Gen Jereb changed our lives. She is an amazing speaker and knows so much about Sensory Processing.
ENJOY!
Friday, August 30, 2013
Monday, July 29, 2013
Food - Greatest medicine or evil poison
It's crazy to think that the food we eat can have such a huge impact on our health, brain function and mood. As an IBS sufferer I am living proof of the poison that food can be.
It was during my research into SPD that I discovered that a number of children diagnosed with ADHD/SPD and other spectrum disorders have food intolerance's. A change in diet can be as beneficial as medication in some cases.
The next step in our journey was to eliminate gluten and reduce lactose. We have realised that we can not control the outside world, but we can control what our children eat at home. This has been an entire family change and without the support of school and kindy, it would have been impossible.
We have noticed a big change in behaviour since making these modifications. It is more noticeable after a party or gathering where the kids can eat what is on offer. The come down and process of eliminating these foods from their bodies afterwards is terrible.
I know people who don't believe in the gluten free 'phase.' But they are not parents to children who have intolerance's. I have also had it said to me that we are just jumping on the band wagon. Well if that is the band wagon to optimal health for my children, I am on a one way ride.
What people don't understand is that the food we are eating these days is nothing like the food we ate as kids. It has been so severely modified and stripped of it's natural goodness that our bodies don't recognise it as nourishment anymore. It's is treated as poison, hence the reactions our bodies have.
It was during my research into SPD that I discovered that a number of children diagnosed with ADHD/SPD and other spectrum disorders have food intolerance's. A change in diet can be as beneficial as medication in some cases.
The next step in our journey was to eliminate gluten and reduce lactose. We have realised that we can not control the outside world, but we can control what our children eat at home. This has been an entire family change and without the support of school and kindy, it would have been impossible.
We have noticed a big change in behaviour since making these modifications. It is more noticeable after a party or gathering where the kids can eat what is on offer. The come down and process of eliminating these foods from their bodies afterwards is terrible.
I know people who don't believe in the gluten free 'phase.' But they are not parents to children who have intolerance's. I have also had it said to me that we are just jumping on the band wagon. Well if that is the band wagon to optimal health for my children, I am on a one way ride.
What people don't understand is that the food we are eating these days is nothing like the food we ate as kids. It has been so severely modified and stripped of it's natural goodness that our bodies don't recognise it as nourishment anymore. It's is treated as poison, hence the reactions our bodies have.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
So Simple
We started weekly OT sessions. The sessions consisted of a series of exercises on trampolines, fitness balls and swings. The sensory gym is just like an indoor play ground. The therapist took Spud through a sequence of exercises to strengthen his core and crossing his midline.
OT is more than just a 1 hour session a week that gets the body aligned. Every day you have to incorporate activities into your child's life to assist them in managing sensations. This is called a sensory diet. In the mornings Spud does a sequence of coordination moves to balance his left and right side and core strengthening exercise. I make a smoothy for breakfast and get him to drink it through a swirly straw. When packing his lunch I make sure that he has food that will exercise his jaw and get him chewing. Did you know that core strength starts in the jaw? His teacher has a list of exercises and activities that he can do in the classroom if he starts to wander off or get fidgety.
I have also needed to change some of my parenting techniques. When children jump on their bed, climb up on the bunk beds or hide under a table/bed, they are seeking something that their body needs. I have loosened my house rules to incorporate some jumping on beds, jumping off beds into bean bags and messy play. More than the daily exercises this has been the toughest change to make. I have had to become an observer and mediator instead of a rule setting kill joy.
Along this journey I have started taking a lot of deep breaths and letting things ride. If I react to every little thing Spud does that is not 'normal' he would end up not liking me at all. So what if he skips through the shopping centre, yells when he talks to me, overfills his mouth and wants hugs all the time. He is my gorgeous son and we will learn techniques together for his to fulfill his destiny!
OT is more than just a 1 hour session a week that gets the body aligned. Every day you have to incorporate activities into your child's life to assist them in managing sensations. This is called a sensory diet. In the mornings Spud does a sequence of coordination moves to balance his left and right side and core strengthening exercise. I make a smoothy for breakfast and get him to drink it through a swirly straw. When packing his lunch I make sure that he has food that will exercise his jaw and get him chewing. Did you know that core strength starts in the jaw? His teacher has a list of exercises and activities that he can do in the classroom if he starts to wander off or get fidgety. I have also needed to change some of my parenting techniques. When children jump on their bed, climb up on the bunk beds or hide under a table/bed, they are seeking something that their body needs. I have loosened my house rules to incorporate some jumping on beds, jumping off beds into bean bags and messy play. More than the daily exercises this has been the toughest change to make. I have had to become an observer and mediator instead of a rule setting kill joy.
Along this journey I have started taking a lot of deep breaths and letting things ride. If I react to every little thing Spud does that is not 'normal' he would end up not liking me at all. So what if he skips through the shopping centre, yells when he talks to me, overfills his mouth and wants hugs all the time. He is my gorgeous son and we will learn techniques together for his to fulfill his destiny!
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Adult Disipline Disorder
I am not to proud to admit when I am wrong. Since pursuing my dreams into education my views on lots of things have changed. For instance: Dr Seuss and Lego are now my friends, my children use scissors and play dough at home and climbing and jumping on beds is allowed, in moderation.
One of the biggest was my opinion on ADHD. I had always been very vocal in my views that it was just, Adult Discipline Disorder, so to be a parent of a child with this LABEL, gutted me! The pediatrician advised that before I made any decisions regarding medication, I should read 'Understanding ADHD'. This book is pro medication and advised that to gain the full benefit of any other therapy the child needs to get their brain firing with mediation.
Spud's school had an OT who conducted private lessons during school time. I sent her all Spud's details and was put on her waiting list. As we sat and waited, I finished reading the pediatrician prescribed book and decided to trial medication. I informed Spud's school and teacher, she was not happy and warned that it may have the opposite effect on Spud.
We started slowly with 1/2 a tablet a day for a week. We then went to a full tablet a day and my gorgeous boy turned into a zombie! It broke my heart! I stopped giving him the medication.
Shortly after I got a call from the school based OT and she advised that she could not help Spud. He needed access to a sensory gym and as she was mobile, she did not have the facility for him. The OT we originally saw was the only place on the GC that has a sensory gym. We made a call and started weekly sessions. This is where Spud's life changed!
If you want to find out more about SPD read "Raising a Sensory Smart Child" by Lindsey Biel & Nancy Peske.
One of the biggest was my opinion on ADHD. I had always been very vocal in my views that it was just, Adult Discipline Disorder, so to be a parent of a child with this LABEL, gutted me! The pediatrician advised that before I made any decisions regarding medication, I should read 'Understanding ADHD'. This book is pro medication and advised that to gain the full benefit of any other therapy the child needs to get their brain firing with mediation.
Spud's school had an OT who conducted private lessons during school time. I sent her all Spud's details and was put on her waiting list. As we sat and waited, I finished reading the pediatrician prescribed book and decided to trial medication. I informed Spud's school and teacher, she was not happy and warned that it may have the opposite effect on Spud.
We started slowly with 1/2 a tablet a day for a week. We then went to a full tablet a day and my gorgeous boy turned into a zombie! It broke my heart! I stopped giving him the medication.
Shortly after I got a call from the school based OT and she advised that she could not help Spud. He needed access to a sensory gym and as she was mobile, she did not have the facility for him. The OT we originally saw was the only place on the GC that has a sensory gym. We made a call and started weekly sessions. This is where Spud's life changed!
If you want to find out more about SPD read "Raising a Sensory Smart Child" by Lindsey Biel & Nancy Peske.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Bag of Spuds
Spud was never a crawler, he butt shuffled until he started walking. From a not so small baby he was always a dead weight to carry, like a bag of spuds! He slept through the night from six weeks and was just so cruisey and content.
As Spud grew, he grew fast and was always well outside the scale in regards to growth rate. Big Strong Lad! He was clumsy, awkward and had terrible balance. He would constantly jam food in his mouth and was oblivious to the mess around his mouth. He was also very loud, for not apparent reason. Talking to you he would yell!
As we were already the proud parents of a little girl we just put the differences down to gender.
When we started school his teacher asked us to have his hearing checked as he couldn't sit still and pay attention (what child can). We had his hearing tested and it all came back find. Next step was to seek a speech pathologist. He saw the speech lady for a couple of months. It was very expensive and when Spud was with her his speech was perfect. As he was not yet 7 we couldn't get in to have his audio processing tested. The speech pathologist did a simple test on him and surmised that he was just intelligent. When the teacher gave directions he was already thinking of what he would do next.
When Spud turned 7 we booked into to the auditory processing centre. 3hours and $800 later they said there was nothing wrong with him. A few weeks later he started grade 1. I met with the teacher to let her know the concerns that had been raised with Spud and where we are at. This amazing lady, after only spending a week with my son, told me she suspected Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). To be sure we booked into an Occupational Therapist (OT), whilst waiting for an appointment we also put our name on the waiting list with Queensland Health to see a Pediatrician.
After our evaluation with the OT she confirmed Spud's teachers suspicions, he had SPD. Basically, Spud doesn't process sensations (sensory input) the same way as other people.
A week later I got a call from Qld Health and we had an appointment with the pediatrician. After a questionnaire was done by myself and his teacher he was diagnosed with ADHD!
Remember at the start of this blog I mentioned that he was cruisey?? ADHD doesn't fit with a cruisey kid.
So this is what the experts had to say. Next I will share with you what I have found!
As Spud grew, he grew fast and was always well outside the scale in regards to growth rate. Big Strong Lad! He was clumsy, awkward and had terrible balance. He would constantly jam food in his mouth and was oblivious to the mess around his mouth. He was also very loud, for not apparent reason. Talking to you he would yell!
As we were already the proud parents of a little girl we just put the differences down to gender.
When we started school his teacher asked us to have his hearing checked as he couldn't sit still and pay attention (what child can). We had his hearing tested and it all came back find. Next step was to seek a speech pathologist. He saw the speech lady for a couple of months. It was very expensive and when Spud was with her his speech was perfect. As he was not yet 7 we couldn't get in to have his audio processing tested. The speech pathologist did a simple test on him and surmised that he was just intelligent. When the teacher gave directions he was already thinking of what he would do next.
When Spud turned 7 we booked into to the auditory processing centre. 3hours and $800 later they said there was nothing wrong with him. A few weeks later he started grade 1. I met with the teacher to let her know the concerns that had been raised with Spud and where we are at. This amazing lady, after only spending a week with my son, told me she suspected Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). To be sure we booked into an Occupational Therapist (OT), whilst waiting for an appointment we also put our name on the waiting list with Queensland Health to see a Pediatrician.
After our evaluation with the OT she confirmed Spud's teachers suspicions, he had SPD. Basically, Spud doesn't process sensations (sensory input) the same way as other people.
A week later I got a call from Qld Health and we had an appointment with the pediatrician. After a questionnaire was done by myself and his teacher he was diagnosed with ADHD!
Remember at the start of this blog I mentioned that he was cruisey?? ADHD doesn't fit with a cruisey kid.
So this is what the experts had to say. Next I will share with you what I have found!
Monday, July 1, 2013
What is this?
This may just look like footage of a young boy riding his new bike. But this young boy has never ridden a bike without training wheels before. Nor had he been able to peddle his bike.
As a family we have been on quite a journey of discovery and I now want to share what I have learn with you.
Stay tuned as I will be back with more shortly!
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