Alex's Room

There is a sensory or developmental purpose for everything in Alex's room. Any toy or piece of furniture I see, the first thing that runs through my mind is what it will help him with. and, yes, mainly it's sensory that I look at because when Alex's sensory needs are not met, all hell breaks loose. Alex's main sensory issue is proprioception with some vestibular and maybe some slight (haha) tactile hyposensitivity thrown in there as well. Hyposensitive in some areas, hypersensitive in others. That boy. a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. The proprioception is a biggie because without giving him acceptable ways to get the input he needs- he has accidentally self injurious behaviors, he is aggressive, clumsy and all around unhappy/unsettled. To be honest, most of his eloping happens when his proprioceptive needs are not met. He needs to run. he needs the slamming sensation of his feet pounding on the solid ground. every solid contact his foot has with the ground tells him "Here are your feet! They are right here! They exist! They are real! They are yours! feel them!?" Combining that with no fear and not recognising danger, it can go bad quickly. It's best to meet his needs in a way he can be in his body and be safe at the same time.

Alex's bed meets that need by giving him a closed in space to feel comfortable sleeping in. He likes tight spaces that are confining in a way but still allows him the freedom to get in and out as he chooses. He would prefer a crib or a playpen but for safety reasons (getting in and out) that's not really an option. He does not like an open bed because it doesn't feel... safe. When Alex closes his eyes he has no clue where he is in space. It could be compared to sleeping on a twin sized raft in the ocean, doesn't really make you feel comfortable closing your eyes, right? When you close your eyes you have no idea where the shore is, you have no idea where the raft ends and the water begins. you have no clue where in the water you are, not up, not down... you are lost in space. What if you roll over and fall off the raft because you can't feel where the edge is? scary enough when you can see it coming. Before getting this bed, Alex preferred to sleep in the floor, where it was safe. Other things that can help them sleep comfortably that Alex doesn't respond well to are weighted blankets. If you cannot afford weighted blankets, just use heavy blankets. Body pillows or big suffed animals are good because when they are tucked snugly against them, it's outside input that says "Whoa, now. Far enough. This is where your body ends." it says, "Don't worry, buddy. I won't let you fall off." You could also use a recliner or a couch, both of which have arms and a back surrounding the sleeping area as well as thick cushioning.

 

For sitting at the table, since we are sort of on the subject, they can't tell where they are sitting on the chair any more than they can tell where they are sleeping on the bed. Bilateral supports help them sit calmly. For the ones Alex has at school, it's a snug fit. If he moves an inch in any direction, the supports touch his sides and give him what he needs to sit calmly. At home, you could use a chair with arms. Also, a box under their feet to give them something solid to put their feet on helps ground them. How comfortable are you dangling high above the earth on rides such as the Ninja or Batman? Could you perform other tasks easily while dangling there? Could you eat, do school work or use the potty?

Since, also thanks to proprioception, he can't tell how hard he is touching something, his TV is somewhat secured to the chair by wrapping the cords around the spindles so if he pushes the button too hard, he won't knock the TV off the chair. It's on a chair because it's solid, stable, hard to tip (especially tucked against the wall and his bed) and leaves no room to climb. I would strongly suggest securing all furniture.

His toys are in the floor of his closet for a couple of reasons, mainly (proprioception) his need for tight spaces has him climbing in the toy box. He can't tip the closet over and give himself a concussion. It also works to cut down on the overwhelming visual clutter at night. Having the toys where I can just shut the door helps visually calm the room so he can relax. Also for this reason, his trampoline fits under the bed. It helps him transition to bed time when I calm everything assaulting all of his senses. Turning all unnecessary lights off, turning all sounds down to the lowest possible level, putting away as many things as I can to empty the room as much as possible. This cues bed time and gives him a warning right along with easing up on the sensory input that could put him too on edge to sleep. Another thing you could add in is lavender products at bath time. Alex has sensitive skin and is allergic to almost anything under the sun but baby products are always a safe bet with him. Epsom bath salts with a few drops of lavender essential oils, lavender baby bath and lavender baby lotion. The lotion has the added benefit of deep pressure massage. Alex has gotten to where he doesn't want his arms to be touched and doesn't like the feeling of me rubbing lotion- or anything- on his skin so it doesn't work for him but back when he did like it... *sigh*, lovely days.

Proprioception dysfunction, the inability to tell where his body is in space, makes climbing, descending stairs difficult for him. Having stairs available for him to practice on whenever he wants helps him build his confidence in his ability to do so. He's doing a lot better on the bus stairs and can, most times, walk all the way down them on his own. He rarely leaps at me anymore.

Top bunk is also a somewhat enclosed space but more open than bottom bunk. Up here he still has the feeling of being protected as well as his window. He loves to lick, kiss and touch the window or just  sit there and admire the view.

The rocking horse pulls, like, quadruple duty. Pushing, pulling, rocking, bouncing, addressing both vestibular and proprioceptive issues. He doesn't use it anymore either but Goofy does and Alex like to pet it.

The trampoline gives him the jolting sensation all through his body that tells him where his body ends and the rest of the world begins. This stops him from running into walls on purpose or smacking someone to get the same jolt. When you hit something, your hand makes a solid contact and tingles up your arm. For Alex, this feeling tells him where his arm is, that it is real and that it belongs to him. With the proprioceptive disfunction, unless his hand or his feet or any part of his body is right in front of his face, he has no idea where it is. He couldn't tell you the position of his body, whether is arm was raised or behind him or hanging at his side without looking at it. Unless he can see it, he doesn't know he has it. I don't know about you, but I like knowing I own my body, that I exist inside something and knowing what my body is doing and so does Alex. So, Alex does what he has to do to get the input he needs. I just count my blessings that most times, instead of a slap, he just wants a "hug" and that that request for solid contact is something he can ask for and I can give.

Then of course, a sqishy-ish chair and a weighted blanket that has seen better days. I want to trade this chair for a bean bag chair that would kinda mold to his body and give him a good squeeze while he's sitting in it. He does have a birthday coming... but for now, this will do for the "hug" sensation he needs when people-hugging just can't cut it. Here lately, weighted products aren't working well for him. He finds the feel offensive. BUT, Goofy loves it.

A few more things I plan to add are a platform swing and a ball pit (he had one, he popped it). But first, I need to figure out how to work it in without overwhelming him. Too much is just as bad as not enough. I'm thinking about the extra space in the basement. Making a sensory room since there are 2 of them now with different needs.

Platform Swing- Someone shared this blog post with me on making your own platform swing. For the Goofy one, I took a hammock, folded it in half to where both ends met, sewed up one side and hung it in a doorway. It serves the same purpose as a fabric swing. Autism Daddy hung a regular swing set swing in the doorway for his boy.

Ball Pit- He had a small blow up pool filled with balls but it popped. I plan on getting another blow up pool in a larger size made of more durable plastic.

Another thing we are working on is bilateral integration. That one is simple enough to add in the form of small toys that don't take much space, just take a small mesh laundry bag, stick a ball in it and hang it from the ceiling around chest level and play catch, it can easily be taken out to practice kicking. Alex loves nesting and such- which requires the use of both hands if done properly ;) Take a coffee can, cut a slightly over sized slit in the top and have him put poker chips (big enough to not be swallowed) in. This one works on bilateral and fine motor skills. He also likes the stacking rings. He even uses his teething rings and sippy cup to play this game- bilateral integration, hand-eye coordination. Shape sorters are awesome for bilateral integration because you have use one hand to turn/stabilize the box while using your other hand to turn/insert the shape. Riding a bike requires both sides of your body working together.

That's what I have so far. Do you have ideas?