SENSORY INTRGRETION "School Is NOT Helping Me with Brushing!!!"

The Out of Sync Child is a good book. I have a copy of it...& a couple other of Carol K.'s books..There's an even better book out there (the author of Out of Sync Child agrees in the forward)....it's called Sensational Kids...I got my copy reasonably cheap on overstock.com (it's a hardback book).

Not only does it define SI & it's different types, it gives real life examples & explains the difference between ADHD & SI...very simple "laymen" reading & provides strategies for handling challenging situations.

What exactly are you looking for help on. I personally am not going through it but i have a friend whos child does not feel pain and then there are some that everything hurts them so which one is your daughter?? There are lots of things you can do just let me know what you need!!
D.

B.,

To educate yourself on your daughter's rights (and your own) go to www.wrightslaw.com This is the sight that guides you through the federal laws protecting your child & her education. I, myself, have a son diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome & have been fighting with the school systems for 4 years now. Believe me, the fight won't go away, it will lessen as you grow knowledgeable & familiar with what to do. They are not going to WANT to give her what she needs, but you, as her voice & advocate, must MAKE them follow the law. I know it should not be this way, but it is & it's up to us parents to fight the fight that will make it right! If you need anything at all, please feel free to message me.

L.

Have you spoken with your occupational therapist about this? I am assuming you are working with one as that is who usually prescribes the brushing therapy. Has the OT offered to work w/ you and talk to school personnel? Do the school personnel know how to do the brushing therapy? Do they understand why it is being done? All of those things may help with compliance.

Have you offered to have someone come to the school to do the brushing? It is time consuming and may interrupt the flow of what goes on in the classroom. Are there negotiable times when it can be done? Has anyone at school explained why it is not being done? Is the brushing part of the child's IEP? If it is prescribed by a physician, the school has to figure out how to comply just as they would with medication or breathing treatments.

There are a resources on the internet to help you understand more about sensory integration. The short explanation is that your daughter's brain interprets sensory signals from the world differently. These differences can include touch, smell, taste, hearing, movement and vision. Brushing therapy is for being hypersensitive to certain kinds of touch and kids can be really irritable when the world does not "feel right" or "sound right" or "look right". They can be very picky eaters if food does not smell right, look right or taste and feel right in their mouths. I hope this helps at least a little bit.

My son is also SI and he is now a 17 yo whose symptoms are greatly improved!! There is HOPE! It does not come easy. His first grade teacher is the only one who did this - she was awesome - but she simply had all the students line up several times a day and brushed every one of them the same so that my son wasn't made to stand out from the crowd. The other students loved it and they can all benefit from it. They also didn't feel left out and jealous of the attention he was getting since they all "got" to do it, too! The teacher's attitude towards it makes all the difference. They just have to be creative.

I agree with the other responses you received, too. They are right about the IEP and the school's compliance with it. They are also right in suggesting the Out of Sync Child and www.wrightslaw.com - all excellent advice.

Our Occupational Therapist once suggested that I put spandex on my son underneath his clothes. This helps him to feel more grounded and secure. Also, wrist weights can help with writing and hand issues. Another suggestion is to weight their backpack with something - books are fine or I used to keep his coat in the backpack since he wouldn't wear it and I wanted his teachers to know he had one! My son still wears hoodies all year round (and we live in Arkansas - it gets in the hundreds in the summer)! His body still doesn't sense temperature correctly, but he is now able to type on the keyboard without flipping out. He still doesn't write well at all - I would suggest checking into a writing program...we've tried Callorobics and he seemed to like it.

Good luck and don't give up! Check into Easter Seals, too - they or other places can provide free advocacy services to send someone to help you through the IEP meetings with the school!

There's a terrific book called The Out of Sync Child, which you can find at any large bookstore or amazon.com. It's easy to read and is geared toward parents and teachers. SO many people don't understand SI. I recommend getting a copy of this book (it's cheap) and loaning it each year to her teachers, and maybe even her school OT/PT, or anyone else who needs to know (coaches, friends' parents). I think there is actually now a series of "Out of Sync" books about topics like school or having fun. It's a must for all parents with children who have sensory processing disorder.

B.,

I too have a daughter that was diagnosed with sensory intrgretion issues. Have you read the book by Carol Stock Kranowitz named "The Out of Sync Child." If not I would recomend you do. It is very insightful to the sensory world. She also has a book called "The Out of Sync Child has fun. They are both very good reads.
Is your daughter receiving occupational therapy? That along with speech therapy, and alot of patience and prayers seemed to help my daughter alot.
Good Luck, I hope I might of helped a little.

P.

My daughter has the same issue. She was diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) just before she went into first grade. She has been in Occupational Therapy since and has done really well. Her first grade year at school was....well....hell. Her principal was a joke. She refused to do anything stating that unless my child was retarded, she couldn't help. Well, this year, she has a new principal and I LOVE HIM!!!!!!! He has bent over backwards to help my little girl. He even went so far as to handpick her teacher. She has had a great year.

Here's what I had to do last year though....
First....get a 504 or an IEP. You may have to get an alternate diagnosis to get one. I had to get her diagnosed with ADHD which was easy to do with the SPD. I would enlist the aid of the school counselor for this.
Once you have it established, you can specify the requirements to meet her needs. If she needs the brushing, they have to comply. It is viewed the same way that a diabetic who needs insulin shots...they don't have a choice.
The best part about having an official plan is that it is non negotiable. They don't have a choice. AND....they have to be willing to show you proof that they are following it. That way, even if you are stuck with a staff that won't help, you can force the issue.

above all, just remember that you aren't alone out there. There are tons of kids that are not getting what they need from the public school system. As a Mom, it is your right and responsibility to make sure that your child gets everything that she needs. They will bend if you push.

B.,
Hi I know what you are going through I have a child who is also severly SI as a parent I often feel overwhelmed as not many people here understand it, or are willing to educate themselves. My biggest alli was getting ahold of education for myself so i knew ways to help my son. here are 2 ideas www.nami.org (might be com) and also www.yellowpagesforkids.org or .com www.wrightslaw.com also has the yellow pages for kids knowing there are other people to talk to if ya want to talk my number is ###-###-#### you are more than welcome to call i have unlimited long distance so if you need me to call back I can return your call

if ya need anything just ask
S.

You need to get it put into her IEP at school. If they are refusing her services for a documented medical disability that is negatively impacting her performance in the classroom, then you need to call for a 504 hearing. I went through this in VA when we lived there with my stepson who has sensory issues on top of autism. Since we've been in St. Tammany, we've had no problems what so ever getting him the assistance he needs and has done so well that he's grown out of the need for many of the accommodations we originally had for him. Unfortunately it's all in where you live and how willing they are to follow not only the letter but the spirit of the laws guaranteeing our children to a free and fair education.

I have been told that Bossier Parish is a lot better than Caddo with the special needs children. You then are in luck. Now here's what you do to make them give your daughter the help she is guarrenteed by law.

Contact the school. Put in writing your request for an I.E.P. that is a individual education plan. They have about thirty days to reply. In the mean time contact Families Helping Families. ( I sent you the number in private).
Go to the library and start research. You are going to practically need to get your own medical degree. I noticed several ladies recommended one book in particular.
I will start looking for local support groups and send you a messaage as soon I find out anything.
You know how to get in touch with me.
Drop me a line ANYTIME.

check on the web to get more info & see if there are any support groups in your areas....you can't depend on the school system for anything...even teaching isn't up to par here!

B.,
You may find his quite helpful
http://www.sinetwork.org/aboutspd/howtofind.html

This will start you off and tell you where to go from here, A physician would be in order. Good luck to you. Your little girl will do fine.

Hi B.,
Unfortunately, you are going to have a difficult time getting the schools to help in the class with these sensory tools.

I am an OT and have some suggestions. If you give me more information, than I can give you other things you can do.

I like to use brushing along with vibration. I find that the two work better together. I usually tell my parents to brush first, then follow with vibration using a little hand held vibrator (you can get one from Walgreens). Then we do the joint compressions. We also use the vibration pads that you sit on. You can put one on a pilates ball, or if you can purchase a 40 inch ball you can lay the child on the vibration pad on the ball and rock them slowly. If you can really concentrate on that during the weekends, you may find that her touch sensitivities are not as bad and maybe the school won't have to brush her at all.

If you have any other areas of concern let me know and maybe I can give you some more suggestions.

p.s. has anyone mentioned or started her on Therapeutic Listening? It is a great tool for knocking out auditory sensitivities as well as calming in general.

L. Malagarie

Have you read The Out of Sync Child?? It would be very helpful for you!!!

Wish I could help but I didn't under stand your situation.