What I am finding more and more as I talk to people, is that the general public does not have a very clear understanding of the Autism Spectrum. I find that most people's reaction to those with PDD NOS or Aspergers are that they classify all under "Autistic." Now labels are just that labels, but with labels in the general public comes stereotypes and misunderstandings. Often those like my son are thought to be Autistic or people question that he is on the spectrum at all. Often the misunderstanding is that either he does not display typical symptoms or that all his symptoms or behavior are because he is "Autistic." Most of the time neither are the case. I have heard the same from many parents with children on the Spectrum. The battle for awareness and understanding always seems to be there. The misconception of bad parenting or behavior instead of understanding of Spectrum issues. Every child on the Spectrum is unique and different. Not one can be put into a box.
The media has recently put so much more information out about the Austism Spectrum through characters in shows such as Parenthood with Max. Max has Aspergers, and the show does a great job portraying the similar struggles and strengths that someone with Aspergers goes through. However, that is not everyone with Aspergers. The subjective nature of the Autism Spectrum creates in itself a lot of misunderstandings and misperceptions.
As of right now the Autism Spectrum generally consists of 3 diagnoses. There are others that are more rare. However classic Autism , Aspergers, and PDD NOS each has its' own set of criteria that are similar in nature. The distince differences are what differentiates between such as speech delays and having 1 or more of repetitive behaviors, social delays, and restricted interests to varying degrees. This on a whole is not understood.
In addition, in 2013 the Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM V)is coming out with new criteria, that as I understand it is lumping all 3 of these under the Autism diagnosis with varying degrees of severity. This will create more confusion to the general public. Because for a long time the 3 diagnoses tried to distinguish themselves from each other will now fall under the same name. Here is a relevant article to read on the topic.
Does all of this matter in the grand scheme of things? Well, yes and no. In our family our main goal is to nurture and support the unique personalities and strengths of each of our children. Does that need a label? NO. What does the label do for our family then? It helps us to understand our child better from his perspective. It helps us push to educate ourselves and advocate for him more. Is it different from our other children, slightly, but the goals are the same. God made each of our children uniquely, and each of them is who they are meant to be. We continually will fight for each of our children's best shot in life.
The label also gives us a reason and a purpose to help educate others in the general public. This pushes us to educate them so that others will understand and accept the uniqueness of children on the Spectrum. It helps us to encourage those around him to not just put him in a box, but to reach out and try to understand who he is not just that he is on the Spectrum. He is a person with a personality, with strenghts and weaknesses just like the rest of us. They may call it a disorder, but there are a lot of disorders in the world. Everyone will be labeled in some way. It is up to us as parents and as a family to make sure that label does not define all of who he is. He is an amazing, special, unique, funny little boy with the world ahead him. I am not going to let the label limit him in any way but for him to use it as a strengthening characteristic that makes him even more able to overcome obstacles in his life.
Our mission is to spread support, awareness, and acceptance of Autism Specturm Disorders. Join in! Get to know those around you in your community. Take an interst, have a conversation. It isn't so scary once you get involved.
How are you spreading awareness, support, and acceptance in your community?
"I am Jake: My Life on the Autism Spectrum" supports this very converstaion. What is an Autism Spectrum Disorder? Is everyone the same? From one boy's perspective (Jake's) ASD celebrates strengths and supports weakeness in a way that helps him overcome obstacles.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Transition
This has been one of the most challenging months we have had with Luke. So the fact that the transition to having Cole in the family is going so well, again, is a huge blessing. Why has this month been so challenging? As I may have mentioned in past posts, in July we moved to a temporary townhome after selling our house, 3 weeks ago we moved to a new house, and the next day we had to turn in Drew's company car and get another car, and then 2 weeks ago we had baby Cole. The car may not seem like a big deal, but to Luke it is huge. He gets very attached to cars and does not like change. One big characteristic of the Autism spectrum is often rigidity and an extreme aversion to change. Luke definitely falls into this category and is probably his biggest struggle. He is extremely bright also and remembers everything, so every little change does not go unnoticed ever. One way that Luke has responded to these changes has definitely been OCD behaviors such as hoarding, categorizing, increased stemming behaviors, and rigidity in daily functions. In doing certain things throughout his day, it has to be done in a particular order and the end result has to match up with the picture he has of it in his head. This can often be difficult for parents when we do not know what that picture in his head looks like and he is not aware that we do not know. The hoarding has come in many ways. He has even recently collected all of baby Cole's little toys into a certain place and order and has the idea that he is keeping them safe for baby Cole. He has also done this with Lydia's things.
In the new house, he has to be aware of everything that takes place. For example, when I was putting his curtains up he was not present, and when he realized that I had done it without him, there was a huge meltdown. The anxious kind.
Yes, there has also been an increase in the anxiety meltdowns that are reminiscent of a year or so ago. The only way I can describe this is it is like an "out of body experience" for him. He is not Luke during those times and he has no control (probably the lack of control is what sends him into these). There is nothing that can be said or done in those moments that will console him. Most of the time, he has to just tire himself out. The scary moments have been in the past month where he either tries to hurt himself or hurt anyone in his line of sight. He gets angry with himself for being angry also. He hates that he loses control and he has the awareness that it happened. Our dilemma over the past month with all the changes is how do we protect him? How do we teach him how to cope? How do we reach him during these times? As a therapist I have heard these stories from parents over and over. I have experienced them with my son as well. And now that he is older, it multiplies the emotional and physical toll by 100 percent. There is no easy answer on how to respond.
As much as possible we have tried to prepare him for the changes (through picture schedules, repetition, visits, etc..), have transitional objects that he can be excited about, and give him lots of verbal assurance and quality time. But even with as much preparation as we have done, change is still CHANGE and he hates it. That fact will probably never change. But our hope as parents to Luke, is that we can teach him, support him, and accept him for who he is with the hope that he will learn to be able to adapt successfully to changes that come his way in life because they are inevitable. That is my prayer for him. That is my desire. The hardest thing in the world for me as his mother is to see him suffer, to see him so uncomfortable in life at times, and to see him fight against the natural occurences that can bring him joy if he is able to cope with his anxiety. So the title of this post is Transition. This has been our life over the past month, and with it has come a lot of struggles. I see him settling into life a little bit more each day. That is my hope for him, to be HAPPY!!
How have your experiences been with transition in your family?
How have you helped your child overcome anxiety in transition and change?
Sunday, September 9, 2012
New baby on the way!
I am having number 3 in 2 days, so I can't promise I will be posting all the time. However, I will try to get back on here soon. I am excited to meet Cole, and at the same time I am hoping that Luke and Lydia will be just as excited. I know it will be another big change, but we have talked about it so much. I am going to set the precedent that he is just a part of the family and fits right in. I am going to take as much one on one time with Luke and Lydia that I can too.
How do you prepare for another addition to the family?
Until next time,
Stefany Gess
How do you prepare for another addition to the family?
Until next time,
Stefany Gess
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Hippotherapy!
We have recently began hippotherapy at Connections Therapeutic Riding Center. Both my son and daughter are attending an hour session per week. Last week, was their first time, and my son loved it. I think my daughter loved it too, but she had several meltdowns trying to exert her will. The therapists were very calm and patient with her, but required her to calm her emotions. She was able to do that with their direction. They were both completely exhausted that night and the next day. This is apparently the "detox" portion after a new experience that is both physically and emotionally draining. This week they both did even better. Luke was tired about halfway through, but he pushed through his wall.
I have already had a lot of people ask me what hippotherapy is. The facility that we attend describes it this way:
"Hippotherapy has been shown to be one of the most efficient and effective treatments used to improve posture, balance, mobility, and function in patients with motor disorders.
In hippotherapy, a specially trained physical or occupational therapist properly positions the patient on the horse, analyzes the patient's response and directs the horse's movement to achieve specific patient treatment goals. The horse is used as a unique treatment modality in conjunction with traditional therapies. As the horse walks, its center of gravity is displaced three-dimensionally with back and forth, up and down, side to side, and rotational movements. The horse's movement has a therapeutic effect on the patient with a precise, repetitive pattern of movement very similar to the movement of a person's pelvis during normal walking. Additionally, the movement of the horse produces sensory input to the brain and the nervous system of the patient.
Major aims of hippotherapy include mobilization of the pelvis, lumbar spine and hip joints, normalization of muscle tone, development of head and trunk postural control and development of equilibrium reactions in the trunk. In fact, improvement in postural control and trunk equilibrium reactions can be achieved more easily on the horse than in the clinic. The horse's rhythmical movements transmit symmetrical sensory input to the patient in a way that cannot be imitated by a mechanical apparatus or with any degree of consistency in the traditional occupational and physical therapy clinic. Therefore, hippotherapy offers an alternative and valuable adjunct to more conventional treatment modalities."
There is something about the horse that I saw visibly allowed Luke to let go of his anxiety. It was the neatest thing to watch. He still had a tendency to be anxious at times when they wanted him to do something out of his comfort zone, but he tried things he would have never tried before. He is connecting with the horses, and I can't wait to see what this will bring about in his development. Lydia is already being pushed to use her words in a sentence. She does not have a ton of words, but they are getting them out of her. As much as she would like to protest, she loves it. I will update you all on their progress soon.
Until next time,
Stefany
I have already had a lot of people ask me what hippotherapy is. The facility that we attend describes it this way:
"Hippotherapy has been shown to be one of the most efficient and effective treatments used to improve posture, balance, mobility, and function in patients with motor disorders.
In hippotherapy, a specially trained physical or occupational therapist properly positions the patient on the horse, analyzes the patient's response and directs the horse's movement to achieve specific patient treatment goals. The horse is used as a unique treatment modality in conjunction with traditional therapies. As the horse walks, its center of gravity is displaced three-dimensionally with back and forth, up and down, side to side, and rotational movements. The horse's movement has a therapeutic effect on the patient with a precise, repetitive pattern of movement very similar to the movement of a person's pelvis during normal walking. Additionally, the movement of the horse produces sensory input to the brain and the nervous system of the patient.
Major aims of hippotherapy include mobilization of the pelvis, lumbar spine and hip joints, normalization of muscle tone, development of head and trunk postural control and development of equilibrium reactions in the trunk. In fact, improvement in postural control and trunk equilibrium reactions can be achieved more easily on the horse than in the clinic. The horse's rhythmical movements transmit symmetrical sensory input to the patient in a way that cannot be imitated by a mechanical apparatus or with any degree of consistency in the traditional occupational and physical therapy clinic. Therefore, hippotherapy offers an alternative and valuable adjunct to more conventional treatment modalities."
There is something about the horse that I saw visibly allowed Luke to let go of his anxiety. It was the neatest thing to watch. He still had a tendency to be anxious at times when they wanted him to do something out of his comfort zone, but he tried things he would have never tried before. He is connecting with the horses, and I can't wait to see what this will bring about in his development. Lydia is already being pushed to use her words in a sentence. She does not have a ton of words, but they are getting them out of her. As much as she would like to protest, she loves it. I will update you all on their progress soon.
Until next time,
Stefany
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Siblings!
Since I am getting ready to have #3 in 2.5 weeks, I was getting nostalgic and watching video from 3 and 4 years ago. I was watching video of before Lydia came along and after. I was amazed by the difference in Luke from before and after. I think as a parent we are constantly dealing with the present and not so much reflecting on the past. In my reflection, I saw Luke responding to outside family members and responding to commands so easily. I also saw some head rocking, social anxiety, and a little bit of him being in his own world. It was there, but with only one child I don't remember any of those things being in the forefront of my mind at the time. After Lydia arrived I watched him trying to navigate his new world with some anxiety. He spent a lot of time with daddy after our daughter was born for a few reasons. Our daughter had severe reflux and hardly ever slept which meant I did not sleep. She had a painful sounding scream of a cry that I still get flashbacks from when she cries now. She also was a high maintenance baby. She threw up like the exorcist a lot (with liquid gold) flying across the room at any moment. I don't remember much during that time, but I do remember that I did not get to hold my little boy nearly as much as I would have liked. In some of the video, I saw his amazing smarts coming out on camera. At 17 months we were reading a book together and he knew everything and spoke it as clear as a bell. During that time, my husband was also traveling a lot. He was gone for a 5 week stretch at the beginning of our daughter's life. I am sure my son's anxiety increased over my probably insufficient attempt at trying to juggle everything alone. It was about 6 months out of the fog that we began noticing how much our son's anxiety was keeping him from the things that were enjoyable in life. It was about that time and the year after, that he did not want to leave the house anymore. We noticed that he was lining up his toys and moving them from one place to another over and over. However, it was still not incredibly apparent to us (parent overcompensation) that he was struggling as much as he was. As our daughter got older, the differences were more apparent. The ease with which our daughter laughed, played, and left the house were the biggest differences. Looking back on that time, I remember many extreme meltdowns lasting for a couple hours with which my daughter would just step aside and do her own thing while I tried everything to calm him down.
She developed a pattern of just wandering around during these times which she still does quite a bit. I have some parent guilt about the lack of time I did not get to spend with her while dealing with meltdowns. I didn't read as many books, snuggle as much, or play on the floor with her as much. I can't change that now, and my son needed me too, but I still think about the effects that time had on her. She also has learned to imitate a lot of our son's behaviors. With interactions, she has watched him growl at people, run away, etc... She has also done that a lot. Luke has also tried to control Lydia's every move from the time she started walking. He has always taken her gifts away from her and categorized them in a way that none of us understand, and when she tries to play with her toys, he has extreme anxiety (full body tightening, vein popping, crying, screaming). She then would just drop it and begin wandering again. We have worked on this aspect soooooooo much, but we are still dealing with it. Lydia got a bunch of presents for her birthday, and Luke has been hoarding them for 2 months now. We have talked about it, put them back, found them in his room again, talked about it, removed some of his toys, put them back in her room, and so on and so on. I actually saw Lydia playing with her Rapunzel doll the other day, and I was a crazy woman trying to protect that time with her toy.
So the sibling thing has been a challenge to say the least. I understand from Luke's perspective why he struggles with control, and I understand from Lydia's perspective her tendency to disengage. She is very laid back and does not want the fight. She is also incredibly empathetic, and I know her empathy has been the best support for Luke. As she gets older, I can imagine that will continue to be a huge factor in Luke's development. Also I can imagine, that her speech delay has somewhat to do with the tendency to disengage. She was not willing to work at trying to get her words out.
The exciting things now are, Luke and Lydia have their own preschool classrooms where they can be independent from each other and have their own interactions. Lydia is already thriving after just one week. The time apart is good for them, and they will each grow in their individual environments. As we continue to work on their interaction together, I have seen Luke grow in empathy and love for Lydia (hugs and kisses that just started recently) probably learned from her example. I have also seen them play together without the control issues. These moments are growing in length. I have also seen Lydia begin to fight for what is hers. That may sound strange, but I love to see that. I don't want her to disengage from life all the time. I want her to fight when right for herself. I have also seen Luke become very excited about baby #3 coming along. I am hopeful this will be a much better experience for him this time around because he understands more and can formulate and prepare in his mind what is going to happen.
Overall, this is the family God designed for us all to be in, and He knew what He was doing. I put trust in that knowing that these little ones were made to be brothers and sister to each other. They will learn and grow from the personalities that they uniquely have, and they will have a unique experience that will help them in life's encounters and experiences. Lydia will have more empathy and understanding for others that may be a little different. Luke will learn how to love and show empathy for others because of Lydia. Time will tell what Cole will provide the family. I am excited to see. Through our struggles we have learned much, and we can celebrate the successes and the relationships forming in our family.
I will read "I am Jake: My Life on the Autism Spectrum" to Lydia and Cole when they are old enough to understand. Hopefully this will be one of many tools to have conversation to help them understand Luke's world a little more clearer. They will also be individuals that will spread awareness and acceptance in our community and schools for Autism. I can see them being an active voice for their brother. What an exciting thing! There is also a great article about siblinbs at this link
Until next time,
Stefany
She developed a pattern of just wandering around during these times which she still does quite a bit. I have some parent guilt about the lack of time I did not get to spend with her while dealing with meltdowns. I didn't read as many books, snuggle as much, or play on the floor with her as much. I can't change that now, and my son needed me too, but I still think about the effects that time had on her. She also has learned to imitate a lot of our son's behaviors. With interactions, she has watched him growl at people, run away, etc... She has also done that a lot. Luke has also tried to control Lydia's every move from the time she started walking. He has always taken her gifts away from her and categorized them in a way that none of us understand, and when she tries to play with her toys, he has extreme anxiety (full body tightening, vein popping, crying, screaming). She then would just drop it and begin wandering again. We have worked on this aspect soooooooo much, but we are still dealing with it. Lydia got a bunch of presents for her birthday, and Luke has been hoarding them for 2 months now. We have talked about it, put them back, found them in his room again, talked about it, removed some of his toys, put them back in her room, and so on and so on. I actually saw Lydia playing with her Rapunzel doll the other day, and I was a crazy woman trying to protect that time with her toy.
So the sibling thing has been a challenge to say the least. I understand from Luke's perspective why he struggles with control, and I understand from Lydia's perspective her tendency to disengage. She is very laid back and does not want the fight. She is also incredibly empathetic, and I know her empathy has been the best support for Luke. As she gets older, I can imagine that will continue to be a huge factor in Luke's development. Also I can imagine, that her speech delay has somewhat to do with the tendency to disengage. She was not willing to work at trying to get her words out.
The exciting things now are, Luke and Lydia have their own preschool classrooms where they can be independent from each other and have their own interactions. Lydia is already thriving after just one week. The time apart is good for them, and they will each grow in their individual environments. As we continue to work on their interaction together, I have seen Luke grow in empathy and love for Lydia (hugs and kisses that just started recently) probably learned from her example. I have also seen them play together without the control issues. These moments are growing in length. I have also seen Lydia begin to fight for what is hers. That may sound strange, but I love to see that. I don't want her to disengage from life all the time. I want her to fight when right for herself. I have also seen Luke become very excited about baby #3 coming along. I am hopeful this will be a much better experience for him this time around because he understands more and can formulate and prepare in his mind what is going to happen.
Overall, this is the family God designed for us all to be in, and He knew what He was doing. I put trust in that knowing that these little ones were made to be brothers and sister to each other. They will learn and grow from the personalities that they uniquely have, and they will have a unique experience that will help them in life's encounters and experiences. Lydia will have more empathy and understanding for others that may be a little different. Luke will learn how to love and show empathy for others because of Lydia. Time will tell what Cole will provide the family. I am excited to see. Through our struggles we have learned much, and we can celebrate the successes and the relationships forming in our family.
I will read "I am Jake: My Life on the Autism Spectrum" to Lydia and Cole when they are old enough to understand. Hopefully this will be one of many tools to have conversation to help them understand Luke's world a little more clearer. They will also be individuals that will spread awareness and acceptance in our community and schools for Autism. I can see them being an active voice for their brother. What an exciting thing! There is also a great article about siblinbs at this link
Until next time,
Stefany
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Good Article
This article titled "Raising Resilient Children" is a good perspective on how to focus on strengths instead of deficits. So many times we do that as parents, therapists, teachers, etc... At times, it is hard not to, but it is so important for a child to learn his strengths over his weaknesses. We all have weaknesses, but what is really worth celebrating are the strengths, successes (little, medium, or big). I ask myself continually how I can do that better as a mom and a therapist. In "I am Jake: My Life on the Autism Spectrum" I try to focus on Jake's strengths because he is an incredible boy.
How do you celebrate the strengths in your children?
Until next time,
Stefany
How do you celebrate the strengths in your children?
Until next time,
Stefany
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Occupational Therapy
Honestly, I did not know much about occupational therapy until last year. When my son underwent his developmental evaluation at Children's Hospital an occupational therapist also did an evaluation. She determined that he had fine and gross motor delays as well as a sensory processing disorder. I did not know what that meant at the time. Since that time I have become a believer in occupational therapy and have gained a lot more insight and knowledge into what it is. In my own terms, this is what it means to me. Occupational therapists work on functioning in daily life. That can include:
*Attention span and stamina
*Transition to new activities
*Play skills
*Need for personal space
*Responses to touch or other types of stimuli
*Motor skills such as posture, balance, or manipulation of small objects
*Aggression or other types of behaviors
*Interactions between the child and caregivers
But most importantly, our occupational therapist explained to us that our body's neurological system has a gatekeeper. The gatekeeper filters in and out all the input and stimuli to keep us functioning at a regular state. When the gatekeeper is functioning correctly, we don't even notice that it is working for us. The 5 senses (taste, touch, smell, sound, sight) are all funneled through this gatekeeper. So for exaample, a low buzzing sound at work doesn't bother me when I am trying to finish something because my gatekeeper is working correctly. However, children that have sensory issues (often with children on the Spectrum), their gatekeeper does not work effectively to filter these environmental stimuli the way that it should. Therefore, a smell, a buzzing sound, a light, a texture, a funny taste can all lead a child to elevate to a dysfunctional level. This can cause hypersensitivity that leads to meltdowns or an extreme reaction to something that seems trivial to all of us. Large crowds, loud noises, unfamiliar foods, etc... can all lead to these responses. And when the gatekeeper isn't working the regulation is very hard to achieve in those moments.
There are two opposites under sensory processing disorders. There are those that that seek out tons and tons of stimulus and input because they cannot get enough to regulate, and there are those that are hypersensitive to any stimulus and the tiniest stimulus can be too much and too overwhelming. My son often avoids stimulus; however, he still requires input in a regulated way (weighted vest, squeezes, pillow smashes, climbing). For example, when he would get overwhelmed by stimulus he would begin to throw himself to the ground to where his knees were incredibly bruised. He never seemed hurt by this, so he would do it over and over. However, now we have transitioned this behavior into other more appropriate behaviors to get the input that he needs. Now my daughter on the other hand, is a stimulus seeker all the way. She is constantly looking for input and doesn't avoid stimulus at all. Therefore, that is why we have had to watch her non-stop because she has no fear and no caution. She will try anything for input.
Since this explanation has been put into laymans terms for me, I understand much better how I can work to get my children to function at a regulated state throughout the day. We are still fine tuning the ins and outs of their "sensory diet" (stimulus input during the day) to keep them regulated. We are so much farther along than we used to be. It is an intersting science for sure. It has been amazing to see my daugher (who has a severe speech delay) talk more clearly after she has been in a swing for 20 minutes. Or to see my son sit at the dinner table with his vest on for an entire meal without it looking like he wants to jump out of his skin. It has been amazing to watch for sure.
Disclosure: I am not an expert occupational therapist nor do I have any education in occupational therapy. So my explanation is as a mother and there may be errors.
For more information, I like the explanation at this website WebMD
In the book "I am Jake: My Life on the Autism Spectrum" on page 19, Jake's mom is helping him to choose a sensory choice to help him regulate.
Have you found Occupational Therapy helpful in your family?
What are strategies you have used?
Until next time,
Stefany
*Attention span and stamina
*Transition to new activities
*Play skills
*Need for personal space
*Responses to touch or other types of stimuli
*Motor skills such as posture, balance, or manipulation of small objects
*Aggression or other types of behaviors
*Interactions between the child and caregivers
But most importantly, our occupational therapist explained to us that our body's neurological system has a gatekeeper. The gatekeeper filters in and out all the input and stimuli to keep us functioning at a regular state. When the gatekeeper is functioning correctly, we don't even notice that it is working for us. The 5 senses (taste, touch, smell, sound, sight) are all funneled through this gatekeeper. So for exaample, a low buzzing sound at work doesn't bother me when I am trying to finish something because my gatekeeper is working correctly. However, children that have sensory issues (often with children on the Spectrum), their gatekeeper does not work effectively to filter these environmental stimuli the way that it should. Therefore, a smell, a buzzing sound, a light, a texture, a funny taste can all lead a child to elevate to a dysfunctional level. This can cause hypersensitivity that leads to meltdowns or an extreme reaction to something that seems trivial to all of us. Large crowds, loud noises, unfamiliar foods, etc... can all lead to these responses. And when the gatekeeper isn't working the regulation is very hard to achieve in those moments.
There are two opposites under sensory processing disorders. There are those that that seek out tons and tons of stimulus and input because they cannot get enough to regulate, and there are those that are hypersensitive to any stimulus and the tiniest stimulus can be too much and too overwhelming. My son often avoids stimulus; however, he still requires input in a regulated way (weighted vest, squeezes, pillow smashes, climbing). For example, when he would get overwhelmed by stimulus he would begin to throw himself to the ground to where his knees were incredibly bruised. He never seemed hurt by this, so he would do it over and over. However, now we have transitioned this behavior into other more appropriate behaviors to get the input that he needs. Now my daughter on the other hand, is a stimulus seeker all the way. She is constantly looking for input and doesn't avoid stimulus at all. Therefore, that is why we have had to watch her non-stop because she has no fear and no caution. She will try anything for input.
Since this explanation has been put into laymans terms for me, I understand much better how I can work to get my children to function at a regulated state throughout the day. We are still fine tuning the ins and outs of their "sensory diet" (stimulus input during the day) to keep them regulated. We are so much farther along than we used to be. It is an intersting science for sure. It has been amazing to see my daugher (who has a severe speech delay) talk more clearly after she has been in a swing for 20 minutes. Or to see my son sit at the dinner table with his vest on for an entire meal without it looking like he wants to jump out of his skin. It has been amazing to watch for sure.
Disclosure: I am not an expert occupational therapist nor do I have any education in occupational therapy. So my explanation is as a mother and there may be errors.
For more information, I like the explanation at this website WebMD
In the book "I am Jake: My Life on the Autism Spectrum" on page 19, Jake's mom is helping him to choose a sensory choice to help him regulate.
Have you found Occupational Therapy helpful in your family?
What are strategies you have used?
Until next time,
Stefany
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