Sensory Guesses

Summer is in full swing here, obviously, if you’ve not been paying attention to the oodles of posts about the Monster and summer camp.

That and the fact that it’s been hot as hell all week (at least in terms of how such gets in Maryland) with multiple days in a row of 90F temperatures and seventy-something percent humidity. Continue reading

Yes, I Brush My Child

The first time that my wife mentioned brushing our child – and not referring to trying to make some order out of the mop that’s usually crowning his head – I have to admit that I thought she’d lost it somewhere.

The Monster had been going to private speech and occupational therapy for about two or three weeks when the OT suggested that it might be helpful to adopt a brushing protocol as part of his sensory diet.  His therapy at the Therapy Spot is after school and after his ride home on the bus, so he’s already had quite the full day at that point and is riled up.  As an attempt to try to get more out of the speech portion, the OT had been integrating her treatment with the speech portion, giving him additional stimulus to try to help him relax and focus. Continue reading

Variable Sensitivity

Most of the time, the Monster’s actually fairly good about sensory sensitivity.

We’ve taken him to bull riding, the ren-faire, ball games… nothing really phases him when it comes to most sounds.  On the other hand, lately, he’s been showing increasing sensitivity to a certain set of sounds – fans. Continue reading

Sensory Issues

When considering having children, sensory issues were never something that had entered my thoughts.  Even now – with the Monster being how he is – I rarely consider the matter.  After all, the Monster’s really not sensory adverse.  (He’s sensory seeking at times, but usually in ways that aren’t horrifyingly ‘awful’ – he has a fascination with hair and occasionally with crumbling paper or the like.)

However… the cicadas are coming this spring. Continue reading