Tiffany came over today to make up for the snow day that was yesterday. Apparently it's count month, and in order to get funding they had to see Lyric a certain number of times. I e-mailed her yesterday to talk about getting more occupational therapy for Lyric's sensory issues. It doesn't matter to me if they end up being minor, or even nothing - I would rather get the therapy and find out it was for nothing, than ignore issues that could become worse or permanent if they aren't addressed at all. She asked me what the main concerns were as far as sensory issues go, and I had to attempt to keep it condensed. Not always an easy task for me.
Her appointment today was at 3pm - which was different for us. Usually they either come in the morning or around noon, because afternoons can be a difficult time to reach Lyric. She tends to be a lot more wound up, and less receptive. This ended up being a good thing, because Tiffany got to see Lyric being Lyric. She offered a LOT of pointers and tips for things that will assist Lyric with her sensory processing, both at home and in public. Starting today, we will be doing the following:
- Have Lyric wear a small backpack weighted with dry beans when we are in stores.
- Give her something that is semi large/heavy that will occupy her to carry around (we will be letting her walk in stores rather than putting her in the cart to avoid those fits).
- Use a weighted blanket at bed time (UPDATE on this one: We used the one in the picture last night, which is quite heavy and she hadn't even rolled over by the time I left for work this morning. Not a peep out of her all night, and we got our bed back!)
- If she is being particularly wound up, we can put her in a pillow sandwich - I've already tried this, and it's like a baby off switch.
- Make a "crash spot" for when she is running around that will help her have a soft landing.
- If she is willing to go in the cart basket, put things on her to help weight her.
- If she's headbutting us (which she does a lot) - squeeze her head.
We will also be keeping a log of what she eats - Tiffany will be e-mailing that to us. I'm excited to try all of this to see what happens when we do. Hoping maybe we'll be able to orient her in a way that will help her learn and adapt.
In other exciting news, we've upgraded to a big girl bed. Hopefully the transition stays smooth!
Let me just clarify a couple of things... haha... when you say "Squeeze her head" that sounds a little wrong. Basically it's applying light pressure around the outside of her head with your hands. It's another "off switch" that gives her the sensation she's craving (which is causing her to hit us in the face with her head). After a minute she starts doing it to herself with this blissful look on her face. It seems to be the same premise as when an adult grips the bridge of their nose to release tension...
ReplyDeleteALSO you should probably explain the "pillow sandwich" since the way I read this (even KNOWING exactly what you were talking about) it all sort of sounded like super bizarre medieval punishments of some kind. The pillow sandwich is laying her with her torso on a pillow and putting another on top of her and putting another one on top and lightly pressing. It's like an all over hug and, again, total bliss and relaxation face.
LAST THING... the POINT of the backpack full of beans is to make her feel more weighted and less over stimulated by her senses.
Accidentally said "them" instead of her, so - SHHH! They're supposed to think we're torturing her into submission!
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