Little Sensory Tricks II: Family Activites

Swinging has been a favorite of Cutie's for as long as I can remember! There are ways that you can manage this at home! Different positions provide different inputs- a flat board to lay on is ideal, a hammock type of swing is great as well! Seated swinging is effective, however because the child must work to maintain their balance it is less effective than the other options.

If you can not afford an indoor sensory swing you can use a sturdy blanket and two adults to GENTLY swing the child side-to-side as they lay still in the center. Swinging is most effective if done in multiple short intervals throughout the day and is a good way to wind down after stimulating or upsetting activities!

I personally bought the 3 piece rainy day indoor playground (see photo of Cutie above) for $129.95 from E-special needs. E special needs is my absolute FAVORITE store for these types of products- their staff understands what the products are and what they do etc but also they took each and every order I made through them and made it personal.

You can also use our door sets and purchase or design your own seat although weather should be taken into account as frequent daily use is recommended for maximizing efficacy.

We took the cheapest way out temporarily! We have an old couch that is too ugly to go in the living room- it is nearly as bouncy as the trampoline-which is in no small part one of the reasons I refuse to have it in the living room. I hold both of Cutie's hands for safety and he bounces for about 5 minutes. The couch is insufficient, but we are saving up for a spiffy trampoline!

This is both an exciting and calming activity- it is difficult to describe, as you are bouncing you are excited and yet you can physically feel stress and sensory irritation melt away. It is a great activity for kids with extreme sensory issues and I recommend trying to squeeze it in daily. Once the child gets on it can be difficult to end the activity- you may not want to do it when you have to be somewhere soon for the first few weeks!

Small trampolines for in home use are available for as little as $29, the large outdoor ones can run to $400 or so.

Swimming is one of Cutie's other all time favorites! He loves the diving board! We had to make special arrangements at one of the local pools- one of the staff lifeguards stays after the pool closes or comes in 1 hour before they open (we pay $20 for him to do this!) so that Cutie can have the entire diving board/deep end! While jumping with the life vest is not ideal, the staff even saw the immediate effects and have allowed it until they are able to teach him sufficient swim skills for the deep end.

We try to allow 2-7 hours per week of swimming over the summer, usually this takes place on saturdays.

Swim lessons are very important for children with autism- did you know that drowning is the number one cause of death in kids with ASD? Teaching a child with ASD to swim can be challenging- often if you speak to the swim instructors at your local pool they will try (give you a freebie class or not hold you to a contract) until you determine if the child can work with the instructor.

Swimming provides a perfect amount of most input types and the kids usually have a great time with it! You may see some hesitation the first time if they have never been before, but usually they fall in love with it pretty quick!

Tumbling is a great activity for a restless child. If they are absolutely craving sensory input, simply lay down a mat and start rolling! Teach them a forward and backward (tricky!) roll, have them log roll as well! Anytime the activity level starts to get out of control this is a great and effective way to channel the energy so that you can gain control and begin to wind it back down- be sure to top this off with a few minutes of calm swinging!

Crashing and tumbling are great together! We bought a large barrel mat with a bolster for Cutie to crash into as well as a 4 inch thick mat (velcroed to the wall). The kids just crash! Be sure that they are supervised as it occasionally gets so intense that they start crashing into things they should not. This activity should also be followed by a few minutes of calm swinging!

Balancing can be a lot of work. The child may need your help but it can be lots of fun! Play a game of who can balance the longest? One leg, both legs bending at an angle! There are lots of things to balance on! This helps the child to focus and can actually be used during homework! To have them balance to focus on homework, just have them set the book or paper in front of a balance ball and lay across it on their tummy! The first few times they try it they will be distracted by the novelty of not having to sit at a table or desk to work- so don't experiment if you don't have time!

When is scooting ever not fun? There are all sorts of elaborate scooter board slides and ramps! Check out some of these scooter boards and slides.

If possible, scooter boards should be used at least twice a week. For us the expense and lack of appropriate surface to ride on has been a problem. We have had to use them only in therapy but he absolutely loves them! Scooter Boards improve balance and coordination while providing excellent sensory input!

Beans Bean they're good for your heart
Surprisingly they help you do Art!

Really they do! Fill a plastic box with beans- stick your hand in and grab and drop, swoosh them around. Feels good doesn't it! It is providing excellent sensory input, also... try picking them up (have your child do it too, it does not work be association!) with just two fingers, then two different fingers, try every combination of two fingers! This can help reduce tactile sensitivity, improve proprioception and fine motor skills!

See if you can find a local playground with a mini rockwall! They are becoming more popular and the kid sized ones are only about 6 feet tall. They help improve coordination, proprioception, grip strength, problem solving ability, balance, strength and confidence! It is terrifying to watch the first time though- especially with the little kids!

Jungle gyms are good too but most do not offer the same types of grips or side to side and diagonal freedom of movement. They are still extremely effective though!