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Need resources for sensory issues

bliss611bliss611 member
in Special Needs
DS has a dx for mild ASD (4-5 months ago) and he is getting help for all related issues. However, the more I become aware of things involved in ASD, the more I realize so much of his difficult behavior is related to sensory integration. Much of what I have researched recently has been SPD related but there is way too much information out there to navigate efficiently.

Any of you have suggestions for websites, books, etc that would be helpful? I am not looking for technical "how the system works" but rather resources that can tell me what to do at home to help on a daily basis.

If it helps to know - DS is very sensory seeking.

TIA!!!
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Re: Need resources for sensory issues

  • hopecountshopecounts member
    I've found these books helpful. As well as working with DD's ABA team to address the sensory seeking behavior and helping DD find appropriate ways of getting the sensory input she craves. 
    And of course getting suggestions and help from her OT has been a huge part of helping things along.
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  • hopecountshopecounts member
    -auntie- said:
    bliss611 said:
     I sometimes think parents overstate the sensory piece and that the behavior piece has to be primary. Even with SPD, a child needs to learn to behavior in a manner expected of society if he is to be included by it. I think this is what @hopecounts is suggesting.

    Exactly, DD has sensory issues but we are focusing on the behavioral part with ABA while using OT to assist in the sensory needs part. 
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  • bliss611bliss611 member
    Thanks everyone!

    He has had an OT eval & he is currently receiving OT for sensory issues and fine motor skills delay- started late March. Definitely huge improvements since he started therapy but his OT is not very helpful with thoughts & advice on things to outside of her hour with him.
    (He will be getting all his therapies in school come Sept & it will be a new OT. So with only 6 weeks to go of summer therapy, changing to a new therapist doesn't make sense - it would take DS a few weeks to adjust to a new person anyway)

    I also have very little guidance with behavior issues as well right now. That would help quite a bit. I fought with CPSE to get him his current services -- they wanted to wait until Sept for everything so I don't have any resources for behavior part. His dev-pedi appt is early Sept.

    His OT did point out he is sensory seeking. Things I noticed:
    - he is very oral lately - putting things in his mouth as if he was a teething baby. (Gotten sick a few times because of it.)
    - he will not sleep unless he is snuggled up next to someone. (recent issue) He wakes up within 30 minutes of being in bed alone. So, he rarely gets enough sleep. I tried a weighted blanket (a couple of hours during a nap) and it worked wonders. I'm just afraid to use it fully without OT guidance - waiting to ask her about protocol for that next week.
    - does impromptu running every so often throughout the day. (OT labeled that sensory-seeking)
    - he isn't so varied on food but insists on ice cold water all the time and requests ice cubes, ice cream, etc quite a bit.
    - very fidgety with his hands - constantly touching things, twists things in his hands, pinches at things with his fingers, etc.

    It has been extra difficult lately to get through the day with him - so many frustrating little things. So I thought some sensory tricks may help.

    Thanks for the book recommendations and esp for the warning about creating "crutches" - that's a major thing to keep in mind.
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  • bliss611bliss611 member
    -auntie- said:
    you're living the terrible twos on steroids.

    auntie - No one quite gets the issues of getting through the day with him but I think this nails it!!! you SO get it. :)
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  • hopecountshopecounts member
    bliss611 said:

    I also have very little guidance with behavior issues as well right now. That would help quite a bit. I fought with CPSE to get him his current services -- they wanted to wait until Sept for everything so I don't have any resources for behavior part. His dev-pedi appt is early Sept.

    His OT did point out he is sensory seeking. Things I noticed:
    - he is very oral lately - putting things in his mouth as if he was a teething baby. (Gotten sick a few times because of it.)
    - he will not sleep unless he is snuggled up next to someone. (recent issue) He wakes up within 30 minutes of being in bed alone. So, he rarely gets enough sleep. I tried a weighted blanket (a couple of hours during a nap) and it worked wonders. I'm just afraid to use it fully without OT guidance - waiting to ask her about protocol for that next week.
    - does impromptu running every so often throughout the day. (OT labeled that sensory-seeking)
    - he isn't so varied on food but insists on ice cold water all the time and requests ice cubes, ice cream, etc quite a bit.
    - very fidgety with his hands - constantly touching things, twists things in his hands, pinches at things with his fingers, etc.

    It has been extra difficult lately to get through the day with him - so many frustrating little things. So I thought some sensory tricks may help.

    Thanks for the book recommendations and esp for the warning about creating "crutches" - that's a major thing to keep in mind.
    I think our kids would get along REALLY well, those are/were DD's issues (except the sleeping thing and I think that is because we ferbered at 7 months so we basically extinguished the behavior at that time before that she had to be on someone to sleep hence the ferbering)
    If it makes you feel better they responded really well to ABA extinction combined with OT work. 
    The ice cold water issue was probably one of the earlier 'signs' looking back I just didn't recognize it. It was one of our earlier behaviors we targeted for extinction. 
    Now we are down to mouthing and twirling her hair (that's how she fidgets with her hands). 
    Mouthing is up next for extinction but we decided to do some focused OT work over the summer then target it in the fall when we up her ABA hours. 
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  • bliss611bliss611 member
    thanks for the info hopecounts. Haven't even touched on ABA yet since DS only has a educational dx for now and they didn't (can't?) offer it.

    Waiting for the dev-pedi. How much ABA does your daughter get?

    I'm actually curious how that would work if it gets recommended. DS will be in pre-school for a full school day come Sept and I am going back to work. Wondering how it fits into his day/week...
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  • hopecountshopecounts member
    edited July 2014
    @bliss611
    We will be doing 10 hours a week in the fall (currently doing 7) we are entirely OOP for it so that's the  max we can manage right now. 
    Some school systems (like ours) don't endorse/offer/use ABA so they won't suggest it. An educational diagnosis would be fine for most private ABA providers in my area. 
    I'm a SAHM and DD's therapy is pretty much my job. In the fall she will go to her public SN preschool 2 mornings a week, have lunch in the car on the way to ABA, do ABA for 2 hours then head home. 2 other mornings a week she will attend a 'normal' private preschool followed by lunch in the car and another 2 hours of ABA most likely though it may end up she is scheduled later in the day.
    Depending on the provider and where he is going for after school care (if applicable) they may be able to come to him there. 
    One of the many reasons we currently hope to red shirt DD next year (2015 she'll be 5 1 week before the cut off) is to keep her in a half day program to allow us to max out ABA before she goes to kindy and we have to juggle all day school with her therapy schedule. This is very dependent on how she progresses this year, if she still needs assistance with communication (speech is currently at a 2 year old level) then we may have to reconsider the plan but she is making good and steady progress so I have my fingers crossed that while still delayed she will be communicating well enough for us to stick with that plan and do private ST and OT for that year.

    ETA: with us doing a lower number of hours I do have to do a lot of 'homework' under guidance from her therapists and have to be really consistent with sticking to the treatment plan/goals as we are working them.
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  • bliss611bliss611 member
    thanks for the info! I've been looking into it but haven't done anything yet. We got his diagnosis a little over 4 months ago and honestly it just took me a couple of months to deal with mentally & emotionally. He went to preschool 3x half day + all the therapies he got (PT, OT, ST), it was a lot for him and for me as well (I'm driving him 30 min each for each therapy session).

    See what happens with dev-pedi and what is recommended. But it'll be hard schedule-wise. He will be going to pre-K 9-3p 5x/week so very little down time. He is going to be in an integrated room so that will be good for him but I am researching other ASD treatments on my own.

    Thanks again!
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