Sensory processing disorder advice

[fireheart]

So one of the kids we have at the service we've discovered has Sensory Processing Disorder. While I'm aware that in around 90-95% of cases, SPD is co-morbid with autism, he is one of those kids who is not. (He had an assessment done at preschool which eliminated autism from that line)
We've since established that he seeks tactile feedback and possibly oral feedback. This has resulted in an awkward situation the other day where the kid walks up to me and brushes his hands over my boobs and down my stomach, feeling my work shirt. (FYI, he's 5)

Now I'm wondering how to best support him. He does OK in the afternoons except for a few issues that I'm not sure are related to the SPD or not.

-He has this tendency to want to do toilet runs (where we round up a group of kids and walk the 20m to the toilets). Constantly. I've had to remind him on several occasions that if he does a toilet run, he's doing it to "go" to the toilet, not to go for a walk. (I don't know if this is because he's sound-sensitive or not, see below)

-He will refuse to participate in packup time. One point he asked for a "job" and I have no idea by what he meant (I tried to give him a "job" which was putting away some Lego, he refused). I'm actually debating the idea of sending him over to help the adult staff member with washing dishes in the afternoons so at least he's "helping" but it's in a quieter environment.

-He does not play with other kids a lot. We have no idea why. He does tend to hang around adults a LOT and particularly prefers to spend time with the bossman.

We're not sure if he's hypersensitive in one department and hyposensitive in another, or something else along those lines.

I'm tossing up the idea of making a "touch apron" to wear around my waist when I see him in the afternoons, so he'll touch something that's not my chest but has many different textures on it (ie fur, sandpaper, carpet, wool, silk).

Any ideas and advice would be muchly appreciated!

[mjr]

Have you considered assembling/purchasing a "tactile box"?

[EricKei]

but has many different textures on it (ie fur, sandpaper, carpet, wool, silk).

Is his issue purely tactile, or is there a visual component? This reminds me of something my parents set up when I was a baby (as a "just because" type of thing) -- One wall of the nursery had something like a dozen different strips of wallpaper on it -- one plain with a touchable texture, one paisley, one with airplanes, one with flowers, one with dinosaurs, etc. Dad reported that he used to carry us right up to the wall and let us take in all of the different images as a form of visual stimulation. Maybe something like that apron or the wallpapers could help? Variety, as they say, is the spice of life

[Seshat]

See if you can find out if his issue is an excess of stimulus, a lack of stimulus, or a combination (excess of some, lack of other).


As for packup time: consider giving him 'put away the dressup clothes' as packup time job. Lego all feels the same. Dressup clothes has a variety of tactile experiences.
There's probably other multi-tactile put-aways, too.

[paperfiend]

My 3.5yo was recently diagnosed with SPD (autism assessment hasn't been done yet, on the schedule for 2 months out because that's the wait time).

He is definitely over-sensitive in some areas (sound, certain smells) and seeking input in others (priopriceptive, loves running/jumping/throwing himself on the furniture). From what I understand that's pretty common. So based on your observations and any information you have from your student's preschool you may need to help him cope in some areas and provide additional sensory stimulation in others.

Also regarding tactile feedback, there are different types of tactile input. There's more "surface" input, and then there's "deeper tissue" input. It sounds like your student is seeking some of the "surface" sensation with textures and such, but with the wanting to be walking/running back and forth to the bathroom, he may also be seeking "deep tissue" input or the sensations within his joints of walking/running/jumping. Something to consider.

Regarding preferring to spend time with adults: One thing we were told by one of DS's preschool teachers is that kids with SPD often feel a lack of control. What their own senses are telling them just doesn't compute, and can vary from day to day. So they seek environments that are very predictable. Other kids = NOT PREDICTABLE. Thus kids with SPD may tend to prefer the company of adults since adults tend to regulate their own behavior better than children do.

[mathnerd]

He sounds like he shares a lot of traits with my youngest son, particularly when he was around that same age. My little one has a laundry list of issues related to both having been a micro-preemie as well as having a bone disease that contributes to sensory issues. That said, here are some of the things that worked well with him at that age:

-Always give warning when you're about to transition. While he's still playing say something like "Okay, Johnny, in 5 minutes we're going to start clean up (if you need to, point out on the wall clock if you have one where the hands will be at that time). When we start clean up, I want you to do <assign specific task>." Giving him that brief warning to "reset" his brain will likely yield better cooperation. I agree with the above poster who said that something like dress up clothes might be a better choice with the tactile issues. Also, consider that "pick up the legos", might be too big of a job. You might need to get even more specific or find a task that uses more gross motor skills instead of fine motor skills. Picking up small bricks might seem overwhelming to him.

-Make your own tactile board. Glue pieces of various textured fabric and other materials to some sort of board and let him use it when he gets overwhelmed.

-Speaking of overwhelmed, I totally agree with the poster who said that the preference for adults over kids is probably a result of predictability and lack of chaos.

-Provide him a place to settle down when he starts feeling overwhelmed. Be positive, but not overly enthusiastic if/when he goes there on his own. This is the start of self-regulation and should be celebrated (in a quiet, non-chaotic way).

-For the toilet runs, do something similar as for transitions. Several minutes prior to a run, ask him if he needs to use the toilet. If he says no, then warn him that you'll be taking other students, but since he doesn't need to go, he'll stay in the room. Sometimes it's all about knowledge of what's going on. It may be that he needs the walk, but it also may be that since he didn't know about the toilet run, he's worried he'll miss something if he doesn't go.

-He probably is hypersensitive in some areas and hyposensitive in others. That would make him pretty much normal for kids with any sort of neuro-sensory issue.

[fireheart]

Thanks paperfiend and mathnerd, I might try these tomorrow!

I'll start looking at making a couple of "touch boards" for him at the service. We have another child at the service with ADHD who I suspect could do with some self-regulation and this might have the effect of settling him. He has had a good record in the past with self-regulation, but it's kinda gone backwards with a new coordinator.

I am going to look at making a clock for the OSHC room as we are currently lacking one and it might be a fun project for the kids.

[Seshat]

Go for big, easily seen hands in different colours. And if you can get a 'tick' mechanism rather than a 'sweep' mechanism, do that.

I don't know what the correct terminology is. But what I mean is 'tick' is the one where at the appropriate minute or hour it 'pops' to the next one. 'Sweep' is the gradual movement.

I'd vote for using just the minute and the hour hand, leaving seconds out of it at this age. And if you can choose two colours which both contrast with your background (black or white?), and are both easily visible with all major forms of colour-blindness, do so.


I know this is pretty specific, but places which sell clock mechanisms can probably help you get the mechanisms easily. And the hands and the background can be as simple as painted wood or coloured plastic.

[wolfie]

Go for big, easily seen hands in different colours. And if you can get a 'tick' mechanism rather than a 'sweep' mechanism, do that.

I don't know what the correct terminology is. But what I mean is 'tick' is the one where at the appropriate minute or hour it 'pops' to the next one. 'Sweep' is the gradual movement.

My understanding is that "plug-in" clocks use a "sweep" (geared-down synchronous motor), while battery clocks use a "pop" on the seconds. If only hour and minute hands, they still "pop" on the seconds, but it's indistinguishable from a "sweep".

The only "pop" on the minute analogue clocks I've seen have been slave clocks - used to be used a lot in schools/offices, the "master" would send a pulse every minute, and the minute hands of the "slaves" would "pop" - the hour hand would still be indistinguishable from a "sweep".

For a "pop" on the hour, the only ones I've seen were the mechanical digitals (display was like the open spot on a rolodex) - haven't seen those in years.

[Chromatix]

Split-flap display clocks can still be had, though they cost a bit more than dial clocks - I have a battery-powered one by my bedside. The modern ones use a crystal oscillator, so they keep time just as well as any other clock; judging by the soft ticking noise it makes, it might even be using a modified conventional clock mechanism.

I'm almost tempted to suggest a chiming clock of some sort, but that would disrupt lessons at regular intervals which might be counter-productive.

[KiaKat]

SPD can be co-morbid with ADHD as well, so some of the techniques may work for both students. My hearing is hyposensitive (although I still have high-frequency sensitivity), and my light perception is hypersensitive. Input can frequently be difficult to manage, though I've developed coping mechanisms. Smetimes even just two minutes of taking myself out of a situation is enough to reset everything.