Great Input From OT

Yesterday's session with Jennifer was definitely not typical. It started out well but soon in to it, a tantrum started, which Jennifer thought seemed sensory related instead of behavioral. Once she calmed down, she was able to continue the session as long as I was out of the room, which was really weird. Even if I distracted her by walking slowly in the kitchen, it would set her off. So I pretty much spent the last half of her session hiding out in the kitchen and being as quiet as possible.

I was really looking forward to Raquel's occupational therapy this morning. She hasn't seen Karin in two weeks and since she has been so "sensory" this past week, I knew Karin would be able to shed some insight. And, of course, she did.

As soon as Karin sat down to start her session, Raquel began wondering around the room aimlessly. She was very happy and laughing, but just seemed a little overstimulated. Karin immediately said that she needed some vestibular input and got out the fitness ball. Instead of bouncing her on it, she showed me how to do "crashes", where I roll her off the ball and on to the bean bag. This sudden impact gives her strong vestibular input. She did this about five times, then sat back and watched. In about 15 seconds, Raquel sat down in front of her ready to play.

A little while later, Karin sensed that Raquel was about to start escalating and asked me to get a bed sheet. She folded it in half and layed it on the floor. She put Raquel down on the edge and rolled her up. Once she got to the end, she grabbed the other edge, and while Karin standed, unrolled Raquel. This is a way to give stronger input as well. She also spinned her in my office chair - not very fast - and just five times. One thing she did tell me today is to monitor what direction I am spinning and Raquel's reaction to that. She said it is very possible that she may like spinning left to right, but could become aggitated if I spin her from right to left. Weird how all of that works. She said to think of the ear follicles like blades of grass in the wind. The wind blows one direction and they go that way. Then the wind blows the other direction, and they go the other way. That's what I'm doing to her by the spinning. If I spin her to the right a few times then go to the left, I'm not giving her the input she needs - I'm actually even contradicting it in a way.

My assignments from Karin in order to get the sensory issues back under control:

• Start bouncing her more consistently on the fitness ball - the same times every day and for the same length of time (singing the ABC song for instance, so she knows at the end of the song, the bouncing stops).
• Implement stronger vestibular input activities slowly, keeping track of the times I've done them, her reactions, as well as her delayed reactions. She said that some reactions could often take hours and that the only way I'll know this is by consistently keeping track of what I'm doing and when I'm doing it to see if a pattern develops.
• Continue having her push around her weighted push toy. This gives her the proprioceptive input she seeks.

So why are we having sensory issues again? Karin is convinced that it is because there was a change in routine - the biggest one being my husband going back to work and being gone all day. She said that all it takes is something slight to throw her off, and this was a pretty big thing. She also said that when he lost his job and was home, it happened then as well. Looking at probably a couple challenging weeks but am confident that I'll be able to get her back on track.