Mondays with SPD: The Quest for a Balanced Sensory Diet

I’m on a quest. A quest to discover the different ways I can facilitate the sensory needs of my children. 

When Diane, our Occupational Therapist, came by last week to work with Bruce, I observed my son begin to put assorted objects in his mouth and chew on them.  It suddenly dawned on me that he does this when he is anxious.  First, he started chewing on a piece of paper, which I took away from him. Next, he found his little black comb and began gnawing on it.  Diane took it away from him and supplied him with a battery operated “wiggle” pen.  I watched as Bruce placed it against his jaw, then his nose and under his arms as Diane and I discussed creating a sensory diet for him, as well as teach him self-calming skills.

Diane also discussed how important it was to meet his sensory needs before he had meltdowns and to help him figure out on his own how to calm himself.  Unfortunately, it was my misunderstanding of dealing with Bruce of taking it upon myself to calm him down during his meltdowns.  When I first learned of Sensory Diets a little while ago, I didn’t quite grasp the concept, nor did I have anyone to hold my hand and show me how it worked.  I was told by another OT to read “The Out-Of-Sync Child” by Carol Stock Kranowitz and I would be good to go. I would know everything I needed in order to meet the needs of my sons.

Personally, I found the book to be dry, boring, and would inevitable put me to sleep faster than reading the Bible.  Don’t get me wrong, it is a well researched and very informative book and I use it as a resource.  But reading and doing – are two different things.  And for something as overwhelming as SPD, I really felt I needed an expert to walk me through this process.  Turns out, it isn’t that difficult.  I tend to interpret things as being more complicated than they really are.

So, with Diane’s encouragement, I am creating a Balanced Sensory Diet for my kids – which seems kind of funny to me.  Since I’m already highly aware of the nutritional value of foods I give to my kids (making sure that it’s balanced and wholesome) switching gears into the realm of sensory integration shouldn’t be a problem.  Although, there are no RDA’s for the amount of pressure my child should be receiving while he lays between the mattresses, or how long I need to brush his arms and legs, I need to listen to my child for when his needs are satisfied.

The Balanced Sensory Diet is like a fitness plan and is outlined in the aforementioned book.  Carol writes that “It will enhance every child’s ability to function smoothly, whether the child is in sync or out of synch”.

Next time, I will have Bruce’s Diet created and posted.  Until then, eat well, be well and be happy.