More from the chapter in Miller's book, Sensational Kids:
Discussing school adaptations, LaTonya has "an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) stating that she has sensory problems causing her to have behavioral issues that hurt her academic performance". I took note of the specific wording here for possible use in Katie's plan. "The plan contains specific objectives, and one of these is to calm her overreactivity so she can pay attention in class". Again, wording that could apply specifically to Katie.
Miller goes on to discuss a particular intervention of heavy work used in LaTanya's case "for calming her overalert sensory system and recharging her batteries for the big challenge of the classroom". In this case, LaTanya goes to the library every morning and carries a load of heavy books to her classroom- one example of heavy work. I wonder if such a scheme would be helpful for Kate too?
Miller defines Heavy Work here as "a term applied to any activity that engages the muscles and joints of the proprioceptive system". She had previously explained the stimulating the proprioceptive sense can generate calming messages to the brain. "Tasks that engage more or bigger muscles generally create greater proprioceptive stimulation and have the biggest effect on behavior".
"In (Occupational) therapy, children are taught to recognize when they need heavy work and to generate it for themselves with activities such as pushing against a wall or another resistant surface, pulling a heavy load like a wagon with another child as passenger, or walking up a flight of stairs". Miller says that "heavy work tends to lower arousal levels and reduce cumulative effect so that the child is prepared for the next sensory surprise." and "Heavy work for LaTanya (and Katie) is the equivalent of finding the volume button on the background noise that is always buzzing in her sensory system and turning it down."
Interesting note here, on one of Kate's visits to her therapist, the blinking tic was particularly bad and the therapist decided to try some heavy work. She had Katie plant her feet and push hard against the wall, as if trying to push it over, and then gave her a squeeze ball and had her squeeze it as hard as she could for as long as she could hold it. She reported to me later that after this the tic was gone and did not return for the rest of their session! Hmmm, something to think about....
Showing posts with label Sensory Overload. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sensory Overload. Show all posts
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Reviewing Katie's Sensory Issues
So, as I read through the chapter on the day in the life of a sensory over-responsive kid (LaTanya) in Lucy Jane Miller's excellent book, Sensational Kids, I recalled/learned/summarized these facts/observations about Katie:
Specifically, the type of problem Kate most struggles with is Sensory Modulation Disorder (SMD), which "makes it hard for her to match the intensity of her responses to the intensity of the sensations she feel". Her system "cannot filter sensations in a way that would allow her to come up with an appropriate response" so when she is "alerted" to a sensation, her brain goes immediately to fight/flight/freeze mode.
Miller writes, "Parents of children with sensory over-responsivity tell me that they feel they're constantly tiptoeing through a minefield- always braced for the next event that will trigger a crisis", and that is precisely my experience.
Also, "A typically developing child gets a sensory message such as the big bang of a slamming door, figures out the cause, and lets it go. In children with sensory problems, this ability to let go of past messages sometimes appears to be impaired, leading to a 'backlog' of sensation that accumulates until it overwhelms the child's coping skills" and "It is believed that the cumulative effect of undisposed sensory messages is what causes children with SPD to eventually fall apart over triggering events that are minor". What if the reason Kate loses it when another kid calls her a name is a whole morning's worth of sensory alerts she hasn't been able to let go of?
Miller goes on to describe how "LaTanya" is alerted by the overwhelming fumes of the school bus, the typical noisiness of an elementary school bus, and the inadvertent touching and jostling by other kids that happens on the bus. Not to mention the sensation of the motion of the bus and its frequent stops and starts, and unexpected, loud traffic noises outside, such as sirens and honking horns. Little wonder if she prefers to sit in the front seat to minimize some of these, and have visual cues to warn her of upcoming sensations. But sadly, in the example, the other kids won't always let her sit where she's most comfortable, and she is often reduced to tears. "If LaTanya needed a wheelchair or had another physical limitation that made it hard for her to function on the bus, accommodations like an assigned seat would have been made for her long ago. However, because her handicap is invisible, accommodations are made on a spot basis and only after she falls apart, which just confirms everyone's opinion that this is a kid with big problems." (my emphasis)
What if Katie is experiencing these same things, and arriving at school already so overstimulated that her system can't calm down enough to focus on the tasks at hand? How much of what looks like ADHD behavior is actually her inability to take anything more in or process the information in the right part of the brain because she is so consumed with sensory overload?
Specifically, the type of problem Kate most struggles with is Sensory Modulation Disorder (SMD), which "makes it hard for her to match the intensity of her responses to the intensity of the sensations she feel". Her system "cannot filter sensations in a way that would allow her to come up with an appropriate response" so when she is "alerted" to a sensation, her brain goes immediately to fight/flight/freeze mode.
Miller writes, "Parents of children with sensory over-responsivity tell me that they feel they're constantly tiptoeing through a minefield- always braced for the next event that will trigger a crisis", and that is precisely my experience.
Also, "A typically developing child gets a sensory message such as the big bang of a slamming door, figures out the cause, and lets it go. In children with sensory problems, this ability to let go of past messages sometimes appears to be impaired, leading to a 'backlog' of sensation that accumulates until it overwhelms the child's coping skills" and "It is believed that the cumulative effect of undisposed sensory messages is what causes children with SPD to eventually fall apart over triggering events that are minor". What if the reason Kate loses it when another kid calls her a name is a whole morning's worth of sensory alerts she hasn't been able to let go of?
Miller goes on to describe how "LaTanya" is alerted by the overwhelming fumes of the school bus, the typical noisiness of an elementary school bus, and the inadvertent touching and jostling by other kids that happens on the bus. Not to mention the sensation of the motion of the bus and its frequent stops and starts, and unexpected, loud traffic noises outside, such as sirens and honking horns. Little wonder if she prefers to sit in the front seat to minimize some of these, and have visual cues to warn her of upcoming sensations. But sadly, in the example, the other kids won't always let her sit where she's most comfortable, and she is often reduced to tears. "If LaTanya needed a wheelchair or had another physical limitation that made it hard for her to function on the bus, accommodations like an assigned seat would have been made for her long ago. However, because her handicap is invisible, accommodations are made on a spot basis and only after she falls apart, which just confirms everyone's opinion that this is a kid with big problems." (my emphasis)
What if Katie is experiencing these same things, and arriving at school already so overstimulated that her system can't calm down enough to focus on the tasks at hand? How much of what looks like ADHD behavior is actually her inability to take anything more in or process the information in the right part of the brain because she is so consumed with sensory overload?
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
End of a difficult year
You're probably tired of hearing me complain about Kate's school, but there were just a couple more issues I'll mention to close out that school year.
The 504 plan had stated a place would be provided for Katie to go to calm down when she got upset. At home she has a small space behind an armchair where she likes to go, which she calls her Katie Space. She craves the tight confined space, similar to Temple Grandin's squeeze boxes, only without any actual pressure. No space was specifically provided at school, so Katie improvised by curling up in the space under her desk. This was not acceptable to her homeroom teacher, however, and she felt she was "yelled at" for doing it. Here she was, recognizing her body's need to re-regulate itself to calm down and trying to self sooth, and she felt she was punished for it. I can understand that having her under the desk might not be ideal and could be distracting to others in class, so the teacher had every right to say this was not a valid option, but then GIVE HER ANOTHER OPTION!
Another trick Katie tried to use to limit distractions from other kids around her while she was working was setting opened folders in front of her at the corners of her desk to sort of screen herself in, as had been suggested by another teacher a previous year. This too was met with disapproval by her teacher, and she was not allowed to use them. Here again, the poor girl is recognizing her need for a strategy and trying to problem solve for herself, and is met with (in her eyes) condemnation.
What would have been the final straw, if I had heard of it before the last week or so of the school year was when Kate came home upset one day, reporting it had been the worst day of her life (not unusual that year). When asked why, she became teary and told me she had been upset about something and was crying in class. "But Mr Bush didn't even notice me or say anything!", she moaned. "Finally, I just went up to him to tell him about it, but he just put up his hand (in a "talk-to-the-hand" type gesture) and said, 'Nope! Katie, nope, that's drama. Drama, drama, we're not gonna have drama now. Go back to your seat.' "
Now, I understand that there are some attention seeking children who will and do create drama just to get adults' attention, and need boundaries set about when and how their issues will be addressed. But that is not Katie. When a child with identified special emotional needs comes to you crying, they need something from you. Their equilibrium is upset, and they need help to regulate themselves back to a balanced state. Dismissing the child out of hand and telling her to go away with her messy emotions is about as far from what she needs as you can get.
It was then that it became clear to me what her homeroom teacher's view of Katie and her needs was, and just what an oppressive environment she had been struggling in all year. Here is the sort of person whose basic philosophy is that kids with struggles should "just toughen up and get over it". "Quit being such a baby and just deal with it". My God! Don't you think they would if they could?! Do you think they enjoy going to pieces over seemingly little things in front of all their peers??! Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is for them to lose emotional control in front of everyone!?
I found it interesting to note on her report card that in the columns marked 'Uses CARES skills' (Cooperation, Assertion, Responsibility, Empathy, and Self-Control.) all of her other teachers said Katie did this consistently, while her homeroom teacher said only sometimes. Clearly, they were not well matched. I still think about writing that teacher a letter to let him know how badly he dropped the ball with Katie. What a chance he had to make a real difference in her life at a really hard time, and how he'd missed it. I had been so excited for her to have a male teacher for a strong male influence in her life, since her father is so uninvolved. Having his support and encouragement could have given her such confidence and strength. Instead, she got the same message I'm afraid she often get's at her Dad's house, "Quit being such a baby and just toughen up."
The 504 plan had stated a place would be provided for Katie to go to calm down when she got upset. At home she has a small space behind an armchair where she likes to go, which she calls her Katie Space. She craves the tight confined space, similar to Temple Grandin's squeeze boxes, only without any actual pressure. No space was specifically provided at school, so Katie improvised by curling up in the space under her desk. This was not acceptable to her homeroom teacher, however, and she felt she was "yelled at" for doing it. Here she was, recognizing her body's need to re-regulate itself to calm down and trying to self sooth, and she felt she was punished for it. I can understand that having her under the desk might not be ideal and could be distracting to others in class, so the teacher had every right to say this was not a valid option, but then GIVE HER ANOTHER OPTION!
Another trick Katie tried to use to limit distractions from other kids around her while she was working was setting opened folders in front of her at the corners of her desk to sort of screen herself in, as had been suggested by another teacher a previous year. This too was met with disapproval by her teacher, and she was not allowed to use them. Here again, the poor girl is recognizing her need for a strategy and trying to problem solve for herself, and is met with (in her eyes) condemnation.
What would have been the final straw, if I had heard of it before the last week or so of the school year was when Kate came home upset one day, reporting it had been the worst day of her life (not unusual that year). When asked why, she became teary and told me she had been upset about something and was crying in class. "But Mr Bush didn't even notice me or say anything!", she moaned. "Finally, I just went up to him to tell him about it, but he just put up his hand (in a "talk-to-the-hand" type gesture) and said, 'Nope! Katie, nope, that's drama. Drama, drama, we're not gonna have drama now. Go back to your seat.' "
Now, I understand that there are some attention seeking children who will and do create drama just to get adults' attention, and need boundaries set about when and how their issues will be addressed. But that is not Katie. When a child with identified special emotional needs comes to you crying, they need something from you. Their equilibrium is upset, and they need help to regulate themselves back to a balanced state. Dismissing the child out of hand and telling her to go away with her messy emotions is about as far from what she needs as you can get.
It was then that it became clear to me what her homeroom teacher's view of Katie and her needs was, and just what an oppressive environment she had been struggling in all year. Here is the sort of person whose basic philosophy is that kids with struggles should "just toughen up and get over it". "Quit being such a baby and just deal with it". My God! Don't you think they would if they could?! Do you think they enjoy going to pieces over seemingly little things in front of all their peers??! Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is for them to lose emotional control in front of everyone!?
I found it interesting to note on her report card that in the columns marked 'Uses CARES skills' (Cooperation, Assertion, Responsibility, Empathy, and Self-Control.) all of her other teachers said Katie did this consistently, while her homeroom teacher said only sometimes. Clearly, they were not well matched. I still think about writing that teacher a letter to let him know how badly he dropped the ball with Katie. What a chance he had to make a real difference in her life at a really hard time, and how he'd missed it. I had been so excited for her to have a male teacher for a strong male influence in her life, since her father is so uninvolved. Having his support and encouragement could have given her such confidence and strength. Instead, she got the same message I'm afraid she often get's at her Dad's house, "Quit being such a baby and just toughen up."
Friday, September 20, 2013
Impulsive Aggression
Katie came running to me off the bus yesterday crying so hard I almost couldn't understand her. "I just didn't think! I don't know what's happening to me! I didn't control myself!", was what I could make out. I hugged her and told her it would be ok and we'd talk about it when we got home.
I sat her down, told her I wouldn't be angry and asked her to start from the beginning and tell me what happened. Apparently there was a video the class would be able to watch if everyone was finished with their work in time. The boy next to her was bothering/distracting Katie to the point that she finally grabbed his hand and bent his wrist back, scraping her nails across the back of it.
She was SO upset with herself! She couldn't believe she had done it, but admitted it wasn't really an accident, she just got so frustrated! She said she didn't know what was happening to her and she didn't think she deserved anything good. She said the boy didn't even tell on her, she told on herself. The teacher said he would have to write it up and she was terrified of what that would mean. "I've never been written up for anything in my life!!", she wailed.
Katie has never physically acted out in anger or frustration with anyone like this before, so I decided to talk to her doctor and see what she thought about it. As it happened we were able to get in to see the pediatrician right away today and decided to up the dose of her Concerta to help with the frustration tolerance, distraction and impulsivity as the old dose doesn't seem to be cutting it this year. We had a short conference with her teacher this afternoon too where I was able to explain her SPD and anxiety issues and he seems very willing to work on whatever she needs.
I sat her down, told her I wouldn't be angry and asked her to start from the beginning and tell me what happened. Apparently there was a video the class would be able to watch if everyone was finished with their work in time. The boy next to her was bothering/distracting Katie to the point that she finally grabbed his hand and bent his wrist back, scraping her nails across the back of it.
She was SO upset with herself! She couldn't believe she had done it, but admitted it wasn't really an accident, she just got so frustrated! She said she didn't know what was happening to her and she didn't think she deserved anything good. She said the boy didn't even tell on her, she told on herself. The teacher said he would have to write it up and she was terrified of what that would mean. "I've never been written up for anything in my life!!", she wailed.
Katie has never physically acted out in anger or frustration with anyone like this before, so I decided to talk to her doctor and see what she thought about it. As it happened we were able to get in to see the pediatrician right away today and decided to up the dose of her Concerta to help with the frustration tolerance, distraction and impulsivity as the old dose doesn't seem to be cutting it this year. We had a short conference with her teacher this afternoon too where I was able to explain her SPD and anxiety issues and he seems very willing to work on whatever she needs.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
First Twins Game
Melanie's All-District Choir was singing the national Anthem at the Twins game tonight. Quite an honor! This was the first Twins game for both of my girls, and my first time at the new stadium. Kate was over-the-moon excited! We had seats directly behind home plate, but very high up, and she was very nervous about walking up the steep steps to get to them. We both felt a bit dizzy at first being up so high, and looking down so far, so steeply. 
She thoroughly enjoyed the first 4 innings, but then started to get whiny. She really wanted me to buy her a hat, but they are crazy expensive there and I said no, so she fussed and pouted. Then she realized that the cameras showing people in the stands didn't seem to be showing people way up at the top, so she wouldn't be able to be on TV, and that was the last straw. She declared that this was not as fun as she thought it was going to be and she was sooo disappointed, and the only thing that could stop her crying would be a hat or being on TV. She was "sooo bored", but absolutely did not want to leave early. We held in through the 7th inning and then left to get ahead of the crowds. She griped and groaned all the way to the car and fussed and cried all the way home, talking about how she always has such "bad luck", that her friends give her "bad luck" and nothing she does ever turns out good, and it never will. She feels her "senses" make it too hard for her to go to school and she just wishes she could be "normal".
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Parent Teacher Conferences
Uh oh, not so good this time. Both girls had less than stellar reports this time through, and both for the same reason, lack of focus and organization. Katie's reading at a 2nd grade level, top in her class, and consistently proves that she knows how to do all of her work, and gets the right answers, when tested one-on-one with the teacher, but cannot seem to get anything done during regular class time. She is far too distracted by everything going on around her. She gets through about 1/4 to 1/3 of a worksheet in the time it takes the rest of the class to finish, then forgets to bring the work home to finish, or refuses to do it when she does bring it home! Or if she does get something done at home, it sits in her folder and she forgets to hand it in!
I don't know whether this is straight ADD, which definitely runs in our family, or if it's the sensory over-stimulation causing the problem. Think of how difficult it would be to work on a timed math quiz when you are hearing the buzz of the lights above you, feeling the tag in your shirt and the seams in your socks, having to concentrate on the weight of the pencil in your hand and the correct amount of pressure to use to write with it and not break it. She cannot tune out the extraneous information her body is perceiving the way most of us do. It is so hard to see her struggle like this.
I don't know whether this is straight ADD, which definitely runs in our family, or if it's the sensory over-stimulation causing the problem. Think of how difficult it would be to work on a timed math quiz when you are hearing the buzz of the lights above you, feeling the tag in your shirt and the seams in your socks, having to concentrate on the weight of the pencil in your hand and the correct amount of pressure to use to write with it and not break it. She cannot tune out the extraneous information her body is perceiving the way most of us do. It is so hard to see her struggle like this.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Distracted by nature...
Katie to me last Saturday when it was so gorgeous out: "Momma, sometimes, only on nice days, I just get so distracted by nature."
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Fear Where Others Find Fun
Picture an average kindergartener going to a cousin's birthday party. She looks forward to it with great anticipation, but problems arise where there is supposed to be fun. The party is at Pump-It-Up, an indoor inflatable play place, and for extra fun, it's a glow-in-the-dark party, so the lights are off and instead there are star-like sparkles and disco lights flashing. It looks really cool and the pumpin' music completes the scene. While the cousin and his friends tumble down the inflatable slide and bounce houses, Katelyn is paralyzed with fear. She cries and clings to me, insisting on being held, and begging to go home.
Katie has always had a serious fear of the dark. Having difficulty with vestibular input, she can't sense where her body is in relation to her surroundings, so she usually relies on her sight to clue her in, but can't in the dark. She finds the flashing lights disorienting The music everyone else finds fun feels like an assault to her sensitive ears, as do the screams and squeals of fun from all the other kids. While Katie loves the proprioceptive input of bouncing and jumping, she only feels safe doing it on her own terms, with no one else around to bump into her or wiggle the inflatable unpredictably. At a party, though, she can't get the bounce house all to herself, so she just sits in the corner of it and screams if anyone else gets too boisterous. Every movement feels to her like being tossed on a stormy sea. She is in perpetual fight-or-flight mode as her body tells her she is in great danger.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Other Auditory Symptoms
- Runs away, cries, and/or covers ears with loud or unexpected sounds.
- May dislike going to movie theaters, parades, concerts, etc.
Katie likes going to the movies now, but the first time I tried to take her to one (Kung Fu Panda) was an utter failure. The loud theater volume and giant screen were too much for her about half way through, but Melly was enjoying it, so I had to walk Kate around the empty theater hallways for a good 45 minutes to let Mel see the end, peeking in on her every few minutes to make sure she was ok all alone in there. Another of the trials of single parenting!
We've actually been to two movies in the last month (a record for us!) and though Kate is excited to go, she does complain that they are too loud at first and petered out on them about half way through. She wanted to leave Rango about midway through, and then insisted on snuggling on my lap when I said we couldn't leave. She buried her head in my chest and fell asleep. I chalked that up to her having been up too late the night before. But then last weekend we went to HOP, and half way through she got really restless again. She had insisted on bringing her "blankie" because theater temps are famously erratic, but she ended up using it to cover her head and trying to snuggle up on my lap again. Just realizing as I write this that maybe this is a protective response to being overstimulated by the theater experience, since she has more than enough attention span to watch full length movies at home. Hmmm....
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