SPD and Overactive (or undersensative) Vestibular

Re: SPD and Overactive (or undersensative) Vestibular

• Assembly_Reqd member

  January 2013

  the FAQ is 'stuck' on Page 2.

  ***sigh*** 

  WAY 2 Cool 4 School
  

  
  

  
  

  

  Report0 Reply
• Loading the player...
• wellfleet04 member

  January 2013

  My 5 year old has the exact opposite problem.  She gets dizzy and has tons of fear and doesn't know where her body is in space when she's spinning, swinging, or on an elevated surface.  She's gotten OT and some PT (for low muscle tone in her core) for 3 years now.  It's helped a TON.  She can now climb up and down stairs without putting her hands down or sliding on her bum (was over 3 years old before she could do that), plays on the playground at school, can do a slide (was 4.5 before that was not incredibly scary), swims, rides horses, and even went skiing yesterday.  She still has some motor planning challenges and gets randomly fearful in new places, but OT has been incredibly helpful for her to learn how to process information her vestibular system is receiving.  She is on an IEP at school and gets pulled out for PT 1x and OT 2x a week.

  Report0 Reply
• funchicken member

  January 2013

  My DD's vestibular system is over-responsive in some areas and under-responsive in others.  The OT does lots of activities that involve motor planning, swinging, and she does an astronaut training thing that involves spinning DD in very specific ways.  We also work on core strength and balance, yoga poses, etc.  We've seen a lot of improvement.  DD doesn't fall and bump into things nearly as often as she used to.

  DD is also over-sensitive to tactile stimuli, and we work on that and do a lot of deep pressure stuff, but we never tried the brushing protocol.
  

  Report0 Reply
• robynlesley member

  January 2013

  DS responded quite well to the brushing protocol. He asks for it now and the combination with deep pressure really helps center him.  Though my DS seems to be oppositive of yours, being somewhat hypersensitive.  We also do "squishes" (not sure of the technical term) that his OT taught me. Also hleps with him.

  
  
  Bronx Zoo: Summer 2013
  
  
  
  
  To read my blog, click on the giraffe pic below!
  

  Report0 Reply
• 4Speedy member

  January 2013

  You've described my son, exactly.  We started OT at 2.25 years old.  We did astronaut training, lots oft swinging, motor planning practice, sensory play, brushing, listening therapy and safety awareness on obstacle corses.  We also have a sensory gym with a bounce house and swings in our basement.  DS has both a weighted vest and pressure vest that he wore for therapy and school for a couple years. You name it, we've done it.  Because we've done so much and usually integrated several therapies together, we can't isolate exactly what has worked best for us but something has worked.  DS is nearly four and the improvement is amazing.  DS is still very busy and is a kinetic learner but he is light years away from where he started.  He gets dizzy now and enjoys it in an appropriate way when playing on the merrigoround at the park.   It also just dawned on me today that I have to return the vests because it's been so long since DS has needed them, they are probably too small.

   Good luck to you.  I hope you have as good an experience with the therapies as we've had. 

  Report0 Reply
• Brewtowngrl member

  January 2013

  Thank you so much. You all have been so helpful. I have my meeting with the psych today just to rule out any other issues or see if there are other issue. His full eval isn't until march. I wish I could get all the answers right away. I just want to help him. I think he is unhappy with himself too. Makes me so sad. Wish I would have gotten the ball rolling a lot earlier

  
  
  

  
  

  Report0 Reply