Monday's with SPD: What is Stereognosis?

“Huh?” was my first intelligent response when Diane, the occupational therapist who works on my children’s sensory needs, explained Stereognosis to me.  She had to repeat herself as I was confused and apparently it was obvious on my very expressive face (don’t ask me to play poker). 

“Stereognosis is the ability to identify an object by touch,” she said simply.  It’s not that I didn’t understand her the first time – it’s just that the whole concept of not being able to tell what an object is by only feeling it was a whole new concept in regards to my children’s sensory issues.   Besides that, the word itself is strange and I had to repeat it to myself several times and have her spell it for me so I could pronounce it correctly.

“So what do you do for it?” I asked, wide-eyed as I tried to imagine what kind of games and activities she must have in her bag of tricks.

She smiled knowingly and produced a large wad of green goop, the kind you find in the toy department.  It’s not the slimy, slippery kind.  It’s more like play dough that sticks together and doesn’t easily pull apart.   Inside she had hidden several small cubes with letters on each side (like the game Boggle).   Diane gave the wad of goop to my second son who worked to get each of the cubes out.  It took him several minutes, but eventually he found ten cubes.  With those ten cubes, Diane helped him spell the word HERMIT CRAB, and then he wrote the word down on a sheet of lined paper. 

As a supplemental activity to help the boys develop their sense of stereognosis, Diane suggested using a shoebox filled with rice and hide objects inside.  The boys are to try and identify the object before they extract it from the box.  My boys love this game.  But I’ve learned that it’s best played on a bed sheet because rice gets all over the place and it’s easier to clean up afterwards by just grasping the four corners and funneling it back into the shoebox.

Next time:  Handwriting games

Monday's with SPD: Chewy Sticks, Fuzzy Pom-Poms, and sucking yogurt through a straw

Diane handed me a long list of items that she suggested I use for my 2nd son who craves oral sensory stimulation.  I cringed at the long list of sugary chewy items, such as gummies, Atomic Balls, Sour Candies, etc.  But, then I came to the non-edible items and felt much better.   Things like the plastic tubing you use in an aquarium or for your refrigerator's water dispenser is perfect for chewing on.  I purchased a two foot long piece from a local hardware store and after sanitizing it, cut some of it into 3 inch lengths and the rest in 6" inch lengths.
The 3 inch pieces I stuck on the ends of the pencils, as both my boys are wont to chew the ends off, including the metal part, and the rest I stuck in a kitchen drawer to hand out when I notice my 2nd start to chew on his shirt sleeves or suck his thumb.  My first son isn't so needy now, but he was a die-hard thunmbsucker for years before we got a habit appliance to get him to stop. If only I had known about SPD when he was littler.  Both of my boys are Hyposensitive.

The other items on the list included:

• Vibrating Toothbrush (which I gave them for Christmas - love it!)
• Crunchy fruits and veggies
• Sucking yogurt through a straw (but since we deal with allergies - Diane showed us how to play a game with fuzzy pom-poms you get from a craft store.  Suck up a pom-pom on the end of a straw and crawl across the floor to drop it into a container. Repeat).
• Blowing bubbles

These are only a few of the things we've tried.  There are many, many more activities.

How do you know if your child has an Oral Sensory need?  This website (http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/) has been a great resource for me and the following is from that website.

Oral Sensitivities:
Signs, Symptoms, Causes, And Treatment

When talking about children with SPD, we refer to two different types of oral sensitivities... hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity.

As you may have already seen from the Sensory Processing Disorders Checklist, children with oral hypersensitivities - also called oral defensiveness - will exhibit many, or all, of the following characteristics:

dislikes having teeth brushed and/or face washed

has a limited food repertoire and/or may avoid certain food textures - especially mixed textures

will take their food off the fork or spoon using only their teeth, keeping their lips retracted

will gag easily when eating and may only get food down by taking a drink with it

may exhibit signs of tactile defensiveness such as; disliking being touched, avoiding messy play - glue, play doh, mud, sand, finger paints, etc. - , or, may not pick up eating utensil or food with a grasp that involves the palm of his hand

In Contrast, Children With Hyposensitivities Will Exhibit Many, Or All, Of The Following Characteristics:

they love and crave intense flavors, i.e., sweet, sour, salty, spicy and usually become "condiment kids"

may actually avoid mixed textures as well since it is difficult to chew and swallow properly when you can't "feel" the food in your mouth correctly

they are the messy eaters; getting food all over their face and/or leaving bits of food in their mouths at the end of a meal

they often take large bites and stuff their mouths, or even "pocket" food in their cheeks

are inclined to not chew their food thoroughly before swallowing (at risk for choking)

drool excessively beyond the teething stage

and, they always seem to have something in their mouths; toys, pens, pencil tips, gum, candy, or inedible objects (i.e., paper clips, rubber bands, shirt sleeves and collars, strings...anything!)

Aloha Fridays: "No, Dad. It's ALL wet!"

Easter Sunday, 1992.
Amouli, American Samoa

My 9 year old brother, Rick (not his real name), woke up bright and early Easter Sunday with a very important message for my parents. 

"Dad," he said as he approached my parent's bed.  Dad cracked an eye to peer at Rick. 

"What?" he groaned.

"My bed is wet," Rick whispered.

"Just put a towel over it and go back to bed," Dad grumped and rolled over to go back to sleep.

"No, Dad.  It's ALL wet," Rick persisted.

Dad groaned and wondered how much water the kid had drunk the night before.  How could his whole bed be wet?  Dad sat up and swung his feet over the edge of the bed.  Splash - splash. 

"What the . . .?" Dad stared in shock at the 4 inches of water covering the floor.  In his half-sleep state, he gawked at Rick as if somehow this child was responsible for the amount of water on the floor.  As soon as Dad's neuron's started firing correctly, he realized this wasn't a matter of an over active bladder, but the result of excessive rain on the mountain behind us that had sent a flash flood through our house.

I was asleep on my large purple pillow of a mat on the floor by the front door when Dad came into the living room hollering at us to get up that we had been flooded.  Drowsily, I threw an arm over the puffy side of my mat and splashed water with my open hand.  It woke me up instantly and by the time I had gotten to my feet, the rest of my siblings were awake and exclaiming in excitement over the water.

It was a beautiful day, but when we stepped outside to survey the rest of the village that lay 4 feet lower than our house, a neighbor wallowed through the flood to ask if we were okay.  We were indeed better off than most of our neighbors, but all our beds were soaked.  

I helped dragged everyone's sleeping pillows out of the house and heaved them onto the clothesline to dry.  Then we spent the rest of the morning cleaning the mud and debris out of the house which included water logged rats, hermit crabs, bugs, garbage and the like.  Needless to say, the Easter Bunny didn't visit us that year. 

Mom tried to come up with something positive about the whole situation, but, I don't remember what it was.  I do remember that the younger kids had a blast playing in the muddy water in our front yard.

Wednesday at the Kitchen Table: The best Kitchen Table on the Planet

What does your kitchen table look like?  I'm on a quest to see what Kitchen Tables around the world look like.  Aren't you curious too?  I mean, what does a typical kitchen table look like in Japan?  What is served for dinner on it?  What about New Guinea?  Or Peru? or Bulgaria? or Hawaii?

Send me your photos of your kitchen table laid out with your family's favorite meal or family activity.  Tell me where you are from and share a recipe!  I'm looking for Kitchen Tables from around the world - won't you share yours with us?  I'd like to see some celebrity kitchen tables, too.  No Martha Stewart wannabees please.  Just your typical meal or family activity on your Kitchen Table.

Send your photo (and recipes if you wish) to me at jc_hurst   AT  comcast DOT net.  

Until next time, eat well, be well and be happy!

Tuesdays Review: FORD 2011 Explorer

My recent dream car was the 2011 Honda Odyssey.  No more.  After my husband brought home the 2011 Ford Explorer from work to try out for a few weeks, its goodbye Honda, helloooo Fordykins!  That's my pet name for this gorgeous vehicle - Fordykins.

I am by no means a car expert.  I don't know a head gasket from a transmission case, let alone know where to put the oil after I've undipped the oil tester thingy. All I do know is how to use the pedals and turn the wheel and if you show me where to put the gas, I'm good to go. 

So, in climbing behind the wheel of this sleek, wide, black vehicle, the first impression I had was I felt so skinny.  There is ALOT of elbow room in there.  You could put three of me in the driver's seat.  I wonder if Ford is trying to accommodate the extra large American market.  I'm a medium sized American (the equivalent of an overweight European).

Then of course, I turned it on.  I could hardly hear the motor.  I put in in reverse and all of a sudden a screen on the console above the gear shifter came alive to show me what was behind me as I backed out.  In color, no less, with guidelines.  Sweet, I thought.

It handled beautifully.  I didn't feel like I was driving a huge monstrous tank, even though it seats 7.  My kids had plenty of room in the back to stretch out and nobody could complain about someone else touching them.  I had to use the seat adjuster to lift me higher so I could see over the dashboard, but the seats are comfortable and heated too!  And get this, the passenger and driver each get their own climate controlled area.  So, my husband isn't forced to endure the furnace I like to be in when outside in this bleak winter weather. 

The only thing I had an issue with, is the humongous amount of computerized gadgets and gizmos this thing has.  It is literally a moving computer that can send and receive emails, and even read them to you.  Once, when my husband took us on an errand and ran inside a building to meet with a business contact for a few minutes, I decided to change the station on the radio.  After staring at the computer screen on the dashboard for 5 minutes, I noticed buttons on the steering wheel and remembered I could control the volume and stations of the radio there.  I figured, why not, since the steering wheel had fewer buttons to push than the console, so I started pushing buttons and all of a sudden, a telephone ring filled the car.  I glanced at the computer screen as the ring sounded again and to my horror the screen showed I was calling one of my husband's business associates.

"Where's the off button!" I cried as my kids started laughing, thinking it absolutely funny that the car was like a giant cell phone and Mom couldn't figure out how to cancel the call.  I don't know which button I pushed to cancel it, but I disconnected before anyone answered.  I never did figure out how to operate the radio.  I guess I'll have to let my husband control the radio.  The Ford Explorer does have a really neat gadget that I really like.  You can plug your iPhone into the car and play Pandora.  The vehicle has fantastic acoustics.

Overall, I was very delighted with the Ford 2011 Explorer.  My husband says it gets great mileage for a vehicle its size.  I don't care, he buys the gas, I just play chauffeur and if I have to spend hours in a car, I'd rather spend it in comfort.  Now, if only it had a a self cleaning option with a built in fridge and microwave.  Or, better yet, an auto pilot, so I can get my naps in before swim lessons.

I give the Ford 2011 Explorer, the Unicorn Award.

Mondays with SPD: Lets shake the house down!

"How loud can you jump?" Diane, our Occupational Therapist, challenged my three boys.  My boys literally jumped on the opportunity to try and break the sound barrier on my hardwood floors.  After a few floor jarring moments of hard jumping, Diane challenged them to "make the room bigger" by pushing on the walls.  My 7 year old was convinced he had managed to make my living room a few feet wider all by himself.

Why, might you ask, are my children trying to bring my house down?  Well, as Diane explained, these exercises are great for the Proprioceptive stimulation, both for Sensory Seekers and Sensory Avoiders, of which I am mother to both.

I'm struggling to keep up with the deep pressure brushing and joint compressions every four hours for both the boys.  I have noticed a big difference in their behaviour when I do manage to do the DPBs and JCs.  Bed time is easier, they are more calm and relaxed, and there is less "bothersome activity" that the boys engage in to peeve one another. 

I'm looking into dietary changes as my second son has a sensitive system and Diane said that SPD kids tend to have weak muscle tone inside and out.  So, digestion is a bit of a problem, which would explain the tummy aches after certain meals.  Diane suggested pro-biotics which can be purchased at health food stores.

Wednesday at the Kitchen Table: Jacks anyone?

Old fashioned games can be some of the best teaching tools.  Take Jacks, for instance.  I'm sure some of you remember those little metal multi-pointed, landmines with the bouncy red ball we played with as kids.  Well, I found a set of Jacks made from plastic and were about ten times bigger.  Coupled with an idea I had from watching my toddler play a game on http://www.pbskids.com/ I came up with a game that I believe is better than anything a child can play on-line.  And the reason being is because my child is interacting with me, not the computer.

The Jacks come in a variety of colors and the first thing we did was learn those colors.  I would throw the ball up and call a color and my 3 year old would grab the colored Jack I named before I caught the ball after one bounce.   It's great fun.  The interaction between my child and I involve laughter, cuddles, tickles, communication, and learning colors.  You can add variety to this game by substituting plastic alphabet magnets and numbers.  You could even write simple two and three letter words on index cards.

Best of all, I get to spend time with my kid and he'll remember the fun times we had together, over the time he spent in front of the computer.  Don't get me wrong, computers are great tools for education, but it is a tool and not a substitute for being a parent.

Until next time, hug your kids and play!

Tuesday Reviews: Tahitian Fitness Class

I just returned from a fun and exhilarating workout.  It was the best workout I've had in a few years and I'm going to feel it tomorrow.   A Hawaiian friend of mine invited me to attend a Tahitian Dance Fitness class and I was a bit leery at first since I know how fast and intense the dancing can be. 

The last time I did a Tahitian dance was for my second grade class May Day program in Hawaii.  And I well remember my teacher, Mrs. Mo'o scowling at me as I tried to shake it up.  "Lift those heels!" she'd bark at us.  Of course, all the Polynesian girls got it naturally.  It's genetic I think.  I had seen plenty of Polynesian dancing growing up in the South Pacific, so I just squeezed my eyes shut and shook my little hips as fast as I could and I suppose that was sufficient for Mrs. Mo'o to let me be one of the lead dancers to go around the mayday pole and dance in front. 

So, back to this class.  There were about 24 of us and I'm pretty sure I was the only Haole there.  Although, there was another lady there that looked about as white as me.  We were upstairs in a dance studio and the instructor came in wearing a red pareo (lava lava) and started the music right off without any preamble. The room shuddered with the beat of the drums and she started shaking those hips.  I have to say, Tahitian dancing is sexy.  It's aggressive and sensual at the same time.   I soon got the hang of it, but because the music was so loud, I couldn't hear her instructions at all.  She wasn't very personable.  I guess I expected her to make the rounds and give us encouragement and tips for getting the shaking just right.  I couldn't see my rear end to know if I was doing it right.  I kept wanting her to tell me if my hip action was acceptable.  And of course, I had flashbacks of Mrs. Mo'o's frown as she watched me turn circles trying to get my hips to cooperate with her instructions.

A girl I met there, who attends another Hula fitness class, commented that she felt that this lady was doing advanced moves despite the fact that this was a free introductory class and that most of us seemed to be new.  I didn't know.  I was just doing my best to keep up.

I've heard that Zumba is a hip shaking kind of fitness class, but, I daresay the Tahitian Dancing is better.  From what I could tell and the comments made by other Polynesians there, the instructor was doing a lot of traditional Tahitian moves that have been around for hundreds of years. 

It was a fantastic workout, and I'm exhausted, but I can't give this class much more than a Fairy Godmother Award.  This class would be great for moderately experienced dancers and above, but not brand new people.  But it's worth it to try it at least once.

The reasons for the award are: 

• The instructor wasn't very friendly.
• I couldn't hear her at all over the music
• Her moves were complicated and changed quickly.

Just in case you are wondering what Tahitian Fitness Dancing is, check out this video.

And the location of the Tahitian Dance Fitness class is: LA Dance Company (Tehamata of Utah) 4797 South West Ridge Boulevard (5950 West) WVC, UT

Note to rating system:
Unicorn: Excellent
Fairy Godmother: Good
Fairy: Fair
Goblin: Horrible

Mondays with SPD: The Burrito game

Our visit last week with the Occupational Therapist was very informative as we worked more on creating a sensory diet for my sons.  She also brought over a dozen thick foam gym mats to line the wall and floor in a corner of our basement for the boys to tumble around on.  We're slowly converting our basement into a sensory gymnasium and having the mats was a great addition.

Diane showed us another activity the boys could do to meet their sensory needs.  It's called the Burrito game (or taco, or sandwich - whichever you like).  She demonstrated the game by rolling my son snug in a blanket and had him lie face down as she applied "ingredients" to the Burrito.  He'd call out cheese, and using a large rubber ball, she'd bounce the ball up and down his back and legs.  "Refried Beans" he'd call out next and she'd roll the ball in a scooping motion across his back and legs.  She'd use a variety of actions, but she was firm with the ball and always checked with my son to see if the pressure was too much or too little, or just right.  What is nice about this game, is that the boys can play it with each other.

We've established a bedtime routine and WOW, what a difference that makes when we incorporate warm baths, joint compressions, deep pressure brushing and the burrito game right before bed.  The boys were mellow, and completely agreeable.  They went to bed without a fuss; there was no hollering about monsters and zombies, no bickering over blankets and toys - they just went to bed, and zonked out!  It takes about an hour, but so worth it.  But as I think about it, an hour of doing the SPD diet requirements is worth two hours of chaos before bed.

Aloha Fridays: Chicken Traps - the story continues

This post is a continuation of my previous post from last Friday's story of A rat, a soup can, and the clothesline.

In the hurricane house my parents moved into when they first arrived in American Samoa in 1977, the back wall had rotted away and the thin bottom kitchen cupboard doors served as the only barrier between the outside jungle and us.

During the night the house became infested with rats and mice who managed to squirm their way into the house while we slept.  Some ventured out during the daylight hours, only to be accosted by shrill screams and a smack with the business end of a broom. 

My parents decided to wage war against the varmints.  But because they had three young children under the age of 5 roaming about the house, they decided to take the war to the rats and mice in the surrounding jungle.  It would not do to wage a war with the rat and mice by setting traps inside the house where tender little toes and fingers could get hurt.

So one evening before bedtime, my father and mother booby-trapped the backyard with rat traps where the rodents travelled by night to come into our house through the rotted wall.

The following morning they were awakened by the strangest noises coming from the back yard.  Peeking out the backdoor, they discovered several chickens had set off the rat traps and were thrashing about in panic.  Well, as you might have expected, you can't mend a chicken's leg.  And these chickens belonged to the neighbor down the way a bit. 

The nieghbor came by when he heard the commotion and put the poor creatures out of their misery. They had chicken for supper that night and the next.

Undaunted, my parents continued with their diabolical plans of eliminating every rodent in the village of Auasi.  And, once again, in the morning, they found chickens in the rat traps.  The neighbors had to eat chicken again. 

Mom and Dad eventually decided that in order to stay on friendly terms with the neighbors, they would have to stop killing their chickens and figure out another way to destroy the rats and mice.

But that is another story.....