Sensory

Haircuts for kids with ASD
They don't have to be a hair raising experience!
Kids with autism have a lot of sensory problems which can cause meltdowns during normal daily routines such as getting their hair brushed, hair or nails cut, having their faces wiped or teeth brushed and a host of other hygiene related activities. When my son Cutie was little, I used to give him his Melatonin and sneak into his room and cut his hair while he slept. I sat there on the edge of his bed waiting for him to roll over so that I could get the other side. There was only about a 30 mi...

little sensory tricks to help kids with ASD and ADHD
Sensory problems can make hyperactivity and poor attention worse
When a child has sensory problems, their attention may be very divided- they may try to focus on their work but be distracted by the inexplicable "not quite right" feeling that they have. Sometimes the physical need to fidget may triumph over their attempts to focus on school work. There are simple little tricks that you can use to help them, in this lens I will try to help you understand a few of them and how they work. Once you understand the basics of the sensory interference, you will be...

Creating a sensory friendly Play or therapy room for a child with Autism
Therapy or Play areas designed to provide the best types of stimulation.
Welcome to part 2 of my designing a sensory friendly environment of kids with special needs series! If you have not already seen part one, an introduction to the concepts and creating a calm bedroom, I strongly suggest starting reading it first as it focuses on calming bedrooms. Personally I feel that it is more important to begin with a calming area so that the child may have a retreat and a place to cool down after or between stimulating play or therapy. In this article I will give you som...

how to make sensory fidget beads
Sensory beads can REALLY help kids with ASD and ADD to focus!
Kids can be all over the place when they should be doing their school work or homework! Add in some ADD or autism or any other disorder that can effect the attention span and homework time can become so difficult that parents start giving the answers or giving up all together! Sometimes a teacher will suggest trying sensory belt loop fidget beads and the parents have absolutely NO idea what they are talking about! Keep reading and check out the pictures if you are in this situation! I have f...

Sensory Clothing
Sensory Clothing For Kids With Special Needs
If you have a child with special needs that include Sensory Integration Dysfunction, then you probably already know how hard it can be to find clothes that are comfortable for your child. Did you know that aside from tagless shirts, you can now find sensory friendly products like weighted vests, seamless socks, pressure shirts, and pressure shorts? Over the past few years, more and more companies have begun adding to the number of sensory friendly clothes available! Some items are simply for...

Products that we use for ASD
Here are some of the items that I found to be the most practical!
Autism requires a lot of "stuff". When the kids are very young, toys are often used during speech therapy. Sensory "stuff" helps too! There are also adaptive items as the kids get older, books, social stories, clothes etc. We drove ourselves crazy through trial and error- we tried buying everything that had been recommended, half of which he had no interest in. Most of these are the everyday items that most people take for granted- if your child has just been diagnosed with autism and you ar...

Little Sensory Tricks II: Family Activites
There are some great sensory activities that you can do with your child!
There are a lot of everyday activities that provide great sensory input which can help ease stress for children with Sensory problems. Children with Autism and Aspergers are often diagnosed with Sensory Integration Dysfunction as well but there are a number of other developmental disorders that are also accompanied by sensory challenges. Sensory therapy is the best solution for people with sensory integration dysfunction but it is not always available and even if it is available, it can be h...