sensory seekers?! behavioral questions

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-19-2011
sensory seekers?! behavioral questions
Tue, 04-19-2011 - 5:18pm

Hi, I am new here! Howdy everyone:)

I need some serious help! My son is almost 4 just diagnosed with spd. He is defilnately senosry seeking basically falls, trips, climbs, jumps non stop. Anyway... he is due to start OT over the summer. He is starting an integrated school program in september.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2011
Wed, 04-20-2011 - 4:04pm
My 2 year old has both sensory seeking and sensory avoiding issues. She is hyperactive and constantly running, jumping, falling, rolling, stompin her feet, etc. She also seeks smells. She smells everything. She has scentsy testers she carries and and smells. She avoids light touches, noise, and lights. We have a hard time getting her to mind much as well. I have noticed though that she minds more when she we do things to help her. We have learned that deep pressure massages help her focus immensely. You have to do it hard enough that you feel like you're hurting her, but it doesn't. Also putting her in a big bean bag chair, sandwiching her, and rocking her around very rough calms her down. When we do these things, she typically is calmer, and minds better. Good luck.
Avatar for Cmmelissa
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-13-2008
Wed, 04-20-2011 - 5:38pm
Hi peterdannymommy, welcome to the board! I'm sure the members will have some great advice for you. I'm sorry that mealtimes have become such a battle for you.

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2004
Wed, 04-20-2011 - 8:30pm
This could do be my son too! It's tough, everyday is a challenge and somedays are tougher than others.
First off, why is it going to be so long before he begins getting services? Are the services coming though early intervention or through your own medical? Typically once the scrip is written services can begin right away.
Other than that, there are some great books (The sensory seeking child is one) out there that can help you set up a sensory diet to fill his needs so that he doesn't drive you so crazy. Lots of digging and working his big muscles (wheel barrow races are great!) My OT let me know that when he is spinning in circles and going crazy a swing may help. She said that the swinging meets the same needs as the spinning but has a calming effect rather than working him up like the spinning does. Massage is also good right before you need him to sit. My son likes to chew things, always seeking oral responses. He has removed the tires from every car he has because they are nice and chewy. Know he has straws that we cut from aquarium tubing and he uses those whenever he drinks. He gets the chewy thing that he is craving and the tires are staying on his cars now.
The other thing that can help using using some ABA type things to help, positive reinforcement goes so much farther for my son than telling him to stop jumping over and over and really helps me to take control. If there is something he really likes, use it to reward him for sitting nicely at the table, maybe for every two minutes he sits nice, he gets an M&M. Start small to see what he is capable of.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-06-2010
Sun, 05-22-2011 - 10:10pm
My 5 year old daughter has been in OT for 9 months now and we are still figuring out "how to help her". Some big things for us are deep pressure (hard hugs, pressing her between pillows and massage), heavy work (pushing and pulling things), jumping, have then put their hands out and press on the walls. We still have some big behavior issues and are now looking into getting a deep pressure vest (some use weighted vest but your OT can help you figure out what you son needs).

I have ordered somethings off of a website: They have things you can put on the chair so your child will sit, lap pads work wells too.

Good Luck! Hopefully you can get into OT soon but read as much as you can. OT wasn't a magic cure for us, it's still a daily battle but has given us ways to cope.