Sensory Diet
oandmplus1
member
We have been told my DD has sensory issues by our neuro-developmental physician, on their way out of the appointment last week, the PT and vision consultant mentioned using a sensory diet and quickly threw out a few ideas on their way out.We don't see them for 3 weeks due to a break for the program.
I am looking for ideas or resources. My DD seems to mostly be sensory seeking. She is constantly rocking or bouncing, banging toys to make noises and hits herself in the chest and stomach (almost like a gorilla), which they tell me is because she likes the vibration. She also holds toys up close to her face sometimes, which the vision consultant thought was because she liked the feeling of her muscles crossing her eyes. She likes pressure on her joints, and motion like rocking calms her. Singing to her also seems to calm her.
So far, I don't seem to be doing a good job, she is still hits herself pretty hard when she is really excited or when she is frustrated, and she rocks a lot when upset. She also seems to make a lot of noises that seem like frustration "ehhhh, ehhhh, ehhhh". I just wish we could get more help from a professional, but PT and OT benefits are done and EI with PT once a week is all we get now. It seems like with her vision and feeding issues, it isn't enough. We racked up quite a bill already with therapy and can't afford to pay out of pocket until we can pay off what we already owe.
Re: Sensory Diet
I would keep a journal of what activities are organizing to her and what ones get her revved up.
We follow a sensory diet and our day looks like this--
Eat (crunchy food/drink with a straw)
20 minutes of sensorimotor play (ie playground time/tumbling/playing in the sand)
Vibrating toothbrush time
Quiet, calming play (puzzles/playdoh)
We repeat that during the day. Clearly I don't spend every minute of the day playing with my child. However, we aim for 15-20 minutes an hour of organizing play.
If she craves jumping, I would get a trampoline. That is a godsent to my sensory seeking child. You can get mini ones at walmart for $25. If she craves rocking, getting a swing for your house might be a good activity to try with her as well.
If she likes pressure, instead of getting a pricey weighted vest, you can make your own at home. Get a small backpack and put some weight in it (the recommendation would be based on her weight and shouldnt be more than 10% of her total body weight). Try it for short intervals of time--15 to 20 minutes and see if it has a positive effect.
Some helpful links--
https://www.sensorysmartparent.com/SD_Samplediet.html
https://sensorysmarts.com/sensory_diet_activities.html
I hope that information is of some help to you. GL!
My son has sensory issues as well and I am doing sensory diet. This means that every two hours you do something sensory. It doesn't have to be a certain amount of time that you do it, just make sure you are doing something every two hours. Some sensory things to do that you can do at home are get a small inflatable pool and fill it with plastic balls, you kinda make your own ball pit. I did mine for under $30. Also get a banging toy, I bought mine at Target for like $20. It has a hammer that you hit balls into this little thing and the balls fall thru to the bottom. Crashing is great. You know how you kinda fall into a bean bag chair or pillow or sofa, something soft. Well you do this with your LO, now don't throw but it's kind of that motion, this gives them the deep joint compression. Also get a yoga ball or one of those that kids can hold onto while bouncing. You can let them sit on this while you hold onto their hands and then they can bounce or you can put them over it on tummy and roll it on floor. Get an inexpensive vibrating toothbrush, like $3 at Target and let her put it in her mouth, it gives them the stimulation they crave. Also I bought a small back vibrator that he can hold onto if needed. You can get a tupperwar container and fill with uncooked rice and put little beads and small items and they put their hands in. Also have them instruct you on brushing and joint compression. They toys for sensory stim, my OT and ST have said to use these and then put them up and away, don't leave them down for them to constantly use. The exception is the ball pit. So within a few days I noticed a difference. I have been doing this for 3 weeks and my son takes my hand and takes me over and points to his brush, banging toy, etc. If you are consistent you can see a huge difference. I see a difference already and am pleased to say it's not really that difficult to do. Also something to keep in mind is how you respond to them. Decrease stimuli, like lights, sounds, etc, whatever your child doesn't like. Also don't yell or get real noisy with them, try to keep calm and quiet. I have learned a lot from my OT and ST. You need to make sure they are familiar and comfortable in sensory issues, cause not all are. Be your childs advocate. If you have questions feel free to PM me and hopefully I can help. Good luck.