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spirit of autism sentiochews

Product Review: KidCompanions SentioCHEWS

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Back in May of 2011 I had a huge problem. My son came home from school each day with holes in his shirt. He destroyed countless pencils, board game coins, and “reusable” plastic straws. But the worst: the perpetual trips to GameStop to replace the myriad styluses (stylii?) that were nibbled to mere nubs.

When KidCompanions Chewelry came to the rescue, I shared the exciting news on the Blog, especially because Chewelry saved me over $14.99 a month because I no longer had to buy replacement styluses. You can find the original review here.

The images seem to have disappeared with the migration into the new website, so here’s a snapshot of his stylus nubs: soa stylus nubs

If your child chews incessantly, understand that it is not their fault. They can’t help it. Children with Autism especially have difficulty in regulating their sensory experiences. They can have hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity to various sensations. Excessive chewing is an example of sensory hyposensitivity.

It’s been a while since Justin has been a human beaver and destroyed items by chewing. But we have other issues. He spends a lot of time on his computer, playing Minecraft, writing custom video game scripts, Skyping with children all over the world. But he’s still an 11 year-old boy with a LOT of energy!

Although we have a mini-trampoline, Gazelle Edge, yoga ball, and play time outside, he still bursts out of his room in regular intervals looking to spend his overabundance of energy SOMEWHERE.

Many times I can redirect it to one of our exercise or sensory items mentioned above, but many times it’s not enough. His energy release of choice lately is messing with the dogs. It’s not pretty.

We have three giant Alaskan Malamutes and boy does he know how to get under their skin fur. Rest assured, these giant pups are very tolerant and patient; it’s still not a good situation for anyone involved.

Enter KidCompanions’ newest item: SentioCHEWS.
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What are SentioCHEWS?

They are chewy shapes made with FDA compliant thermoplastic elastomers. SentioCHEWS are elastic, bouncy, AND tough! They have a soft, rubber feel and are pliable, NOT a hard chew like the KidCompanions Chewelry.

SentioCHEWS are more durable than competing products that are made of silicone. The chew or bite marks bounce back and do not leave teeth marks easily.

He LOVES it even more!! Now, with the addition of his favorite SentioCHEW in our toolbox, he is learning to overcome new challenges. Instead of just filling a sensory need, SentioCHEWS help him alleviate anxiety, address boredom, and actually provide repetitive, calming movement for him to tame some of that wild energy. What does this mean for our household? Less yelling, more productive activities. Even better?

Less snarling, more tail wagging. 

Does your child chew incessantly? Check out Chewelry and SentioCHEWS today!

The 27-Minute Game: No More Fighting

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Do you ever fight with your child about how long they play video games or use their computer? If your house is like mine, some days it takes an Act of Congress to get my son out of his room and away from his favorite digital world. Sure, I’ve bribed. I’ve threatened. I’ve fought. All efforts can be fruitless when you’re having “one of those days,” right?

I don’t have to spell out the consequences of a child being penned in a small room, sedentary for most of the day. For my child especially it affects his sensory system and hyperactivity level directly. Not to mention the irregular eating and sleeping schedule and lack of desire to wear more than boxer briefs as additional side effects.

Last weekend I was tired of the arguing, coercing, cajoling, and emotional outbursts (not mine!). I had a full day of freelance work ahead of me but I didn’t want my son to be a hermit all day, offering occasional appearances spinning through the living room like the Tasmanian Devil. I invented a fun way to allow us to interact more and give him regular, much-needed diversions from Minecraft.

Sort of making it up as I went along, I gave my son a digital timer set for 27 minutes and instructed him to close the computer and come out when it went off. He was not in trouble and it wasn’t a new “rule,” rather a game we were trying.

When he came out I also closed my computer, put my phone away, and we played tic-tac-toe and hangman on paper. We had so much fun we started drawing afterward!

Wrapping up that enjoyable break, I handed him the timer, again set for 27 minutes. The next time he came out I had the table set with a fun “food-sculpture” breakfast laid out (yes, I play with my food!) for us both. We enjoyed a really nice, uninterrupted meal together.

The next round of our 27-minute break consisted of an obstacle course I set up in the back yard. The next, brushing the dogs together. No matter what project or email I was in the middle of I would close my computer and prepare something for us to do with our break. The exciting part was that when he came out each time he never knew what activity to expect.

What do you think started happening? The breaks starting becoming longer than the 27 minutes on the computer. My son’s mood and energy were consistent. We laughed. We engaged. We got stuff done.

In my current reality it is not always practical to get in the car (the one where the air conditioning doesn’t work – UGH!) and go do fun stuff. Sometimes I have to make do with what’s going on at home. The 27-minute game is a great way to have fun and manage both my son’s and my OWN habit of burying our faces in the computer for too long.

How about you? Do you have a way to keep healthy intervals flowing in your home? Share your thoughts by commenting below or posting on the SOA Facebook page!

Spring Fever – Time to Get the Body Moving!

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I am learning from my mistakes. Hey, that’s better than continuing a pattern for an indefinite amount of time, unwilling to look at what may or may not be working, right?

My son, being an unschooler for a little over six months, is very much out of shape. Oh, I know the reason. He spends the better part of his day programming video games (not playing them – WRITING them!). Because of his obsession and brilliance, he currently isn’t interested in joining the rest of the world.

Without turning this into an unschooling article, there is a certain degree of “deschooling” a child will go through when first realizing they are not being forced to memorize things they have no interest in. Picture having been restricted from a certain food group for years and years and suddenly you are told you can eat whatever you want WHENEVER you want – what do you think you would do? Eat all your favorite foods to excess, most likely! Then your body would realize it could have them at any time, and the pendulum would start forming a natural balance – you would find a nice rhythm to your eating. By the way, your body is way smarter than your fad diet, but that’s a post for another day!

The situation

Here’s the missing key in my house right now: my son will spend hours programming games and then get these uncontrollable bursts of energy that have no choice but to be released in the fastest and loudest way possible. He usually shapeshifts into a whirling dervish and runs the length of the house several times, screaming and hitting everything in his path. Not angrily, just energetically :)

Sure, his body is taking care of the regulation of this energy, but not in a productive way. Typically this will result in dogs or sister lashing out at him for inappropriate agitation, followed by the lowering of his self-esteem because he doesn’t understand what everyone’s so upset about.

Having done a successful Fitness 4 Autism program with him in the past, I am kind of ashamed that I let things go this direction for so long. At times I switch into survival mode, when I am balancing a ridiculous amount of things on my oversized, superwoman plate. But that’s okay, all we have is the now and here’s what I’m committing to:

The solution

Short chunks of regular movement breaks. One of my greatest motivation tools for Justin is a timer. Whenever he is resistant to any activity (tooth brushing, taking out the trash) I turn it around and make it a game. I tell him he’s not faster than me, and we have a friendly race doing whatever it is that needs to be done. So we will set a timer and perform animal crawls, star jumps, and similar short bursts of full body movements. Functional exercises for short periods of time are great for everyone, not just children on the Autism Spectrum!

Family field day. Sandbell tossing, hurdles, jumps, even sack races… there is nothing wrong with a little family competition! We’ll even get the dogs involved (Malamutes LOVE to pull things!). I am making the ribbons tomorrow – very excited!

Replace the mini trampoline. It’s been a while since our old one broke. Why have I never replaced it?  This is a good object to always have available to alleviate any short bursts that come unexpectedly.

Weekly yoga. There are so many benefits to practicing yoga, especially for Autism. We both loved doing this in the past – once again it’s funny how bad habits seem to have much easier “sticking” power than things that are good for us!

Exploring new parks. We are very fortunate to live in a county that has over 120 parks and recreation centers. Why are we sitting at home? Time to say no to some of those freelance clients that need things yesterday, turn off Law & Order (love me some Vincent D’Onofrio!), put the iPhone on airplane mode and go PLAY. We can even make a park rating document and map – why not turn it into “research”?

How does regular movement really help?

It’s been proven that children (and adults!) perform better after they’ve moved around. Regular physical activity helps your child:

  • Maintain focus for longer periods
  • Feel better about himself and his abilities
  • Put multiple commands together with cues
  • Confidently participate in new things
  • Get in better shape

Fitness boosts confidence, independence, and self-esteem, plus it teaches goal setting. Speech targets, communication, and behavioral targets can also be incorporated into your daily movement breaks. Remember, no expensive, large equipment is needed!

This is my Spring commitment to my children and myself. I set an example daily with the intense early morning workouts I do at home; however they never see me simply moving for fun, other than walking the dogs.

Join me in this Spring movement… “movement”. Remember, sharing this goal with your child will benefi­t the entire family – it sets everyone up for long-term health and fi­tness. Tell me how you plan to move more with your child by commenting below or sharing it on the SOA Facebook page! I love fresh ideas!

8 Ways for Your Child to Burn off Energy Indoors

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Brrr! The weather’s starting to get chilly (I hear it’s actually snowing in places other than Georgia… color me jealous!). The kids are spending more time inside – where does that leave fitness and movement?

Let me tell you what happens in our house if we don’t find a way to burn off that energy: bedtime somehow gets prolonged. A whirling dervish races up and down the hallway whilst screaming in a pitch heard by dogs in the next state. My son repeatedly tries to ride the puppy. Lots of crashing into walls. Frustrated family members grow impatient.

All it takes is a few minutes a day and some creativity to radically change the misdirected energy into focused fun. Here are some ideas for indoor activity:

Invisi-ball. This is a great game for imagination and it saves fragile knickknacks to boot! I start by choosing an imaginary ball – any size – and tossing it to my son. As we catch or volley throughout the game, either of us can change the ball type at any time to keep it interesting. We throw invisible beach balls, softballs, and everything in between. It’s fun to let some hit me in the head and knock me down, miss some. and catch some impossible ones!

Animal relay. This is fun if you have a long stretch of room to travel. Each turn is performed as a different animal: crab walks, frog hops, bear crawls, etc. You can either race your child or tag team the animals and take turns.

Mirror. This is a playful exercise for coordination and motor skills. Remember to keep it simple – the idea is not to stump your child but help them achieve their goals, feel successful, and of course have fun! Stand facing your child and take turns doing different movements while your partner mirrors them. The longer you play, the faster you get! This game has lots of silly potential :)

Runaway bug. If it doesn’t creep out your child (or as I used to say when I lived in New York: “skeeve” him) pretend a giant bug just crawled up his leg. Each body part the bug travels to is the part that gets the wiggles and the only part the child can move. The game ends with free-play movement – shaking the bug off your whole body.

Yoga ball rolls. I bought a giant yoga ball with some exercise infomercial system years ago and it is probably one of the most used items in my house to this day. For me, it’s an intense addition to my bodyweight and interval training. For my daughter, it was a giant dinosaur egg when she was younger. For my son, it’s an awesome sensory experience. There is no wrong way to roll around with this versatile piece of equipment.

Obstacle Course. Indoor obstacle courses do not have to feature running around cones and climbing walls; there are many tame ways to enjoy a friendly competition inside. Stepping over items and crawling under chairs are just two ways a course can be manageable and still fun. If you have any party streamers leftover from a past celebration, be sure to tape it across a doorway for the final destination of the course. Who doesn’t like running through a finish line and tearing the ribbon?

Dyna-Band pulls. These can be used as a tug of war exercise with your child, or draped over a doorway to do some challenging yet fun pulls. My son likes the feeling of things wrapped around his neck, so I always have to be extra present and aware when we bring out the Dyna-Bands. This is not something he can play with unsupervised.

Yoga. Yoga is great for relaxation but also offers much in the way of movement. My son never wants to do yoga with me when I ask him. Yet, every single time, I’ve sat next next to him in his room and just started some poses. I show him pictures of someone doing a yoga pose and ask him how to do it, pretending I simply don’t understand. Before I know it, he not only shows me the pose and joyfully does it with me, he asks for more! Yoga is fun, as long as you adapt it to your child’s abilities.

What kinds of energy burners are popular in your house? I don’t even want to tell you that when I was a child my best friend and I used to take sleeping bags and race down her stairs in them. Shhhh… I don’t want my kids to hear. Because THAT’S got ‘Emergency Room’ written all over it ;)

Two Great New Supports for My Child

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As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, past attempts at organized sports have been very challenging for us. Either my son could not sit still long enough to hear what was expected of him (does the term whirling dervish mean anything to you?) or he wasn’t capable of performing the movements consistently.

Recently, TYSA (Tucker Youth Soccer Association) introduced a great new program, TOPSoccer.

The Outreach Program for Soccer is a community-based soccer training program for young athletes with disabilities, organized by Tucker Youth Soccer Association volunteers.

The program is designed to bring the opportunity of learning and playing soccer to any boy or girl, despite any physical or mental challenges. Their goal is to share the love of soccer with young athletes with
disabilities. Through TYSA’s TOPSoccer program, these special young athletes feel that they are an integral part of Tucker Youth Soccer Association.

My son had a great time being a part of this program! He would not take off his uniform shirt and couldn’t stop talking about the feeling he had when he scored goals. I am really grateful for this opportunity, for him to feel like he is a part of a group and be encouraged without comparing himself to others. It was also a great measure for me to see all the coordination and movement work I’ve been doing with him at home pay off in a safe environment!
The TOPSoccer program is open to all kids with any type of physical or mental disability between the ages of 6-18. The Fall season is five weeks, and will finish off on Halloween with a game and festive Jamboree.

For more information on TOPSoccer, either for the current season or the Spring season, contact Nancy Marsden, at admin@tysa.com or call  404 219 3752.

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We also found a REALLY COOL place to go hang out this week! Under the Umbrella recently opened its doors in Alpharetta. Their mission is to become the premier provider of a “drop off” play center specifically for autistic children in the metro Atlanta area. They encourage kids to explore a sensory-rich variety of activities designed to keep them engaged and calm.

What we loved about Under the Umbrella

  • The three-to-one ratio of adults to children
  • The special attention and encouragement my child received during playtime
  • The music room with large floor mat piano and silly noise cushions
  • The variety of sensory activities
  • The option to drop off my child in a safe environment that I know he enjoys
  • The staff!

I encourage you to stop by Under the Umbrella and tell all your friends!

A Valiant Effort + Failure = Great New Programs

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So I passed the Firefighter written exam with flying colors – very exciting!  I come from a family of firefighters, paramedics, and police officers, and this opportunity made me light up with passion.  I helped start our county’s Citizen Volunteer programs with Fire Rescue four years ago and have been chomping at the bit ever since to get on board.

I then mentally and physically prepared for the Physical Ability Test (PAT). At 39 years young, 5’2″, and <110 lbs, I knew it was a stretch for me to pass this test but I was ready. I’ve been working out intensely six days a week for over three years. Oh, I knew it would be hard… but I honestly thought I had it in the bag.

I did not pass the PAT. You know what? I gave it my all. I didn’t walk away, didn’t give up, and ran the course until I had nothing left in me. I tried! I am so grateful for the chance to go for it.

Not to play the classic “Fox and the Grapes” theme, but here are some great reasons why I’m a bit relieved to have this behind me. These are not insurmountable challenges that I couldn’t have found solutions for with some crafty brainstorming, but nonetheless I am looking at realistic facts:

I am a single mom with a special needs child. 24-hour shifts would require very creative solutions! Childcare, school special events, and holidays all had potential to fall on my shifts. And they would! Also, who would the school call for a sick child? Could I leave the fireground to pick up a child having a sensory meltdown? I don’t think so!

Serving the Autism Community. The academy takes 100% of your time, energy, efforts, and dedication, as it should. Yet I recognize a great need in the Autism community for tools and support that simply aren’t available right now. I am committed to using my gifts in the highest way possible.

Children on the Spectrum Have Trouble Moving

  • There is a marked higher instance of gross motor deficits in children with Autism than their neurotypical peers
  • Gross motor deficits can include abnormal gait pattern, hip flexibility, spatial awareness, and trunk stability
  • These issues DO NOT SELF-CORRECT in time
  • Self-esteem suffers; they cannot perform many movements, cannot understand what’s expected of them, and in turn become even more socially awkward
  • Organized sports do not set the foundation for long-term skills and overcoming movement deficits
  • Many schools have cut or don’t regularly offer PE!
  • It’s been proven that children (and adults!) perform better on tests and cognitive functioning after they’ve moved around

The Fitness 4 Autism Program

  • I provide custom profile assessments to determine the quality of movement pattern and any deficits or exceptions that may be relevant
  • Pushing, pulling, squatting, and rotating movements done together will directly benefit physical, adaptive, and cognitive abilities
  • Working with your child and fitness boosts confidence, independence, and self-esteem and teaches goal setting
  • No expensive, large equipment needed! I come to you.
  • These movements taught also benefit not just sensory and gross motor skills, but fine motor skills as well
  • Speech targets, communication, and behavioral targets can also be incorporated into the program
  • Sharing this program with your child will also benefit the entire family – it sets everyone up for long-term health and fitness

Special Needs Training for Emergency Responders

With the staggering number of children being born on the Autism spectrum, one sector that absolutely needs to understand how these children process information and respond to situations is public safety. First and emergency responders are not trained to recognize and handle the unique physical and behavioral symptoms of Autistic patients or victims, which are likely to be exacerbated by a crisis or injury.

Do you think an Emergency Responder would know how to handle these behaviors?

  • Difficulty understanding language or gestures
  • Inability to follow multiple commands
  • Limited or no speech, or repetitive phrases only
  • Avoids eye contact
  • Spinning, rocking, flapping arms, hitting self, biting self
  • Inappropriate laughter or response
  • May not feel cold, heat, or pain in a typical manner
  • Hyper or hypo sensitivity to light, sound, smell, touch, or taste
  • Abnormal fears or lack of fear in a dangerous situation

I provide workshops and training classes for EMS, Fire Departments, Police Departments, Red Cross, and others where needed.

Overall, I am grateful to have a taste of following one of my dreams. I’m even more grateful to be able to continue volunteering for the county, helping to prepare families for disasters and hazards and being trained and able to respond to them when they arise.

Most of all, I am ecstatic that I can use my passions and dreams (and failures!) to refocus my energy and help children and families affected by Autism.

For more information on Fitness 4 Autism Program or Training for Emergency Responders, call 404.939.6211 or email Debi@SpiritOfAutism.org