S bebom na put!

Ne držim puno do tradicije, ali jedna do koje mi je jako stalo je odlazak na more ljeti. Zrak na otoku je tako čist, flora je beskrajno lijepa, raznobojna i mirisna, ljudi vode svakako jedan mirniji život, no povrh svega je – more! Ponegdje plavo, ponegdje zeleno, čisto i prozirno, odlične temperature za osvježenje, more me liječi iznutra prema van i puni mi baterije.

 

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Ove godine je odlazak na more još posebniji zato što dovodim svoga sina na ovo određeno mjesto po prvi put. Bila sam njegove dobi (oko 5, 6 mjeseci) kada sam došla u ovu kuću po prvi puta. No, prije nego postanem sva sentimentalna, ispričat ću vam što ja to senzornog radim sa svojim sinom na otoku gdje jedva da ima ljudi, a kamoli stručnih osoba koje poznaju SI. Ovo možete raditi na jezeru, rijeci ili bilo kojem drugom mjestu gdje je voda dobra za kupanje. Ja većinom koristim vodu kao medij i pokušavam učiniti da mu je što više kože dostupno za taktilni podražaj. Rodio se u zimi tako da je prva četiri mjeseca bio u debelim čarapama i u tri sloja odjeće.

Najprije V. izmasiram kokosovim uljem prema indijskoj tradiciji (gle, još jedna tradicija!). Masiram mu ruke, noge, trbuh i leđa. Potom se idemo kupati u more (gustativno: slana voda) ili u mali bazenčić (gustativno: pitka voda). Cijelo tijelo mu osjeća vodu (taktilno), temperaturu i pritisak dok se kreće (proprioceptivno). Mnogo je vizualnih podražaja oko nas poput prskanja vode, djece koja se igraju, sunce koje blješti i odbija se od površine mora. Također smo okruženi i auditivnim podražajima poput zvuka prskanja vode, valova koji se odbijaju o stijene, motora malih brodića, djece koja vrište te odraslih koji pričaju. Koncentrirati se na užitak koji daje voda ili na mamu koja je sretna što se njezin maleni kupa dok je tijelo toliko zaposleno sa svim ovim senzornim podražajima je teško.

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Nakon kupanja tako fino paše ledena kava, zar ne? Ali kako popiti kavu u miru kada malena petomjesečna beba ne želi mirno sjediti u kolicima? Bebe jaaaako vole proprioceptivne igrice. Nema lakše nego ona gurni – potegni. Ostavite dijete u kolicima ili ga stavite na pod ako je to socijalno prihvatljivo i dajte mu ili igračku ili nešto za što može potegnuti: rupčić, maramicu, konop… Dajte djetetu da drži, a vi verbalno motivirajte dijete i pokušajte malo potezati kao da ćete mu istrguti igračku iz ruke. Činite to u različitim ritmovima.

20140708-175017.jpgOstale proprioceptivne igrice uključuju lagano skakutanje s bebicom dok ju čvrsto držite. Također i to radite u različitim ritmovima pa dajte bebici malo vremena da počne predviđati kada ćete idući put poskočiti. Može vam pomoći ako kažete: “Sad ću skočiti… jedaaaan, dvaaaa, triiii. Hooop!!!” Pokušajte izvoditi to s motivirajućim glasom. Koristite različite igračke dok se igrate s djetetom i ne zaboravite na važnost boravka na trbuhu. Ja sam svome sinu dala igračku za pse: malog bodljikavog ježića. Sviđa mi se što je mali i stane mu u ruku, a i bodljikav je što mu daje taktilni podražaj na njegove šake.

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Ako nemate tako nešto kod kuće, ne morate žuriti u dućan. Dovoljno je da se prošetate s Vašom bebicom i dopustite joj da dodiruje različite grančice, listiće ili tatinu kosu i bodljikavu bradu.

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 Mog sina trenutno jako bole i svrbe desni. Prvi zubić je počeo nicati već s njegova dva mjeseca. Sada je beba od 6 mjeseci sa 5-6 bijelih točkica na desnima. Naravno, ne trebam napominjati da je često neraspoložen i vrlo glasan. Zaliha Gengigela i raznovrsnih senzornih aktivnosti je spas na mjestu gdje nema ničega osim prirode oko vas.

5 razloga zašto senzorna integracija treba biti Vaš životni stil

play learn together clip art
photo credit: fabianacarters.blogspot.com

Obično predlažemo roditeljima da dovode svoju djecu na terapiju dva puta tjedno. Radimo individualnu evaluaciju tako da prijedlog o učestalosti terapije nije isti za svu djecu, ali najčešće ipak ispadne dva puta tjedno. Senzorna soba je velika, ima mnogo stvari u njoj i ponekad može biti previše podražaja za dijete. No, to je terapija. I super je! No, ako mene pitate, senzorna integracija bi trebala biti životni stil. Bez obzira je li Vaše dijete tipičnoga razvoja ili ima razvojne teškoće. Dva sata tjedno jednostavno nisu dovoljna. Samo malo znanja o tome kako djeca reagiraju na neke podražaje može Vam dati puno saznanja o ponašanju djece. Na primjer: znali biste obrazložiti zašto djeca često hodaju po rukohvatu i okviru kauča u Vašem dnevnom boravku, zašto se mogu spustiti i 100 puta niz tobogan te im i dalje nije dovoljno ili zašto se mogu vrititi u krug na vrtuljku u parku, a da im ne pozli.

  1. Roditeljima koji znaju ponešto o SI, odgovori na ova pitanju ne predstavljaju misterij te im je roditeljstvo još veći užitak. Bar je, meni.
  2. Uživam gledajući kako moj mali dječačić istražuje svoje tijelo. Ne živciram se kao većina majki prvorotki, smirena sam kao roditelj jer razumijem kroz što prolazi moja beba.
  3. SI je odlična za Vaše dijete, ali je dobra i za Vas same. Mozak nas odraslih nije baš tako lako “promijeniti”, ali nije ni nemoguće. Kada sam počela raditi u senzornoj sobi, pozlilo bi mi nakon već 3-4 kruga na ljuljačci, a sada nakon nekoliko godina mogu napraviti barem 10ak krugova. Također nisam mogla pisati ili čitati poruke ma svom telefonu prilikom vožnje u autobusu ili autu, a sada nemam apsolutno nikakvih problema s tim.
  4. Povrh svega toga, kao roditelj postanete puno kreativniji jer morate pronaći različite načine kako da ponudite djetetu podražaj koji mu treba, a na različite načine. Na primjer: proprioceptivni podražaj se može dobiti skakanjem, rolanjem po podu, dubokim pritiscima, te laganim odbijanjem o strunjače postavljene na zid.
  5. Zadnje, ali nikako manje važno je to da dva sata tjedno vjerojatno nisu dovoljna Vašem djetetu.

Ona stara izlika “Nemam dovoljno vremena da se igram s djetetom jer __________ (dovrši rečenicu sa svojim razlogom)” više neće postojati ako SI postane Vaš životni stil. Ako živite SI, onda radite prema principima SI cijelo vrijeme. To onda postane način Vaše komunikacije i življenja. No, ne zaboravite da ako i učinite SI dijelom Vašeg života, Vi i dalje morate biti djetetu roditelj te i dalje morate ići na ona dva sata terapije kod stručnih osoba. Ako radite SI kod kuće, to ne znači da trebate prestati posjećivati Vašeg terapeuta.

I mora biti zabavno, kako djetetu, tako i Vama! :)

Let’s get dirty: Top 5 sensory summer activities

I love summer for its practicality when it comes to sensory activities and the creativity at this time of the year is endless. Here’s my top 5 sensory activities for the summer season:

1. Water

  • Sea: if you are planning a trip to the coast, this might be a great sensory experience for your child. Not only swimming, but walking through the shallow water, touching the sand or pebbles with bare feet or just splashing it around is good.
  • Bathing in the tub: You can prepare baths for your child in the yard or the balcony like I did with my son. My 4 month old loves to bathe and splash water everywhere. During the hot days I take his tub out in the balcony and give him a coconut oil massage first (as per Indian tradition) and afterwards we dip. If your child is a bit bigger, fill the tub with some plastic balls for the kid to play with while bathing.
  • Color: You can use some food coloring and color the water for your child to play with. Throw in some cups and toys, too. Tea party? Sounds great!

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2. Sand

  • Dry sand: put a lot of sand in a box, hide some small toys that your child loves inside and have him or her search for the toys. Take a cup and slowly sip the sand through your child’s hands, arms, hair, legs and feet. See if they like it in one place more than the other. I worked with a few kids who didn’t like to touch sand or seeds but they loved when I sipped it through their hair.
  • Wet sand: you can of course take molds and make different shapes and build it up to a castle or a road for your child’s favorite car.
  • You can bury your child’s feet or hands in the sand so they feel its heaviness (proprioceptive stimulaiton) or tie up some sand in a bag and around your child’s feet, on top of his shoulders or even around his waist.

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3. Foam

  • if your child has a tendency to put their hands in mouth, perhaps you should use an edible version of a shaving foam such as whipped cream. Again, you can color it with food dye for more visual attraction, you can have your child put the foam all over the body, starting with foamy mustache or role play “how does mommy put her facial cream on her face?” or “how does daddy shave his beard?” and continue onto legs and arms. Add some natural scent (orange, lemon…) if you are using an edible version for the olfactory and gustative stimulation.
  • you can dip your plastic toys and give them a nice foamy bath and rinse them in water afterwards.
  • all of these can be done outdoors, while child sitting in a tub or on the pebbles.
  • if you don’t have pebbles around your house, consider using grass or other unstable surfaces such as a balance board.
Girl and a boy playing with shaving foam.  Permission acquired from their parents.
Girl and a boy playing with shaving foam. Permission acquired from their parents.

girl playing with water

4. Barefoot

  • summer is a great time to be barefoot. There is very less chance your child will get a cold due to walking barefoot in the summer season. Exactly the opposite, walking barefoot could do a lot of good to your child so use at least this season for that. If your home heating system is good enough, you can have your child barefoot even during the winter inside your home.
  • opportunities are endless: walking on the sand, pebbles, small stones and if you are brave enough, you can have the child walk on the pine tree needles (be careful, some insects like to hide in there!), shallow part of the sea or lake and through the grass!

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  • you can have your child be barefoot in a park too, if you find that socially acceptable.

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5. Indulge

  • Flavors: seasonal fruit, Popsicles
  • Smells: woods, fruits, flowers, Mediterranean herbs
  • Hot & Cold: You can give your child some ice (be careful!) to play with, see it melt or spread it on his body. You can also dye it with some food colors for more visual fun. To make it even better, use some fruits to color it and you ask the child to lick it as Popsicle. On the other extreme, no, I am not suggesting you should have your child play with fire, but let them feel the warmth by walking barefoot in the sun (don’t let them burn their feet though! Concrete floor and stone can get pretty hot so be careful. Try it yourself before letting your kids do it). Let them put some ice on a hot surface (again, be careful and always around your child for safety measures!) and see it melt. Let them see you cook and try putting their hand high above the cooking pot so they feel the vapor but can’t get hurt. Can’t emphasize the safety measures enough for these ideas!

Summer is great because even if your child spills something, it will get fried quickly. Oops! Lapsus calami. I meant, dried! This just tells you what temperatures we’re currently having in Croatia. Kids can spend most of their time outdoors and enjoy the natural sensory play. I’ll keep adding activities as I do them myself with my niece, nephew and son.

Until then… stay hydrated!

What’s the point?

A mother of a boy with autism asked me once right there in the middle of a session: “What’s the point of him swinging so much, I can do that with him in the park?” As I went deeper and deeper into explaining the concepts of sensory integration and why her son needed the vestibular input and how swinging would help him in school, a parallel train of thought started unwinding in my head. Does this lady see the big picture here? There she was, a gorgeous, polished and relatively young mother of this boy. She was always very polite and in the mood for at least a small talk. She rarely stayed in the sensory room but when she had questions, she would stay inside and I would take some time from the session to talk to her and make these concepts a little bit more close to her. So, after many years of explanations from my boss, and a couple of extra years of explanations from me, she kept asking the same question: “Why are you letting him swing so much, I can go to the park and let him swing there for free.” Now, let me just be clear about this, she was definitely not a stingy lady, just the opposite. So, for all those who can’t see the forest for the trees… What’s the point of sensory integration therapy?

Sensory integration has practically one ultimate goal, with small goals in between. The ultimate goal is to help children with any kind of developmental disorder or delay learn. When a child has sensory deficits, they find learning to be very tiring, tough, uninteresting etc. One very important goal that helps us getting to the learning process is the (self)regulation. This is a very tricky one. It is the one that is very individual and rarely you will find a nice and simple equation to get to the regulation and self-regulation point in a child. One day jumping and rolling on the floor will be a bingo, but tomorrow that might cause a tantrum.

Piaget nicely indicated that play is the work of children. They learn a lot better when actively participating as oppose to being told what to do. So, what’s a better way of helping children in their journey to the land of knowledge than the sensory smart play. I follow the child’s interests, observe their sensory appetite and I try using that to help them learn new things; whether a skill, or a word. Some children can only function and learn while getting their stimuli whereas some children are ok with being stimulated first and then afterwards successfully getting the task done. So, in order to get the cognitive tasks done which are on a higher level, we need to sort the basics that our body needs first.

http://www.zoneintraining.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/pyramid.jpg
http://www.zoneintraining.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/pyramid.jpg

I’ll try making this even more clear. In order to successfully learn, you need to be ok with your sensory self. You don’t need to be perfect and rarely somebody is. But people and children with a more substantial sensory disorder will find learning very tough. However, we can learn to compensate our sensory deficits to be able to function normally with every day challenges (taking a shower, putting clothes on and getting out of the house, getting a haircut, sitting in a class, having coffee in a crowded mall, cooking a spicy dish, reading a book, writing a paper, etc.). So, this is the big picture: settling the sensory basics for the higher cognitive tasks such as learning.

And just an FYI… If you ask me, sensory integration, yes, it can be a therapy, but I would rather if parents and adults used it as a lifestyle. Think, breathe and live (and play!) in a sensory way. Don’t wait for those one or two hours a week for your OT to work with your child and help them regulate. Talk to your child’s therapists, learn from them about your child’s sensory needs and implement them all the time: while the child is eating, when the child needs to brush his teeth and go to bed, on your way to the preschool, etc. I don’t think a parent should necessarily acquire a role of a therapist, actually better if not, if possible. But, hopefully you play with your child anyway, why not making it sensory friendly in your own home or a park. So, to answer the question that a patient’s mother asked: if I let your child swing as much as his brain needs, that will regulate him and thus he will learn better. And yes, I would love it if you would take him to the park to swing more, whenever the boy wants and needs (I only assume his biggest need would be before and after his classes).

Want to talk?

I’ll never forget a moment one of the moms from my work experienced and retold me. Her son has a severe developmental disorder. Parents said that he almost vegetated for the first 4 years: where you put him, that’s where he will stay. Later they started with sensory integration and communication and the boy lit up a little. I was working with him for over a year. Because of his state and inability to communicate practically in any way, parents used to talk about him in front of him. Until that one day! His mom started complaining about him and said how she felt to her friend while he was in the same room. The boy looked at his mom and started crying! Her heart was shattered. She felt so sad she hurt her son like this, but on the other hand she was so happy. She finally had a proof that her son understands language, that he understands and feels the same emotions, that he loves his mom. From then on, not only she stopped speaking about him negatively in front of him, but they doubled all of his therapies.

I was always careful not to speak negatively about a child in front of that child himself, but since I heard that story and felt that mom’s pain she has been causing her son for years, I changed, too. If I feel like I want to change the whole world for this child who has, by the way, grown to be such a happy and smiley boy, I can only imagine how his mom must feel.

Don’t take the risk of hurting your child no matter how sure you are they do not understand you and no matter what condition they had. It’s not worth it. Can you imagine science becoming so advanced that we can read their minds and souls and to find out our children understood every single negative thing and complain we made in front of them, can you imagine what pain we would come across? We all have to went at some point. Finding out your child is not of the health you dreamed of him to be is devastating enough. Not hearing his voice or words “mommy”, “I love you” or getting a hug and a kiss from your child is heart breaking. Grieving and talking about it is very good and healthy for the parents but choose an appropriate time, place and person to do it with. You never know if and when your child will start understanding you. When you finally figure it out, it might be too late.