A couple of weeks ago I got a sheet from our Occupational Therapist (who will be coming on board soon) about how to incorporate sensory input into your child's daily activities. I think they're great ideas so I wanted to share them with you.
BATH TIME: Scrub with washcloth or bath brush, try a variety of soaps and lotions for bathing, play on the wall with shaving cream or bathing foam, rub body with lotion after bath time (deep massage), sprinkle powder onto body and brush or rub into skin.
MEAL PREPARATION OR BAKING: Let your child mix ingredients, especially the thick ones that will really work those muscles. Let child mix and roll dough and push flat. Allow child to help you carry posts and pans, bowls of water or ingredients (with supervision, of course). Let you child tenderize meat with the meat mallet.
GROCERY SHOPPING: Have your child push the heavy cart (as long as the weight is within their capabilities). Let your child help carry heave groceries and help put them away.
MEALTIME: Encourage eating of chewy foods and drinking out of a straw. Try having your child sit on an air cushion to allow some movement. A weighted lap blanket may be helpful as well.
HOUSEHOLD CHORES: Allow the child to help with the vacuuming or moving the furniture. Let the child help carry the laundry basket or the detergent. Let the child help with digging for gardening or landscaping.
PLAYTIME: Reading books in a rocking chair or bean-bag chair may be beneficial. You can help your child make up obstacle courses in the house or yard using crawling, jumping, hopping, skipping, rolling, etc. Listen to soft music. Play the sandwich game (child lies in between two pillows and pretends to be the sandwich, while you provide pressure to the top pillow to the child's desired amount.) Ask them "harder or softer?" as you push on the pillow. Some children will like much more pressure than you would expect. you can also go for a neighborhood walk with a wagon and have your child pull it (make it semi-heavy by loading it with something the child would like to pull around). You can do the same with the baby-doll carriage. Swimming in a pool is a wonderful activity if you have that available,, as are horseback riding and bowling. Mini or full-size trampolines are excellent for providing sensory input as well. Make sure the child is using them safely. Sandboxes or big containers of beans or popcorn kernels can be fun play-boxes too if you add small cards, shovels, cups, etc.
ERRANDS AND APPOINTMENTS: Before visiting the dentist or hairdresser try deep massage to the head or scalp (of tolerated), or try having your child wear a weighted hat. Try chewy foods or vibration to the mouth with an electric toothbrush. Let your child wear a heavy backpack (weighted to their liking with books and with the straps padded as needed). Be sure to give the child ample warning before any changes in routine or any unscheduled trips or errands. Many children with SPD need predictability.
OTHER GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR THE HOME:
~ Keep routines and possessions organized.
~ Be consistent with rules and consequences.
~ Keep an activity schedule or calendar posted.
~ Create specific routines for troublesome times of the day (bedtime or getting ready for school).
~ Discuss upcoming anticipated changes in routine at a point in time that is beneficial for your child. You will have to experiment with how early the child "needs to know".
~ Try to indirectly use your child's sensory preferences for fun rewards to help you handle behavior. For example, having your child work towards an extra trip to go bowling or horseback riding may be helpful. However, try not to restrict movement activities when you child is being disciplined. For example, taking away recess time or playground time for not sitting at the table appropriately during dinner may not be the most effective way to deal with these issues. Your child may need movement time, and by removing it, his or her behavior may actually become more difficult later.
Try some of these suggestions and let me know if they work for you. I'd love to hear feedback if you do them. I would also love any tips that you can offer on how you deal with your child's tantrums, behaviors, etc.
Showing posts with label therapy tools. Show all posts
Showing posts with label therapy tools. Show all posts
Monday
Pacific Pediatric Supply Review & Giveaway
I am so excited to tell you all about our new review and giveaway! This is going to be great! The reasons why I'm so excited about it is because #1: they're great giveaways, #2: I know they will help out your kids and #3: they're awesome products that are so fun! So are you on the edge of your seat yet? This months giveaway is:
1 Doorway Net Swing System
and
2 Peanut Balls
2 Peanut Balls
That's right! I have *3* things to giveaway and all from Pacific Pediatric Supply! They have been so generous in this giveaway! So I will have not one, not two but three winners this month! Let me tell you a little bit about Pacific Pediatric Supply!
Pacific Pediatric Supply is based out of California and was started in 2004 by a husband and wife team! Since then, they have been providing a new source of innovative, high quality sensory integration products for autistic and special needs children. Over the past 4+ years they have become a wonderful, growing supplier helping schools, day cares, clinics, hospitals and homes across the globe!
Their main website offers over 1,000 products! They also have over 300 products on their Ebay store and 400 products on Amazon. They sell wholesale to websites and magazines and even internationally! Whatever the needs of your child Pacific Pediatric Supply has products for kids and parents! Here is a list of their product categories:
(click on any link below to see what products are offered in that category!)
~ Early Learning , Books and DVDs, Exercise and Strengthening, Fine Motor and Handwriting, Positioning, Oral Motor, Sensory and Tactile, Sensory Integration and Weighted Items, Specialty Furniture
~ Early Learning , Books and DVDs, Exercise and Strengthening, Fine Motor and Handwriting, Positioning, Oral Motor, Sensory and Tactile, Sensory Integration and Weighted Items, Specialty Furniture
Whether you have a special needs child or work in a special needs facility, these products are for you! Here are a couple photos of just some of the products they offer.
Toddler Rockers
Tactile Brushes
Porcupine Balls
Chewies
Body Sox
Body Sox
As I said before Pacific Pediatric Supply is giving away 3 prizes! They sent me one net swing and one peanut ball to review and my kids love them. They're not only good for therapy but they're also good for fun activities so they can get their energy out! Take a look at this short video of one of the prizes being given away. (And don't mind me saying, 'um' every ten seconds! I was trying to quietly control my son while taping! lol)
Cool net swing huh? My kids love it and I'm sure yours will too! All 3 of my children have SPD and have been in therapy now for a while. However, my youngest daughter is the one that needs ongoing therapy every day. This swing is something that really helps give her input to make her day a little easier. If I'd let her, she would stay in it all day long. As you can see in the video we put a body pillow in the swing to make it easier for her to get in and out of. However, you can also lay down in it on your back or belly without a pillow. The full system net swing is a $97 value and comes with a doorway support bar, rope extensions, swing, screws and instructions. The nets rope is of good quality and holds up to 175lbs. And when installed correctly doesn't interfere with the door opening and closing.
Let's move on; below is a picture of the peanut ball. This ball is used just like a yoga ball would be for therapy the only difference is that it is designed so that children can do it on their own. With this their feet touch the ground so they can jump without having to hold on to someone or something to keep them from falling. Very brilliant idea if you ask me! I was surprised at the quality of plastic used to make this ball. It's very thick so it won't puncture easily. I really liked the fact that it is good for therapy OR just for exercise! And with being only $28 they are affordable.
Well now I have introduced you to Pacific Pediatric Supply, showed you pictures of some of their products and given you links to check them out further. Now it's time to tell you how you can win one of the prizes.
MANDATORY ENTRY:
Head over to Pacific Pediatric Supply and look around. Come back and in a comment tell us one of your favorite products that we did not talk about here.
Head over to Pacific Pediatric Supply and look around. Come back and in a comment tell us one of your favorite products that we did not talk about here.
EXTRA ENTRIES:
~ Blog about this giveaway with links back to us and Pacific Pediatric Supply
(5 entry points)
~ Tell us one thing you learned about Pacific Pediatric Supply that we did not talk about here.
(4 entry points)
~ Follow us on Twitter
(3 entry points)
~ Fave us on Technorati
(3 entry points)
~ Follow this blog
(3 entry points)
~ Grab our button and display it on your blog
(3 entry points)
UNLIMITED ENTRIES:
~ Tweet this giveaway and in a comment give us your tweet URL
(2 tweets only per day please)
Contest ends on June 22 at 12pm Central time. Winners will be picked using a random generator and announced later on in the day. Only one prize per person/household. The winners will then have to answer our confirmation email and respond within 48 hours or a new winner(s) will be drawn. No exceptions!
Contestants may only enter using one name and one email address to enter. Any contestant that does not follow the rules (i.e. Mandatory entry FIRST, spoofed entries, etc.) will be disqualified.
Thanks for entering this giveaway and good luck to everyone!
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