Sensory Finger Painting #AutismRockz V#15

Looking for a way to have sensory play with low cost?  Finger painting is an easy way to give your kiddo extra sensory with a calming effect.  Plus you can get an awesome piece of art work from your child!

Crayola Washable Finger Paint

Playtime and sports

   My kiddo is hyperactive so getting him somewhere he can blow off steam is a must!  This can be hard on some families.  You might have multiple children and busy work mixed with school schedules can make this difficult.

Time isn't the only problem autism families face in our up hill battle.  Financial issues can be hard to tackle.  This is where being creative can be helpful.  We are one of those families that fall thru the cracks.  My husband took over supporting us.  Sometimes working seven days a week to put food on the table.  This usually means I am the one finding ways to give Prince A his sensory needs through play.  Just so happens that a few miles down the road YMCA has an amazing sensory playground with baseball and soccer fields.  The Miracle League has baseball, swim lessons, basketball and other activities for special needs kids.  The YMCA even provides help for families with financial needs.  You cannot beat that!  If your wanting to get your kiddo and family involved, but wasn't sure if you could afford it, look into your area.  Whatever you do, do not sit back letting time go by thinking there is nothing you can do with your child because of autism.  You would be pleasantly surprised if you just go for it.  Please show me some pics of your asd kiddo at play or in sport activity! I would love to see them!

Calming toys

I have to say we keep a sensory bucket filled with goodies we picked up here and there.  The best place in my opinion, is by far Stacey's Sensory Solutions.  She has amazingly cool little gadgets for your kiddo.  You might be extremely overloaded with all the stores and options available for your little one.  You are not alone in this.  Many of us are at some point in this journey.  Trying many different ideas your therapist suggest or you read on a site.  This leaves you with a basket of useless toys you just knew were going to work, but your kiddo took one look and kept on moving.  Let's just discuss the chew necklace for example.  Wonderful idea this little rubber gadget on a necklace so your kiddo will stop chewing on their shirts or body.  Not my kiddo!  He cannot stand anything around his neck so that was a waist for this family.  The light up sensory balls and other objects made to stimulate and calm them didn't really make a huge impression for my guy either.  Moon sand, mad matter, thinking putty, and the floof pocket pack, all items from Stacey's sensory solutions, were a big hit in this house.  I must say a few of those items I found myself playing with them and I was mesmerized.  Sometimes you just got to test the product so no judging.  If your real lucky and can use a little bit of imagination like I did, you can use items around the house.  Getting a couple yards of lycra from fabric store for $20 and using a old pull up bar laying around in garage made a great sensory swing.  This was probably the most used sensory tool in our home for a good year.  Combined with soundscapes from different sites on you tube, this was a blessing.  There are many on you tube for autism, adhd and anxiety.  Long, warm showers with nice massages and some lavender oil behind ears and on wrist can put your little one in a trance.  I must warn you though it tends to make you want to pass out too.  There is so much out there that it can leave you confused and not sure where to start.  It is okay to feel like this.  Lets face it, everyone of our children are different.  This means what works for my child might not work for you.  This is because every child has different sensory needs.  The struggle to figure that out can be long and hard.  I can tell you for us that moment of finally "getting it" can in the form of literally the best occupational therapist ever!  I mean she could have possibly been wearing a halo.  To this day I believe she saved our lives.  The therapy we had been giving him for two years was completely wrong and making my little guy worse.  She explained that in the sensory world there are Tigers and Eeyores.  Tigers are naturally hyper and bouncing off the wall so they need opposite sensory therapy.  Eeyores are very slow and apprehensive to every sound and sights so they need opposite in therapy.  That brings me back to my kiddo who was literally bouncing off the walls.  I mean this kid couldn't sit still if his life depended on it.  What is unfortunate is we were told to bounce, spin, throw and give him all the sensory he needed.  This was extremely wrong to do to him.  By doing this his body could never slow down which prevented him from learning.  His little mind was spinning even when he was sitting.  When this stunning revelation slapped me in the face it quite literally changed our lives.  I cried when our angel left us, but I was happy in the knowledge that she crossed our paths.  Without this new grasp on my son's needs I cannot imagine where we would be today.  Please share your ideas and what worked for your family.  I would love to hear from you and I hope my story helped.

Sensory Playtime

        

      I know you can relate to this.  You know your kiddo needs some sensory input and lets face it, you get tired of providing it all on your own at home.  Next best thing is to take them somewhere else to get it!  Yes folks, I did it!  I took the little guy with the help from his big brother to Bounce Bounce.  Walking in I immediately thought, what was I thinking.  They have no easy way to get special needs families in quickly so we waited in line which was very time consuming while your child is pointing and saying, " Crane game" over and over.  Finally we get to counter and explain our kiddo has autism and I want to stay clear of the hamster ball in water so he wont have major meltdown.  I am then told I first must go back to another line to sign waiver form on a computer then stand back in line to pay.  "WTH,"  I called first and was told nothing of this.  I then do as asked with said kiddo freaking out over this crane game.  I go back to line and I am ready to pay.  I am asked if he can tolerate socks or can he not wear them and does he need some.  I let them know he has socks on and there is no problem.  So we are set!  We stop to play this crane game first, thanks kids you tube....  We enter in which immediately it starts.  He seen the birthday parties going on and wanted the cupcakes.  I get him pass that and get shoes off.  Now we are set and ready to have fun!  We enter an area where kids are running back and forth and jumping.  We get a good ways in then an employee stops me to say we cannot be in there with our socks on we need their socks with grips on.  I feel it right then and there.  You know that immediate break out of sweat because you know darn well what is about to happen trying to get your child outta there and back up front for some da#$ socks!  Yep folks, full fledged meltdown which had my oldest hauling him outside to calm him while I get these golden socks.  I explained how agitated I was and what this caused.  They clearly should not have asked a newby do we need socks.  What should have been said was we needed socks with grips and if we don't have any they have them there.  I buy the socks and we get them on and eventually end up back inside. By then I have spent $30 and I am frustrated but determined to let my lil' man have some fun!  We find a different spot and thank the autism gods he had a blast!  He jumped and ran and climbed for a full hour.  He moved so fast he was a blur in my camera.... Lol  Moral of this story is, it can be rough and you might want to turn and run but, stick it out!  Your kiddo deserves it.  Any of you had one of "those days"?  Tell us about it...