the parents learn the > > techniques and > > take over at home. You may just have to invest in > > some equipment if > > you choose. > > > > From my own experience as an OT, my son could not > > complete his > > homework unless he was swinging on a swing or > > jumping on a > > trampoline. It's just a simple example but amazing > > when all the > > answers would come out of his mouth so easily. Too > > bad he can't > > write like that! > > > > Thanks for listening, > > > > Debbie > > > > > > ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ __ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 21, 2006 Report Share Posted December 21, 2006 > . > All this talk of sensory integration is reminding me of my daughter. She's my non-AS child. As some of you know, I was a Montessori preschool and kindergarten teacher for about 8 years, some of those years during my daughter's preschool years. For some reason, I thought it was vital that she learn to play in the sandbox. She was about 20 months old at the time, and she wanted nothing to do with it. So here's what I did. I got her a tub and filled it with oatmeal. I gave her spoons and little shovels, and she had a good time spooning oatmeal. Once she mastered the oatmeal, I switched her to cornmeal. After a while, I switched her to sand, and we stayed with the tub. After a while, we switched to the turtle sandbox and she had a blast. Whew! Don't ask why I thought it was so important, cuz I surely don't know! Liz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 22, 2006 Report Share Posted December 22, 2006 Hi Liz, Sounds exactly like things I did as well. I guess when you have little kids, you want them to do everything they are " supposed " to do or that you see other kids doing. But now that we are a " little bit " older, we have the perspective to realize that not everything was all that important after all. Roxanna Re: ( ) Sensory Integration > . > All this talk of sensory integration is reminding me of my daughter. She's my non-AS child. As some of you know, I was a Montessori preschool and kindergarten teacher for about 8 years, some of those years during my daughter's preschool years. For some reason, I thought it was vital that she learn to play in the sandbox. She was about 20 months old at the time, and she wanted nothing to do with it. So here's what I did. I got her a tub and filled it with oatmeal. I gave her spoons and little shovels, and she had a good time spooning oatmeal. Once she mastered the oatmeal, I switched her to cornmeal. After a while, I switched her to sand, and we stayed with the tub. After a while, we switched to the turtle sandbox and she had a blast. Whew! Don't ask why I thought it was so important, cuz I surely don't know! Liz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 22, 2006 Report Share Posted December 22, 2006 Hi Liz, I liked your story. What you did was not sensory integration therapy. what you did was a systematic desensitization process of simplifying the ultimate goal (of playing in the sand box) to a level that was acceptable to your child, paired that activity with reinforcement making it more valuable to your child and then slowly altered the reinforcing environment to one that you felt was more appropriate and useful for your child's future. That is really good ABA/VB. ________________________ Schramm, MA, BCBA www.lulu.com/knospe-aba www.knospe-aba.com ________________________ Re: ( ) Sensory Integration > . > All this talk of sensory integration is reminding me of my daughter. She's my non-AS child. As some of you know, I was a Montessori preschool and kindergarten teacher for about 8 years, some of those years during my daughter's preschool years. For some reason, I thought it was vital that she learn to play in the sandbox. She was about 20 months old at the time, and she wanted nothing to do with it. So here's what I did. I got her a tub and filled it with oatmeal. I gave her spoons and little shovels, and she had a good time spooning oatmeal. Once she mastered the oatmeal, I switched her to cornmeal. After a while, I switched her to sand, and we stayed with the tub. After a while, we switched to the turtle sandbox and she had a blast. Whew! Don't ask why I thought it was so important, cuz I surely don't know! Liz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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