Sensory Deprivation- - -

[heartsabroke]

What is this?

I asked Sophia's teacher today about the fact (this is really grossy, please bear with me) that she is licking everything she can think of. Chairs, tables, salt shakers, pepper shakers, butter sticks, you name it. It's really beginning to bother me. She'll even try to do it in places like the grocery store.

The teacher told me that she has been noticing some of these things too. And how she flaps her arms up and down, and then stiffens her legs. She said she thinks she's trying to get that feeling of hyper extending her legs.

She has one of two theories. One, is that because we still haven't taken her to the eye dr...(she was in the hospital, I had to reschedule it, and they couldn't get her in until April 24!!!), that possibly she is not seeing well and she is relying on her other senses. The other theory is that she has some sort of sensory problem, where she needs to feel things more.

I'm sure some of you might know what all this means in common man language. What they do for it, and whether or not it will get better as she gets older.

TIA- -

Lisa

[monicag]

My Jesse who is now 5 also did this for a short while when he was 3. He stopped doing it. What we were told it was just how he was getting sensory input. I hated when he was on the floor and had his tongue out. EEEEKKK We had some luck with substituting things. We gave him a chewy Tube and that worked pretty well (the speech therapist got them for us).
He did have issues with chewing his shirt for a while after that....then putting his hands in his pants playing with his winkie......All sensory seeking behaviors.

[wuvmyangel93]

Definitely schedule an OT evaluation specifically for sensory integration dysfunction it is probably how she is getting her input from her senses.

Also try the eye evaluation.

Many parents have great luck with weighted blankets/vests/lap pads I make them but never used them with my daughter.

[wloublue]

I don't know much about this, (and in fact my school system has decided that sensory intregration issues don't exist so they don't treat them) but my Aspie son still mouths stuff at 11 . It is better than when he was little, but he will still pick up anything and stick it in his mouth, and chews the erasers and metal ends off pencils.

I talked to an OT but none of the stuff she recommended worked out (the tube stuff just created excess saliva that went all over his desk, papers, etc and chewing gum- I don't think so) I finally got some individual floss sticks and those work. They actually are supposed to go in your mouth, don't create saliva build up and the other kids don't make fun of him for doing it.

He did this more when he was little, but when he gets overwhelmed (too much noise, people, excitement) he will flap his hands, make his body stiff, or make weird facial expressions. He is much better now, it is very subtle. He is able to say that sometimes he just feels like he has to stick out his tongue or push with his legs. I was told that Sit and Spins are good for this as well as mini trampolines. My DS is too big for a Sit N Spin, but I did get him a mini trampoline and when he gets too wound up it seems to help.