I do everything in my ability to prepare Bubs to have a successful day. Whether at home, at church, with friends, in a restaurant, wherever.
If I know that his day is going to be filled with lots of excitement, he starts the day by jumping on the trampoline for 7 minutes. It is just like brushing his teeth for him. This is just part of our morning. At first it was a battle. We started by me holding his hands while he screamed and jumped. Now he realizes that he jumps to help him stay in control. I also talk to him about jumping when he gets that feeling that he is going to get out of control. Helping him realize he can take control of his needs instead of me having to jump in.
Chaos sends Bubs through the roof. I realize that some kids can handle it but Bubs can not. It takes us hours to pull him back down. When he starts winding up, we read, play with playdoh, listen to music, change scenery (go outside), play in water (to name a few). He plays in a small room or tent with legos. I highly suggest having a closet, tent, or cardtable with a blanket over it as a spot for a SPD child to go. Have pillows and books in there for them. This is a safe place for them to get control. (More in an upcoming post.)
When we have company or are at a restaurant, Bubs can get really loud. I don’t say anything but simply rub his back. He use to hate his back touched but now it is calming to him. It is a reminder that he needs to reel himself back in. (More about volume in an upcoming post)
Before going anywhere, we talk about expectations. We role play at home with stuffed animals and toys about situations that the kids may encounter. Such as – if a boy sitting next to Bubs is throwing food and everyone is laughing, what should Bubs do. (Bubs is a huge follower). Before going into a doctors office, I explain that I will choose a place for them to sit and they are to sit there. The expectations are laid out from the start.
By doing these little things, Bubs is automatically starting out of the right foot.
But – no matter what you do to prepare your child, there are teachers that will set them up to succeed and teachers that will allow the “class” to behave in ways that will compromise your child’s abilities to stay in control. Observe the class to make sure that the teacher is a good fit. I have asked before for Bubs’ classroom to be different. He can not function in chaos. Staying in a chaotic classroom is not fair to him.
How Do I Explain, Part 3 tomorrow!
It's interesting to me how similar our kids seem to be, especially considering the many different forms SPD can take. I think my guy would love the tent with legos idea, when they make forts, he loves to play, but can't handle it for very long. He always ends up crashing through stuff and wrecking the fun. Also, I think you're right about the trampoline thing, I should make that a more regular part of the routine, instead of just an option when he chooses it. I completely agree with the last paragraph, very good point! I've had to advocate for him in that regard too, and in the end we decided to find a different class that was more under control. We do the backrub thing too, I'm not sure it helps a lot, but he likes it at least. I think it depends on how "far gone" he is. Catching it before he gets really wound up is sooooo much more effective than trying to pull him back down. Such good reminders and advice. Thanks!
Thanks for sharing about SPD and giving your thoughtful insights into this issue from a parent's perspective. I have shared a link to both Part 1 and 2 of your article in hopes that teachers will learn more from you about SPD.