Sensory Saturday: Pack and Play Ball Pit

When LM was 2 year old (and not yet diagnosed)I took him to a friends birthday party at a local kids gym. The party program itself was a recipe for disaster: 20 toddlers shrieking, wide open spaces, no transitions between activities, and worst of all: me. An "unseasoned" mom new to this whole diagnosis, neurotic because LM was alternating between tantruming and spinning in circles.

But then a breakthrough. It was "freeplay" time and they opened the ball pit. (I'll add a sidenote here: I was totally THAT mom who believed the chain email I got about the disgusting germ infested toxic dump that is a kids ball pit - it took everything in me not to snatch him out!)So LM dove in and did this dolphin-like spin/dive/swim and for the first time had some interaction with another child. At least he looked in her direction and sort of played a "ball toss" with her. I won't say that the rest of the party was great, but there was a huge difference in his activity level after this.

A week later we started OT in a sensory gym and I learned all about the wonders of the ball pit. The ball pit is one of those super great activities that can both awaken AND calm senses depending on the needs of the child. I'll also add that its the one activity that a child instinctively knows what they need to do to regulate themselves in. Even as a 2 year old with no language (expressive or comprehensive) and the play skills of a 3 month old, LM knew just how to "use" the ball pit.

After seeing how much LM loved it and understanding the sensory benefits we decided to set up a ball pit at home. We went out and bought a mid-priced inflatable one. It was junk. It looked cute and had characters, but was much too shallow for even a small 2 year old to really "submerge" in. Next we got a small kiddie pool and bought 300 extra balls. Defenitely better, but took up a lot of room and the balls went flying everywhere when LM statred playing. And my neat-freak husband was twitching with all the balls everywhere.

LM was napping in his pack and play playpen and I had an epiphany. How about a ball pit in the pack and play? It was perfect. Deep enough to hold 400 balls that didnt spill out the top and enough room for LM to dive and roll in. And an added bonus: I could lift and shake the whole thing making "waves". The PNP ball pit is still the most used "toy" in our house and the first thing our playdate friends run for. It's the perfect multifunction toy.

The best part is that LM knows to go play in his ball pit for a few minutes when he needs to calm down. Giving him this self-regulation opportunity is priceless and a huge step towards getting him to manage on his own. If I had a must-have list, this would be at the top.

Happy Saturday!

Sensory Saturday: Pack and Play Ball Pit

When LM was 2 year old (and not yet diagnosed)I took him to a friends birthday party at a local kids gym. The party program itself was a recipe for disaster: 20 toddlers shrieking, wide open spaces, no transitions between activities, and worst of all: me. An "unseasoned" mom new to this whole diagnosis, neurotic because LM was alternating between tantruming and spinning in circles.

But then a breakthrough. It was "freeplay" time and they opened the ball pit. (I'll add a sidenote here: I was totally THAT mom who believed the chain email I got about the disgusting germ infested toxic dump that is a kids ball pit - it took everything in me not to snatch him out!)So LM dove in and did this dolphin-like spin/dive/swim and for the first time had some interaction with another child. At least he looked in her direction and sort of played a "ball toss" with her. I won't say that the rest of the party was great, but there was a huge difference in his activity level after this.

A week later we started OT in a sensory gym and I learned all about the wonders of the ball pit. The ball pit is one of those super great activities that can both awaken AND calm senses depending on the needs of the child. I'll also add that its the one activity that a child instinctively knows what they need to do to regulate themselves in. Even as a 2 year old with no language (expressive or comprehensive) and the play skills of a 3 month old, LM knew just how to "use" the ball pit.

After seeing how much LM loved it and understanding the sensory benefits we decided to set up a ball pit at home. We went out and bought a mid-priced inflatable one. It was junk. It looked cute and had characters, but was much too shallow for even a small 2 year old to really "submerge" in. Next we got a small kiddie pool and bought 300 extra balls. Defenitely better, but took up a lot of room and the balls went flying everywhere when LM statred playing. And my neat-freak husband was twitching with all the balls everywhere.

LM was napping in his pack and play playpen and I had an epiphany. How about a ball pit in the pack and play? It was perfect. Deep enough to hold 400 balls that didnt spill out the top and enough room for LM to dive and roll in. And an added bonus: I could lift and shake the whole thing making "waves". The PNP ball pit is still the most used "toy" in our house and the first thing our playdate friends run for. It's the perfect multifunction toy.

The best part is that LM knows to go play in his ball pit for a few minutes when he needs to calm down. Giving him this self-regulation opportunity is priceless and a huge step towards getting him to manage on his own. If I had a must-have list, this would be at the top.

Happy Saturday!

Sensory Diet

LM's sensory diet has become such a natural part of our lives, that I forget not everyone is familiar with what a sensory diet is. First of all, it's not a food diet. First referred to as a "diet" by OT Patricia Wilbarger (of Wilbarger brushing protocol fame), a sensory diet is a variety of activities designed to be incorporated into your child's day to help regulate his senses. Just as we need meals to nourish us, and snacks to get us through our day, a person with any type of sensory processing disorder needs specific activities to continually regulate their 7 senses. (Yes, I wrote 7: touch, taste, hear, see, smell, vestibular and proprioception)

LM is typically a sensory seeker - he is under-responsive to touch and movement, he can get "hyper" to the point of total distraction, has some personal space issues, and just craves movement in general. We started a sensory diet when he was 2, now at 5 it's a way of life and he's very good at knowing what activities he needs and when he needs them.

An OT with Sensory Processing Disorder training should evaluate your child and work with you to put together an individualized diet. It takes some initiative and planning to get into the routine of activities several times a day, but it becomes natural very quickly. The best part is that the results are almost immediate.

Here's a few of our favorite sensory diet activities. I'll blog about each of them individually with more info, but this will give you an idea.

A mini trampoline and a ball pit. These are both great because LM has access to them throughout the day as he needs. No setting up required and no mess. These are our two most used activities. By the way if you have a toddler, - no need to go out and buy an expensive ball pit, and don't waste your money on the blow up plastic ones - they're too shallow anyway. We took our old pack and play playpen and filled it with about 350 balls (bought at target). Jumping and rolling around in the ball pit address the proprioceptive and vestibular senses.

Smoothies. We make smoothies every morning. It's usually orange juice and bananas with a bunch of supplements. I make them extra thick and give LM a straw to drink with. A great oral motor activity, this "wakes up" his taste and smell senses as well.

Massage. We incorporate massage often throughout the day for different reasons. While getting LM dressed I use baby powder (corn starch) and massage his feet, hands and legs. It's a quick vigorous massage, (think getting blood flow moving) and it gives him the sensory input he's looking for. Also makes wearing shoes less of an issue. At night or during the day if he needs to quiet down I take out a scented lotion and do a slower massage to his arms, legs and back. I sing to him very slowly, very quietly ... and both of us relax.

Heavy Work. You've seen me refer to heavy work before. These activities also address the proprioceptive system and help calm and regulate senses. Look back at some of the Sensory Saturday activities - most of them have heavy work ideas.

Shaving cream. A favorite around here, we buy it by the case! Besides being played with in every bath and shower, it's great for teaching letters and numbers as well. Spread some out on a cookie sheet and "draw" in it.

Need more info? Stay tuned for more detailed blogs about each of these activities and more. And in the mean time ... check out the Sensory Smarts website. It's fantastic! http://sensorysmarts.com/sensory_diet_activities.html

Sensory Diet

LM's sensory diet has become such a natural part of our lives, that I forget not everyone is familiar with what a sensory diet is. First of all, it's not a food diet. First referred to as a "diet" by OT Patricia Wilbarger (of Wilbarger brushing protocol fame), a sensory diet is a variety of activities designed to be incorporated into your child's day to help regulate his senses. Just as we need meals to nourish us, and snacks to get us through our day, a person with any type of sensory processing disorder needs specific activities to continually regulate their 7 senses. (Yes, I wrote 7: touch, taste, hear, see, smell, vestibular and proprioception)

LM is typically a sensory seeker - he is under-responsive to touch and movement, he can get "hyper" to the point of total distraction, has some personal space issues, and just craves movement in general. We started a sensory diet when he was 2, now at 5 it's a way of life and he's very good at knowing what activities he needs and when he needs them.

An OT with Sensory Processing Disorder training should evaluate your child and work with you to put together an individualized diet. It takes some initiative and planning to get into the routine of activities several times a day, but it becomes natural very quickly. The best part is that the results are almost immediate.

Here's a few of our favorite sensory diet activities. I'll blog about each of them individually with more info, but this will give you an idea.

A mini trampoline and a ball pit. These are both great because LM has access to them throughout the day as he needs. No setting up required and no mess. These are our two most used activities. By the way if you have a toddler, - no need to go out and buy an expensive ball pit, and don't waste your money on the blow up plastic ones - they're too shallow anyway. We took our old pack and play playpen and filled it with about 350 balls (bought at target). Jumping and rolling around in the ball pit address the proprioceptive and vestibular senses.

Smoothies. We make smoothies every morning. It's usually orange juice and bananas with a bunch of supplements. I make them extra thick and give LM a straw to drink with. A great oral motor activity, this "wakes up" his taste and smell senses as well.

Massage. We incorporate massage often throughout the day for different reasons. While getting LM dressed I use baby powder (corn starch) and massage his feet, hands and legs. It's a quick vigorous massage, (think getting blood flow moving) and it gives him the sensory input he's looking for. Also makes wearing shoes less of an issue. At night or during the day if he needs to quiet down I take out a scented lotion and do a slower massage to his arms, legs and back. I sing to him very slowly, very quietly ... and both of us relax.

Heavy Work. You've seen me refer to heavy work before. These activities also address the proprioceptive system and help calm and regulate senses. Look back at some of the Sensory Saturday activities - most of them have heavy work ideas.

Shaving cream. A favorite around here, we buy it by the case! Besides being played with in every bath and shower, it's great for teaching letters and numbers as well. Spread some out on a cookie sheet and "draw" in it.

Need more info? Stay tuned for more detailed blogs about each of these activities and more. And in the mean time ... check out the Sensory Smarts website. It's fantastic! http://sensorysmarts.com/sensory_diet_activities.html

Sensory Saturday: Slice and Bake Cookies

I'll start this by saying the creative side of me usually shies away from "commercial toys" as I get a big kick out of finding new functions for everyday items. But I'll make an exception for this Sensory Saturday because my family LOVES LOVES LOVES Melissa and Doug's Slice and Bake Cookies.

They're great quality of course - M&D do wooden toys like no other. The set consists of 12 round cookies with a piece of (very strong) velcro on each side; 12 decorated "frosting" pieces with a square of velcro, a baking pan with 12 velcro squares, a cardboard tube container, an oven mitt, a wooden spatula and a wooden knife.

I hope you all have already discovered the wondrous sensory joy that is velcro. If not, remind to blog about it, it's worth a whole entry on its own! So back to the cookies ... the cookies are beautifully minimalistic. Maria Montessori would approve for sure. There's a nice weight to the set, and that alone starts giving some great sensory input. LM dove into the box and started velcroing cookies together and then pulling them apart. Again, hooray for super duty velcro, he really had to get a good grip and then use some muscle to get them apart. RRRIIIIPPPP ... ah, a satisfying sound as well! I gave him some suggestions on how to expand this activity - next we tried to "unscrew" them. (Think Oreo cookies). Then my favorite part. We stacked the 12 cookies on top of one another and laid them on their side like a log. Time to slice with the wooden knife. There was a good amount of resistance and LM really had to push down on the knife. We're definitely incorporating this slicing into his sensory diet. He was so calm and focused.

Bear was his little helper and got to stick the cookie slices to the baking pan. Great opportunity to introduce multi-step directions and processes. "First slice the cookie, then put it on the sheet, then put it in the oven and put on the frosting last." Also a great turn-taking activity. 2-3 kids could work cooperatively. Of course the pretend play opportunities are endless. Next time we'll pull out the chef hats and aprons. They both like playing restaurant, but maybe I'll get LM to put on a cooking show demonstration. Look out Food Network, here we come!

Keep up the good work Melissa and Doug! This one is a winner!

Sing and Play the Sensory Way! ~Lea =)

PS - My favorite Melissa and Doug vendor! www.gummylump.com

Sensory Saturday: Slice and Bake Cookies

I'll start this by saying the creative side of me usually shies away from "commercial toys" as I get a big kick out of finding new functions for everyday items. But I'll make an exception for this Sensory Saturday because my family LOVES LOVES LOVES Melissa and Doug's Slice and Bake Cookies.

They're great quality of course - M&D do wooden toys like no other. The set consists of 12 round cookies with a piece of (very strong) velcro on each side; 12 decorated "frosting" pieces with a square of velcro, a baking pan with 12 velcro squares, a cardboard tube container, an oven mitt, a wooden spatula and a wooden knife.

I hope you all have already discovered the wondrous sensory joy that is velcro. If not, remind to blog about it, it's worth a whole entry on its own! So back to the cookies ... the cookies are beautifully minimalistic. Maria Montessori would approve for sure. There's a nice weight to the set, and that alone starts giving some great sensory input. LM dove into the box and started velcroing cookies together and then pulling them apart. Again, hooray for super duty velcro, he really had to get a good grip and then use some muscle to get them apart. RRRIIIIPPPP ... ah, a satisfying sound as well! I gave him some suggestions on how to expand this activity - next we tried to "unscrew" them. (Think Oreo cookies). Then my favorite part. We stacked the 12 cookies on top of one another and laid them on their side like a log. Time to slice with the wooden knife. There was a good amount of resistance and LM really had to push down on the knife. We're definitely incorporating this slicing into his sensory diet. He was so calm and focused.

Bear was his little helper and got to stick the cookie slices to the baking pan. Great opportunity to introduce multi-step directions and processes. "First slice the cookie, then put it on the sheet, then put it in the oven and put on the frosting last." Also a great turn-taking activity. 2-3 kids could work cooperatively. Of course the pretend play opportunities are endless. Next time we'll pull out the chef hats and aprons. They both like playing restaurant, but maybe I'll get LM to put on a cooking show demonstration. Look out Food Network, here we come!

Keep up the good work Melissa and Doug! This one is a winner!

Sing and Play the Sensory Way! ~Lea =)

PS - My favorite Melissa and Doug vendor! www.gummylump.com

Typical

*sigh*

Last night we took LM to our local elementary school for a "read aloud" night. They invite the upcoming Kindergartners to come to the classroom to hear a story, get to know each other and get familiar with the school.

It's really a great program. For typical children. For a child with sensory processing issues, for my child, its another big obstacle.

An obstacle that has been on my mind for weeks. I can't stop talking about it, stressing over it, imagining it. How can I prepare LM? What would it be like?

Well, it was bad.

There was noise, there were distractions, there were 20 typical 4 and 5 year olds sitting on a rug. And then there was LM. Pacing the room, counting and talking, trying to make sense of his world. And as much as the whole program didn't make sense to LM, LM didn't make sense to the typical parents.

Unfortunately the program is only a half hour. 20 minutes into it LM was getting better, getting more comfortable. The teacher held up the book and LM read the title, author and publisher before she could. The typical parents gasped. I forget that it's not "typical" for typical kids to be reading at a second grade level when they're in preschool.

Then they had milk and cookies. The typical kids scrambled, LM waited his turn and said "No thank you, I'm allergic" when the teacher offered him milk. The teacher looked stunned. I forget that it's not "typical" for typical kids to have had years of social skill training and remember to use their manners with strangers.

"How's your cookie, LM?"
"I think it has flax seeds"

Oh, that's right. Typical 4 year olds don't know all about supplements. Or the planets, or nouns and vowels and math and ...

Well, then it was time to go. LM hadn't made any friends, acted kind of weird, and other than sitting fairly well (on the chair I pulled out for him while the typical kids sat in the floor), I thought the night was pretty disastrous. I should probably mention that I hadn't made any friends either. I couldn't really chat, I couldn't really take my eyes off LM. So I gathered up the little man, and started to slip out the back door.

"Excuse me, LM's Mom?"

Uh oh. The principal. I was prepared with all my answers, yes, he's in a special ed. program now, yes, we've looked at your contained classroom, no, we don't think it's appropriate for him, yes, we think he can be mainstreamed with an aide (you just didn't get a good sense of him tonight I swear) ... but she didn't ask me any of that.

Instead she told me LM was exceptionally bright and I was doing a great job at anticipating his sensory needs and facilitating his progress. She reminded me to make sure that sensory accommodations are written into his IEP, and told me she looked forward to watching his progress. And I said, well, nothing. I was speechless.

And with that, LM turned around, called out "Bye everyone!" and the kids called back, "Bye LM!" Best friends? No, probably not, but it's a darn good start. So another obstacle overcome. And another member of LM's fan club. Weeks of stressing over this and it went just fine. I couldn't wait to tell Daddy when we got home, he'd be happy to know that I can stop obsessing. So I walked in with smiles instead of the anticipated tears.

"It went great!"
"Uh, what went great?"

Typical.