Friday, July 12, 2013

Breakthrough Study Reveals Biological Basis for Sensory Processing Disorders in Kids | ucsf.edu

Breakthrough Study Reveals Biological Basis for Sensory Processing Disorders in Kids | ucsf.edu


Finally PROOF that it is real!

Making a weighted blanket???

Well scour the internet, you will find every tutorial out there to make a weighted blanket... but I have the suggestions I couldn't find. Cookie and Peanut needed weighted blankets, I contemplated on making one or buying, but at $50+ I couldn't afford it. I made two weighted blankets.

* The weight should be 10% of the person's weight. People say you can add a pound, but the blankets get pretty heavy... I'd error on the side of caution because the fabric will also add weight.

* Shop the discount racks! I got flannel for $3 a yard!

* I'm not an expert sewer, I hate sewing. So instead of dealing with batting, I got a quilted fabric for $5 a yard... that meant no messy batting!

* Poly pellets were out of my price range... it would cost a fortune to use them! I also didn't want to use a food item because of the rotting/ lack of being able to wash it... and attracting bugs! EWW. So what did I use? Well I went to the fish isle and got some river rock (not that dusty yucky fish gravel... the actual rock (gravel- pebbles). I had found somewhere that rocks were actually better to use because they are more concentrated weight. The bag was 25 lbs and cost me roughly $12

* Make sure you pin the back to the front when sewing. Sew columns... (I sewed as many columns as I needed lbs) So for Peanut... 3 columns for a 3lb blanket... and for Cookie it was 5 columns for a 5lb blanket.

* When you sew the rows, it gets to be challenging. I put 2 oz in each box... and made 8 rows. The challenge is the blanket gets REALLY heavy. Plus it is time consuming to fill... pin... sew. With Cookie, I used a striped fabric, which reduced the need to pin for rows!

* For both Peanut and Cookie... I chose to use 2 yards of fabric... that was plenty!

I made each blanket for about $20 or less!

Monday, July 8, 2013

Activities for the Sensational Child

Here are some things we do:

*Roll her up in a blanket and roll her around the floor
*Roll a yoga ball up and down her back
*Therapy Brushing
*Lotion
*Monster Doh (similar to play doh but stickier and thicker)
*Wall pushes, push ups, jumps
*Sensory box: Full of things that make lights, different textures, teething items if necessary, etc.
*Bean bags and floor time- yes even for older kids!
*Swings... we have a kid sized porch swing
*Vibrating teethers to prevent biting
*Crawl tents
*Calming music
*Communication cards- Cookie is verbal but still needs emotion cards or need cards at times to prevent tantrums
*Squeeze time- BEAR HUGS!
*Calming Jars- Super easy to make (Glitter glue, glitter, water, jar)
*Fidgets (toys to fidget with)
*Weighted Lap pad
*Integrated Listening


Here are some things that other parents do:

*Bean or rice boxes to dig in
*Chew tubes
*Obstacle course
*Sound proof headphones
*Crash mats
*Sand box
*Theraputy
*Therapy Swings
*Finger paints
*Weighted blankets, Stuffed animals, backpacks, etc.
*Therapeutic Listening, Advanced Brain
*Ear plugs
*Clay


Got more ideas? List them!

Monday, July 1, 2013

Trouble Sleeping?

Cookie was having trouble sleeping, I wasn't sure what to do. She would only sleep on the floor of her closet. She refused to sleep in her bed. She has a history of having difficulty sleeping. Here are some things that have helped:

* Nightlights that are handheld. Cookie has a twilight turtle and a light up owl
* Blankets with textures
* We have not used a weighted blanket, but they are popular with many kids who have SPD
* Brushing before bed
* Applying lotions- we like to use lavender
* Sleeping in a hammock- this is how we got her to sleep in a "bed" and actually SLEEP!