The Same Story

The other day at therapy, and a new mom was there with her 3 year old son. Once her son was taken to the back for therapy, we started talking and sharing our stories. As I listened to her tell her son’s story, it was like I was reliving ours. Our stories were exactly the same. Like my son, her son was excelling and ahead of all milestones. He was very verbal and was even putting two words together. He was making great eye contact and was social. She said that she doesn’t know what happened between 13 and 16 months, but her son began to withdraw. By 16 months, he was non-verbal and just made sounds. She couldn’t get him to respond to his name, and he didn’t want to be around anyone but her. She talked about the hard time her son has with transitions, eating, and bedtime.

As she talked, I tried to encourage her since our children had the same story, and my son was older. I gave her tips and told her that therapy has made a HUGE difference in my child. I also reassured her that it does get easier. Right before she left, I gave her a hug and told her to hang in there.

Over the years, I have met several moms in the waiting room that share the same story. Most of the moms will tell me that this happened to their child between one and two years old. In the past 15 years there has been a dramatic increase of children with autism and/or Sensory Processing Disorder. It really makes you wonder what is causing this.

They are investigating the following:

Ø  the environment that babies and fetuses are exposed to like:

o   pesticides

o   house hold products

o   food (GMO’s- genetically modified organisms and special diets)

o    viruses

o   medication/ supplement intake

o    vaccines (MMR – which doctors are saying they have disproven, but continue to run tests)

Ø  genetics

So far a proven cause has not been found. With this being said, before coming to your own conclusions about a cause, it is very important to research it yourself.

 

There are also studies being done to find a cure. CBR (Cord Bank Registry) is in clinical trials of using a child’s cord blood to cure Autism. This is a controlled study where they are hoping that by infusing cord blood stem cells, a child with autism will improve in language and behavior.

 

I hope one day that they find the cause or a cure. But until then, another mom in the waiting room who has been there and understands will help you on the hard days, and a great therapy team working with your child several times a week, will make a big difference.

 

 

Sensory Stress Responses: Fight, Flight, and Fright (Freeze)

One of the most complex parts of sensory processing is that it looks different on each child with SPD. When my son becomes over stimulated, he goes into “flight” mode. He escapes to a corner or under a chair and curls up into a ball and will rock or sometimes make soothing humming sounds. There have also been times where he will flee a room and run until he feels safe. My daughter, when over stimulated, goes into “fright” mode and will freeze like a deer and not make a sound or blink. Other SPD children have been known to get aggressive when over stimulated. Here is a breakdown on each response:

Fight

Children that respond in fight mode will show extreme frustration. They may be explosive or aggressive. They might even resist what you want them to do and shout, “No!” or “I don’t want to.” People will say these children act out.

Flight

Children that respond in flight mode are known to have escape behavior. They may escape physically or mentally. When escaping physically, they will run until they find a safe spot. If they escape mentally, they will be easy distractible and need redirecting.

Fright

Children that respond in fright mode will freeze. These children are known to be clingy, fearful, and avoid eye contact. They are reluctant to separate and often believe that they can’t do things on their own.

Knowing how your child will to respond to being over stimulated can help you know how to approach them and react. You cannot approach them from a discipline standpoint. They are beyond reasoning and are not doing this on purpose, but out of survival mode. It is important first to remove the child from the situation and encourage deep breathing. Once that is done, here are some ideas I have been given by our therapist over the years:

·         Hold them close and give them a big bear hug for deep pressure.

·         Have a “safe spot” in the house and in the classroom for the child to go to, such as a play tent.

·         Give them a chewy stick with some sour spray or candy to help calm them down.

·         Wrap them up in a blanket like a burrito to provide comfort

·         Lay them down with their weighted blanket

·         Give them the critter vibe

·         Provide calming music

Even though, I can’t always prevent stress response from happening with my children, I do everything I can to help them not get to the point of “fight, flight, or fright”. I do this by watching my children carefully and knowing what is going to set them off into this mode. For example, I know that doctor offices will make my son go into flight mode. To prevent this from happening, I will allow him to carry a blanket to cover up and create a safe place.

Once you learn the triggers, you can try to prevent it from happening. The hard part is learning the triggers and working through it. I hope that these ideas that therapist have given us in the past will help you as you work through this will your child too.

Paying Attention to Color and Behavior

I didn’t pay attention to room color until I was talking to another therapy mom one day in the waiting room. She was stressing out about the color to paint her autistic son’s playroom. She wanted a calming color and had to find the perfect green. After talking to her and finding out more about colors and behavior, I started seeing how colors affected my children as well.

It wasn’t but a week after my conversation with that mom that I saw exactly what she was talking about. We were seated at a pediatric dentist office waiting room about to go back for a cleaning. My son was extra hyper that day. The room and its lights were bright yellow, and he was feeding off of that energy. Other children in that room were running around and playing loudly with toys. As we walked to the back, the colors were even brighter- red, yellow, and orange. The colors along with the sound of the hygienists cleaning seven other teeth sent my son into full flight mode. He was running everywhere trying to escape and even threw his shoes across the room. We left without a cleaning that day, and I started my research on finding another dentist.

Two months later we tried the dentist again. The new place had walls colored light blue and cream. In this waiting room, children seemed calmer. They were looking at the aquarium, reading books, and doing puzzles. When it was our turn for a cleaning, we were walked into a private room that was sage green and blue with cream accents. My son was calm the entire time. This trip was successful! The color, lighting, and noise level made a huge difference.

Since this trip, I have really paid more attention to colors. I have seen how colors can affect mood and behavior. This is what I have learned about colors:

Colors that Calm (light, pastel, and cool colors)

White, tan, blue, purple, and green are calming colors. They can help soothe your child and reduce anxiety. They are very helpful colors for children who have behavior problems and tantrums. These colors are best for painting a room for a sensory child.

Colors that excite (bright and warm colors)

Yellow and red excite the body and the mind and bring about cheerfulness while orange encourages confidence and can encourage communication and corporation. However, too much of these colors can bring about the opposite effect. Sensory children can be over stimulated by too much of these colors and can feel agitated and even angry. These colors are best accent colors and are to be used in moderation.

Colors have the power to calm, excite, and even help you focus. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to colors and use them to your advantage in helping your child. If you are interested in the therapeutic use of color for your child, I recommend The Complete Book of Color by Suzy Chiazzari.

Five Fun Oral Motor Blowing Activities

When my daughter was born, she had a hard time latching on and sucking. Even when we switched to a bottle, a lot of it came out of the sides of her mouth, and she was loosing weight. After being evaluated by a speech therapist, I was told that she had low tone in her mouth. Through Beckman oral motor exercises, her tone has improved over time. With her tone improving, we have seen improvement in her eating and speech. Now that she is older, we continue to do Beckman exercises along with oral motor activities. These activities feel more like play than work. Her brother joins her in doing the activities to develop muscles in his mouth for speech. It is quite a workout since we have seventy two muscles in our mouth that we use to speak and eat.

These are my kid’s top five favorite oral motor blowing activities that they do at home and at therapy.

1.       Bubble Mountain- Get a mixing bowl and fill it half way with water. Add a few drops of blue Dawn and give your child a straw. Then, tell them to blow. They will continue to blow until bubbles fill the bowl, and create a bubble mountain. I highly recommend doing this outside or with a towel under the bowl.

 

2.       Straw rockets- Remove half of the paper that covers a straw. Have your child blow on the straw from the opposite side as the paper. The paper will soar like a rocket.

 

3.       Pom Pom Ball Race- Have children pick out their favorite color Pom Pom ball and a straw. Line the colored Pom Pom balls up across a small kid table. Have them blow through their straws to move their Pom Pom’s across the table. The first one to reach the other end of the table wins. You can make this activity easier with smaller Pom Pom balls. The larger the ball, the harder it is to blow.


4.       Feather Floor Maze- Create a maze on the floor with tape (straight lines to make it easy and curves to make it challenging). Have child blow a feather through the maze staying in between the lines.

 

5.       Straw Blown Art- Have child choose three colors of paint to put on their paper. Add some water to dilute the paint. Put dabs of paint on the paper. Have child blow air through a straw onto the dab of paint to create a picture.

 

At our house, I have seen many benefits from doing oral motor activities with my children. I believe that it has helped them with feeding and speech. The best part about these activities is that they really enjoy them.

Taking a Look Back

Yesterday was our first day back to therapy after vacation. Many of our therapists were asking us about our trip. It was during that conversation that I really took the time to think about how far we have come since our last big family vacation.

When we went to Disney World two and a half years ago, my son had a handful of words in his vocabulary (most of those words were understood by mommy and daddy only). He also struggled with eye contact, and had us carry him everywhere because he was extremely nervous. He made self soothing noises, and chewed on anything he could get his hands on to calm himself down.

On this trip, he was able to communicate in sentences when he felt uncomfortable or needed his chewy stick. While waiting for one ride he said, “Mommy, I don’t like it. Please go.”I was so proud of him. I wanted to cry happy tears. He also looked more at the camera for pictures, and he handed his disability card to the cast member while making eye contact. He didn’t even feel the need to self sooth because he wasn’t as nervous. He did fine just chewing on gum all day.

Thinking about how far we have come is a huge encouragement. When you are living day to day, you really do not see the huge strides of progress. When you pause to take time to reflect on the past, there is so much to celebrate.

Take time today to celebrate your child as you reflect on their journey. I am sure you also have things to celebrate. And while you are at it, give yourself a big pat on the back. You are doing an amazing job!

Going to Disney World with Sensory Processing Disorder children

Walt Disney World has always been a magical place for me. I have wonderful family memories of visiting the Magic Kingdom every year. I always dreamed of my children someday sharing the magical experience with me. Once we found out more information on my son and SPD, I wasn’t sure if he would enjoy a place like Walt Disney World. Our first visit, two years ago, wasn’t easy. This visit was much better. I think the difference between the two visits comes down to preparedness, awareness, and early intervention. Today I am more aware of strategies to help my child with Sensory Processing Disorder, and I know how to prepare for a trip like this more so then I did two years ago. My son has also had two more years of therapy to help him cope with a place like Walt Disney World in the chance that he does get over stimulated. Here is a list of dos that I wish I would have done on our first visit:

1.       DO Prepare- I spent three weeks preparing my children for this trip.

·         We made a countdown calendar to prepare us for the day we left.

·         We read social stories: taking a vacation, meeting characters, and waiting in a line to help calm my children of any anxieties and teach them my expectations.

·         We watched videos and looked at pictures of the park and rides. Then, I let them help me pick out what rides they wanted to do.

·         I took them to a town carnival and Chuck E Cheese to help get them use to crowds, loud noises, rides, and lights.

 

2.       DO Take Advantage of My Disney Experience- I loved utilizing this free Disney planning tool. It allowed us to link all of our reservations and plan our fast passes. Every visitor starts off with three fast passes. You get to pick the ride and time that you want to go. Your fast passes are connected to your ticket which is scanned before your fast pass ride. I highly recommend buying a Disney lanyard ticket holder so you do not hunt for your ticket every fast pass line. We bought them for our tickets, and it really helped. The site also had great pictures of the rides and a map that I used to help prepare my children for our trip.

 

3.       DO Schedule Breaks- I made it a priority to break up our day. The park is most crowded mid day through early evening. To avoid the crowds, we scheduled to visit the park in the mornings. We left the parks around three to go back to the hotel. The kids could then take a nap, play in the pool, and rest up for another day.

 

4.       DO Get A DAS (Disability Asses) Card – I got a note from our therapist, so my children wouldn’t be in large crowds while waiting in lines. The new DAS card at Disney doesn’t allow you to access the ride right away. It works like a fast pass. The cast member in the fast pass entrance will give you a time to return. This worked out great for us because it gave us some down time between rides to relax. It also has a picture of your child with their name on it. We put their DAS cards in their Disney lanyard to help Disney cast members more aware of them.

 

5.       DO Read "Walt Disney World Guide For Kids"- I paid attention to the "Walt Disney World Guide for Kids". It gave me advice on noise and light levels. Both of my children have a hard time with dark places and loud sounds. This guide helped us avoid those rides. If we needed a break at the park, the baby room was suggested as a quiet place.

 

6.       DO Pre- notify Character Handler- I made sure that I talked to the character handler before the character approached my children. My daughter does not like to be touched and my son needs a warm up period. Notifying the character made a huge difference on how the character approached us.

 

7.       DO Pack Food – I packed our food and snacks for the day. My children are very picky eaters. This helped ease the stress of having to find a place to eat. I also packed chewy, sour, and crunchy things to help stimulated them.

 

8.       DO Sit Near Exits During Shows- When we entered shows, I talked to the cast member about possibly needing to leave early if the show became over stimulating. The cast member would show us the nearest exit, and we would chose seats closest to the exit. Having a plan of escape if need be helped my son’s anxiety.

 

9.       DO Bring a Stroller- I brought our personal stroller, so my children could put the shade over themselves and avoid the crowds. It gave them a  "safe place” to be, and a place that they are comfortable with at home.

 

10.   Do Bring Therapy Supplies- I brought headphones and chewy sticks if a ride became too loud or over stimulating. I also brought things I needed for their sensory diets.

 

11.   DO Stay At Wyndham Lake Buena Vista- This hotel is an official Disney World Resort and doesn’t draw in huge crowds. It is by Downtown Disney. We did the character breakfast Thursday morning with only four other families. It made meeting the characters so much easier with a small group. The hotel also had an aquatic playground that my children loved. They were the only kids on it for an hour.

I wish I would have read these dos before our first trip, but I am glad I can pass what I have learned onto you! Disney did a wonderful job accommodating our children; you just really have to tell them what your children need. Once the need is explained, they will do everything possible to make it a magical experience.

 

Planning for a Vacation with a Sensory Child

Since it is summer time, I thought a great topic would be planning for a vacation with a sensory child. Going on vacation always takes a lot of planning, but going on a vacation with a sensory child requires a little more. Here is my “extra” check off list when planning and packing for vacation.

1.       Scheduling- My children have a hard time with change. When scheduling events, I try to keep their main schedule (wake up time, sensory diet times, nap time, and bed time) the same. I also try to not over book our schedule.

 

2.       Preparing children- Since my children have a hard time with change, we create a vacation countdown calendar to help prepare them for the change about to come. We also listen to a social story about going on vacation.

 

3.       Packing- When packing our items, I have to remember our therapy items for our sensory diets and any extra items they will need to help stimulate them or give them input. Items that I pack include:

 

o    weighted blanket

o   soothing sound machine

o    chewy tubes

o    sour spray

o    critter vibe

o    noise reduction ear muffs

o    therapressure brush

o   food (crunchy/ chewy)

 

4.       Requesting a note- When we plan a visit to a theme park or crowded attraction, we request a note from our children’s therapist, so our children can receive accommodations during vacation. The note from the therapist helps because it gets us a pass to go through the back entrance and avoid crowds.  My son goes into “flight” status when he is confronted with crowds and loud noises. It is very stressful for him. To ease his stress, we put ear muffs on him and place him in a stroller with the shade down. Having the accommodation of avoiding crowds when possible makes the vacation more pleasant for everyone.

 

5.       Researching- Before we go on vacation, I research the theme park or attraction. I find out what rides or places we need to avoid due to sound or sensory overload. I also find out if the place has a spot for us to get away and decompress to avoid sensory overload or a meltdown.

 

6.       Thinking ahead- My son tends to get fixed on a ride, character, or object. It can be very difficult moving on to the next attraction. To help him transition from one event to the next, I let him help me map out the trip. We also form a plan, such as: "If I find something I really like, I will ____.”  Reminding him of the plan we created, tends to help. Another thing that tends to help is to offer a reward for transitioning well.

 

Planning every extra detail for our family has really helped smooth the transition of vacation mode and made our trips more enjoyable. I hope our extra check off list can help you too when planning your vacation. Safe travels!

Sensory vs. Food

Both of my children are picky eaters because both of them are very particular about the textures of food they put in their mouths. If they do not like a certain texture, they will gag. My son will also begin to shake his head side to side, while my daughter has even thrown up. Meal time becomes a struggle when trying to get everyone to eat a healthy family balanced meal. Currently, we are working with both a speech therapist and an occupational therapist to help both children with eating. Here are some tips they have given me that have really helped us at meal time:

 

1.      Limit the amount of change- Since the food will be changing every meal, try to limit the amount of change the child is exposed to by providing the same plate, bowl, utensils, and drink.

2.      Make a food menu- Allow your child to feel in control of their eating by allowing them to choose from a menu what they want to eat.

3.      Separate food items- So the child doesn’t get overwhelmed, place each item you want them to eat in separate bowls (veggies in red bowl, chicken in green bowl, fruit in blue bowl, bread in yellow bowl). Let the child feel in control of their eating by picking which bowl they want to eat out of first. Eventually, change from a child’s bowl to a plate with dividers. I have also seen parents use ice trays to separate food at mealtime.
 
4.      Turn eating into a game- Have the child roll the dice to see how many bites they need to take.
 
5.      Pairing foods- Ease the stress of trying a new food by pairing it with something they already love. For example, if the love chips and you want them to eat turkey meat, place the turkey on the chip and have them take a bite.

6.      Use similar foods- When trying something new, pair it with something similar that they enjoy. This way the new item doesn’t seem so different. The similar food could have the same texture, flavor, color, or consistency. I put the new food by the liked food and talk to my child about how they are the same.

7.      Food play- Let your child play with their food. If they won’t touch it, they are less likely to put it in their mouth.

8.      Food thought- Never force your child to eat, or they might associate meal time with negative thoughts. When eating, sing songs and talk in a happy tone to make meal time fun and inviting.

9.      Model- Children are always watching you. Model good eating habits for them. Sit down and eat with them. Talk about how yummy the food is as you put it in your mouth.


I do not want my children to be limited on the types of food and liquid they will take. That is why it is so important for me to continue to introduce them to new foods and expose them to different food textures frequently. These tips have really eased the stress in our house during meal time. I have also found the books, Just Take A Bite by Lori Ernsperger and Food Chaining by Cheri Fraker very helpful.  I will continue to find new and innovative ways to help my children with eating. If you have any ideas, please share!

Thoughts about Labeling Children

When I was 8 years old, I was diagnosed with ADHD and Dyslexia. It seems like once I was diagnosed everyone knew, and I was stuck with a label. I hated having that label. I hated being pulled out of class for resource reading and getting modifications and accommodations because I wanted to be like everyone else. Because of my history with being labeled, I struggled with having my children labeled also. Part of me wanted a diagnosis, so I could know all about the disorder and better help my children. The other part of me just wanted to treat the symptoms and not worry about a label.

After going back and forth on this for a while, I talked to our therapist, and decided to wait until the age of three, so we could get a reliable diagnosis. After getting a diagnosis, the only changed was a label.  His treatment stayed the same because they continued to treat his symptoms.

Many people now will ask me if all the testing was worth it to get a label since the treatment didn’t change. My answer is yes, although I rarely use his label because I don’t want him to feel defined by it. Instead of using his label, I usually tell people ways they can help him be successful; however, every once in a while, to get the services we need, we have to use it along with all of our testing documentation.

Last month we came upon this very issue, but with my daughter. Like my son, they think she also has SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder), but she is not of age for a diagnosis. She is low registry and doesn’t let you know when she is hurt. She will be bleeding and not shed a tear. At church three weeks ago, another little girl scratched her several times and my daughter, even though she was bleeding and hurt, never cried. Because she didn’t cry or make a noise, the teachers didn’t know it happened until they saw scratches all over her. When talking to the church about my disappointment, they told me that they were never aware that my child had special needs because I didn’t indicate a diagnosis or more information on my child care form. I told them that we do not have a diagnosis, and we are in the process of figuring this entire thing out. I also told the director that even though I didn’t write a diagnosis or extra information on the form, I did talk to my daughter’s teachers about her needs. At the end of our conversation, I learned that I should have just put something down on the paper. It could have helped them watch her more carefully and made them more aware of my child’s needs.

If your child doesn’t have a label like my daughter, it is okay. Most people do not understand labels anyways. What they really want is for you to describe the child’s behavior or learning problem and tell them what they can do to help. I learned from the incident above to always write down my children’s needs. They are not defined by their needs, but people do need to know how to best help them whether they have a label or not.

Crossing Mid-line

On Friday, my son’s Occupational therapist was working on his grasp and had him drawing shapes. He did an incredible job on circles and other shapes that had lines that were parallel and perpendicular, such as a square and rectangle. He had a very hard time with the triangle and diagonal lines. I asked her why she thought he was having difficulty and she said, “It is because he has to cross midline.” Crossing midline refers to reaching across the middle of the body.

This was an “ah ha moment” for me. I never thought that writing sometimes included crossing midline. Crossing midline has always been a challenge for him. I remember when he was first tested at 16 months that “not crossing midline” was a concern. Today he does cross midline, but has difficulty with it. He is working on it with his Occupational therapist and through Equine therapy, but I also want to address it at home.

The first step is for the child to have a hand preference. The hand they prefer becomes the working hand and the other hand is the helper. Once that is established, here are some activities to help children with crossing midline:

1.      Trace horizontal lines with the working hand. Hold the paper with the helping hand.

2.      Draw the infinity sign with the working hand. Hold the paper with the helping hand.

3.      Sit cross legged on the floor

4.      Deal cards to everyone around a table using the helper hand to hold the deck and the working hand to pass out cards

5.      Use right hand to reach across and touch left toe, use left hand to reach across and touch right toe

6.      Use the working hand to shovel sand and the helping hand to hold the bucket. Have the working hand reach across midline to put sand in the bucket

7.      Reach for objects crossing midline. Use right hand to reach for stuff animal on left side of the body. Use left hand to reach for stuff animal on the right side of the body.

8.      Sit back to back with a friend and play pass the ball around. Using two hands on the ball, hand the ball to your friend by reaching over your right side. Get the ball back by reaching with both arms over your left side.

Crossing midline will help your child with the development of motor and cognitive skills. Helping your child cross midline will help them with life skills (such as dressing), reading, writing, and physical activities. These activities above are easy and fun. If you are concerned about your child not crossing midline, please talk to your pediatrician or your child’s therapist.

Sensory at Bed Time

Ironically, today I talk about sleep when last night I didn’t sleep much. We had a change in our night time routine last night (I wasn’t home to put them to bed), and it threw them off all night.

Getting your child to sleep through the night when they are a sensory child can be very challenging. My son didn’t sleep through the night until he was four, and sometimes he still wakes up in the middle of the night. Last night, when he woke up almost every hour, is extremely rare now, but did happen often when he was younger. It happened so often that we hired a sleep consultant. We were desperate for sleep. She helped him sleep better, but we still struggled with sleeping through the entire night.

Things didn’t change until we worked with our Occupational Therapist to create a sensory bedroom environment. Here are a few things we did to help with bed time.

1.      Create a bedtime routine- change for us creates anxiety. My children are calm and relaxed when they know what to expect next. Our bed time routine includes bathing, blow drying hair, brushing teeth, brushing body, read  a short story, family devotional, prayer time, and night time kisses

2.      Therapressure brush- brushing my children or giving them a deep pressure massage helps them relax before bedtime. If I give them a deep pressure massage, I do it with lavender scented lotion.
 
3.       Cloud B Twilight Turtle Tunes (Lighted white noise machine)- gives warm lighting and calming music to help child fall asleep

4.      Cloud B Lady Bug Plush Pillow- looks like a large stuff animal. It gives off calming lavender fragrance.

5.      Weighted blanket- gives child deep pressure throughout the night to help them relax. We got our weighted blanket through sensory goods.

Having a routine is huge for us, along with these key things: deep pressure, calm noise throughout the night, warm lighting and lavender. I hope these suggestions will help you and your child sleep tight throughout the night too! Sweet dreams!

Sensory Diet

The first time an occupational therapist talked to me about putting my child on a sensory diet, I thought she was talking about food. I had heard of moms putting their special needs child on diets such as gluten free, dairy free or dye free, but I had never heard of a sensory diet. She explained to me that a sensory diet is a personalized plan “diet” that helps your child receive sensory input throughout the day.

My daughter was put on a sensory diet last week and the results have been instant! Both of her therapists yesterday told me that she seemed like a new child. She is being more social and connecting more with people, as well as not acting so resistant to touch. My daughter’s sensory diet includes brushing her to give her deep pressure throughout the day. I brush her four times a day (about every four to six hours). It only takes about 2 to 3 minutes to do. After I brush her, she does one to two stimulating activities for five minutes such as jumping on the trampoline, swinging in her swing, rolling up in a blanket (like a burrito), or massaging her mouth with her critter vibe.

My son has been on a sensory diet since last year. His sensory diet has helped calm his anxiety and normalize his activity level (he is usually real high or real low). My son’s sensory diet includes brushing him twice a day to give him deep pressure. Then, three times a day ( morning, afternoon, and night) he does two to three stimulating activities for five to ten minutes. He has an activity list were he gets to pick which activities he wants to do. His list includes: jumping on trampoline, pushing boxes, swinging on the swing, jumping on squares (hopscotch), massaging mouth with critter vibe, blowing bubbles, spinning on sit & spin, or balancing on balance board.

The thing I love about the sensory diet is that it includes sensory activities that they love to do anyway and feel like play. They laugh while doing their sensory diets and sometimes want to do more. If they want to do more sensory activities that day or want to do an activity longer, I let them. That day they might need more stimulating than the day before.

If you are interested in a sensory diet for your child, I highly recommend you reading Raising a Sensory Smart Child by Lindsey Biel. It can help you think about and plan a sensory diet for your child. Also, talk to your Occupational Therapist and see what they think about putting your child on a sensory diet. They know your child personally and can offer insight that the book might leave out.

Music, Motion, and Sensory

I am a firm believer in using music to help stimulate my children. I have seen my daughter become more verbal and more alert with music and motion. For this reason, we do a lot of musical play in our house.

Creating Music Makers

My children love to make things. The great thing about making things is that they are getting great fine motor practice while doing it!  Here are some music makers we have made at our house:

1.       Fill a soda bottle halfway with beans, rice, and glitter

2.       Put three to four pennies inside Easter eggs

3.       Put bells on a stick with colorful yarn

4.       Put bells on yarn and make a bell bracelet

5.       Turn a coffee can into a drum (hit with stick or spoon)

We decorate our music makers with colorful yarn, stickers, paint, and construction paper.

Singing

Once we have made our music makers, we use them to keep the beat while we sing some songs. Their favorite songs to sing with their music makers are:

1.       Row, Row, Row Your Boat

2.       ABC song

3.       Old Mc Donald

4.       Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

5.       If You’re Happy and You Know It

6.       I’ve Got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy

Moving

Along with singing, my children love to dance and move around. We use our movement and dance time to work on balance, coordination, and crossing midline. We play our instruments over our heads, down by our toes, and over to both sides. We will also walk playing our instruments, and play our instruments at different speeds.

Watching

We also take the time to watch each other play our instruments. I think it is very important to build up their self esteem and validate each of them. I give each of them a turn to play on our stage (the front of the living room), and we cheer and clap for one another when the person is done.

Listening

The last way I incorporate music into our day is through therapeutic listening.  My son’s occupational therapist highly recommended the Kidz Jamz collection to help my children with transitions. We listen to the cd in the car on the way to therapy. The cd is a collection of children’s songs. The creator uses pitch and rhythm to calm children and help them focus. We have really enjoyed these cd’s. Here is a list of the collections:

1.       Grape Jamz

2.       Peach Jamz

3.       Razzberry Jamz

4.       Jungle Jamz

5.       Strawberry Jamz

6.       Surf Jamz

I hope creating, singing, moving, watching, and listening to music help your child too. For “Music gives the soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything” (Plato).