Sensory Diet, products and support

a few little items that can be helpful with sensory calming

 Many autistic kids struggle with processing different forms of sensory input.

This involves either 'over' or 'under' stimulation from the sensory areas of touch, taste, smell, sight, hearing, movement, and body awareness/balance.

When addressing this we first need to understand how the process works, starting with how the brain receives and organises sensory input from the surrounding environment.

(For a more in-depth understanding, click onto this link.

 http://nannastouch.blogspot.com.au/2016/05/what-is-spd-sensory-processing-disorder.html )

Generally with the process of input from the 7 senses, as stated above, the combined stage by stage experiences help to form the stepping stones required to contribute to age appropriate understanding and complex learning.

When this process is unable to happen naturally, as often occurs with ASD children, to better understand the environment around them and gain the complete understanding of the different senses, they will need help to be introduced to the different elements required and how they can interact with the different elements in a calm and settled manner.

This process is now known as a -"Sensory Diet"- or -"Sensory Play"

-describing a group of activities personally designed for each individual child, focusing on the specific requirements relating to their sensory processing disorder needs, they are then scheduled throughout the day to assist with attention, arousal, and adaptive responses.  

Being able to involve the kids in different sensory activities, based around stimulating creative play, we can help to organise a more balanced sensory experience.

Helping to manage A.J.'s experiences, we first had to address the areas of sensitivity that were more affected and then correlate an appropriate action plan to help minimise those effects.

As a parent, we firstly need to be aware of the child's surroundings and any trigger areas or items, including noises and smells, that may bring on an uncontrollable response.

By helping our child to become self-aware of their different behaviours and actions, understanding why they happen, and how best to handle each situation, we can hopefully help them to gain a better response from any plan put in place.

It all comes down to clear instructions, patience, and repetition.

There are many types of Sensory products, Weighted blankets, and other items available to help this happen, and are beneficial in helping to regulate a sensory sensitive child.   

Over the years we've tried many with A.J. some helped and some were more of a deterrent/hindrance.

As with everything else we have addressed, this too is individualised, and can also work for a while then not at all. Don't be disheartened if it seems there's no instant success, it's a process of understanding acceptance and elimination. With A.J. I also found it to be a changing process, to accommodate the changing needs and to also align with the seasonal changes.

We were very unlucky in the early days not having access to any supports or "early intervention" due to A.J. not gaining acknowledgement as being on the spectrum until he was over 8 yrs old, it then took another few years before beginning the path to seek out and accessing the correct specific supports he required, and yet that was still limited for many reasons.

Now in his teenage years, and just beginning the process with the NDIS involvement in the past few months, he struggles with having to address certain areas, and has actually asked why does he have to do it 'now' if he didn't get the help when he "really" needed it.

Being more comfortable with knowing how we as a family have always initiated and instigated all his supports and therapies we though he would need, he is unsure how having to now rely on others to provide these supports would be more beneficial to him.

Explaining to him the need for accessing certain supports now and the benefits he can still gain from them is one thing, although as everyone can relate, he is adamant he "does not need to change".

He worries that he as a person may change and he wants to continually gain the confirmation that his personality won't be taken away. 

The main area we are addressing, as so many others need to focus on as well, is their sensory processing.

There are many different signs or signals to recognise our kids are struggling with sensory processing, some may be as follows-

Overly sensitive to touch, movement, light or visual activity, unable to adjust to unexpected or unusual noises, dislike to different textures involved with touch or taste, unable to cope with unusual or strange smells.  

Being easily distracted and unable to settle/calm themselves after becoming stressed or anxious, excessive mood swings and behaviour, struggling to change routines and activities, difficulty with physical activities including balance and motor skills, developmental delays with speech and social involvement. Repetitive mannerisms, actions and behaviour.

weighted blankets/quilts  available in all sizes
designed to suit any need 

The list goes on.......

These are only a few of the concerns we may need to address, remembering that all kids are different and may not personally deal with all symptoms.

For example some kids may be overly sensitive to touch, with the soft light touch being more unsettling or the types of fabrics they come in contact with, however the firm heavy touch is calming and settling to them.

This is where the Weighted Blankets and other products are very useful.

As stated before the first step is being visually aware of the actions and behaviour of your child,

I found it more appropriate to document everything,

-A Journal

Noting everything from their sleep patterns and process, to food consumption, to activities, likes and dislikes, and so on.

You will then notice any patterns of behaviour and the pre-actions that occurred in the surrounding environment as well as within your child themselves. 

From there you can correlate a plan of actions and where attention needs to be focused on.

Then once initiated you can document trials and where progress and regression occurs, what is beneficial and what needs to be avoided, etc.

I have recently discovered how beneficial our Journal has become, while accessing providers for A.J.'s additional supports etc he is receiving from the NDIS services, as well as medical professionals.

Being able to present a much clearer picture with this long in-depth documented information, rather that trying to remember specific things, knowing we have his history already noted, with positive and negative changes and how different interventions worked, noting what we have and hadn't considered, and more, making any new process so much easier to manage.