Sensory Processing Disorder and School

My wife's son, now almost 13 had this (sensory issues) when he was younger. And I say 'had' because he did grow out of it. Don't hesitate to reach out for some professional help. She ended up taking him to a vocational or occupational therapist. She said it did wonders.
Good luck

Talk to the school OT if its a public school.

My 4 year old is currently in a class for these reasons. It will help him focus, there is a ton of sensory breaks etc..

You might need to work with school, OT and get her on an IEP (that is what is is called here, Indvidual education plan).

Learn the laws and what you can "make" schoold and what you need to do. it will help.

Wrights Law is for these types of situations.

She is just doing what is right for her in the class, and she just needs some guidance.

Good Luck

We did a weighted vest. I made one out of a vest I got at a thrift store and we added pockets to the inside of it and put some weights out of ankle and wrist weights that I bought every time I found them at a thrift store too. You just open the pouch up and the cylinder comes right out. This way I controlled every ounce of weight that it had. I could put in a weight that was heavier or lighter and find the exact weight that worked.

We called this his work vest. He only put it on when he was going to be sitting or needed to pay extreme attention that was not at circle time or table time. He usually only wore it when he was needing to sit down and focus.

It was like night and day.

The other thing we did was use Under Armour shirts. They are at Walmart and every other store that has any sort of clothes for kids. They are tighter fitting and very very stretchy. They touch all over but do not bind him.

He also did well if he wore tighter fitting shirts, like a button down oxford. They didn't stretch and sort of binding. They looked super uncomfortable to me but he didn't complain.

With her I would try the under armor shirts under what ever top she is wearing for the day. They also wick away moisture so if it's hot she is not too hot, the shirt helps with that.

That way she is comfortable and no one can really see the shirt without her telling them no one might ever notice she had on a under top.

My daughter (and quite a few other kiddos at school) wear headphones during loud times at school. She wears them during lunch, assemblies, fire drills, etc. She hasn't been diagnosed with SPD but is especially sensitive to sound and her speech therapist gave them to her - it really helps. She wears them when she needs to focus on her work to block out what she calls the 'buzzy noise' of the regular classroom background noise so she can get her work done.

I think that the number of kids that get accommodations of one type or another is so mainstream these days that the kids don't even notice it.. she said nobody in her class has ever mentioned them.

I've been in some of her school assemblies -- I wish I had some headphones!!

For her sensitivity to vision, what about if she were to wear sunglasses during class? You could get them prescribed by her doctor and they would have to let her wear them. If her vision is good, you could get her the ones that look like normal prescription glasses but with a tint to them so that light wasn't so bright.

My son does not have diagnosed SPD, but he has some symptoms. He has had trouble for years focusing. I took him in May to the eye doctor (first time in 5 years) and was told that he had monovision and couldn't really see out of one eye. Talk about a guilt trip! Since getting him glasses, his homework has improved, his attitude has improved. Not everyday is peaches and cream and some days he still has problems, but those days are when he hasn't been wearing his glasses much.

When my son was in Kindergarden and 1st grade they had him wear a weighted vest. The OT actually recommended it. It worked really well. My son has sensory issues as well, and this has helped.

Check this out. http://www.amazon.com/DiscoSit-Jr-Inflatable-Chair-Cushio...

I saw these used in my son's school. They seem to really help the kids with SPD, ADHD, and Asperger's to sit still and focus.

Oooh...I found a much cheaper version...so you could have one at home and one for school :-) http://www.amazon.com/Isokinetics-Brand-Exercise-Balance-...

It may be helpful to work with her OT a bit again to get through this transition. SPD kids crave routine; transitions are not their friend. Also, have you tried a weighted blanket or weighted lap pad? That may also be helpful. Is your daughter following a sensory diet? The activities may need to be changed up. What are you doing after school and at night to help her organize, as the school day is causing disorganization? Be sure she's getting a lot of vestibular and propriceptive activitity in the evenings. Make sure the school is letting her move around on a regular basis. I've also heard of putting Velcro on the bottom side of the desk/table to allow a child to get the tactile sensation of being able to touch that. Is she a nailbiter, finger sucker or thumbsucker or chewer? If so, there's chewelry available to allow her to be less conspicous in the classroom. Most of all, be sure that her teachers are aware and are willing to work with you on sensory strategies.

Hey -
My son has/had sensory processing disorder as well. As others have said, you might want to try to restart OT during this transition/school period. My son's therapy ended when the therapist said he was "done" with therapy, but in my opinion, he still had a TON of issues that needed to be addressed. So, I enrolled him in gymnastics and dance classes. Those classes really helped him be better about addressing all of his sensory issues. However, before all of that, his therapist actually came to the school and observed him in the school environment and gave tips to the teachers on how to address a variety of issues.

I think the most important thing for you to do is to make sure that the teachers and principal are aware of the diagnosis. The reality is that your daughter is allowed, by law, to have special accommodations. I love the idea of the headphones that someone else mentioned. For us, my son was allowed to sit out of the things that were really horrible for him (my son attended a private school for pre-schook, K, and 1st grade). The Kindergarten teacher actually had a "bear cave" where the kids could go when they needed some quiet time. I think my son used it more than anyone else. By the end of 1st grade, he was really much better (in my mind, essentially cured) and so I transitioned him to public school. I never had to address anything in public school, but I did notice that the public school had a room labeled "Sensory Lab". I have NO idea what was in that room, but I have certainly heard of kids getting time out to go to sensory labs during the day - if they needed it. So, I imagine that is how this lab functioned. You need to find out what kind of accommodations your school has. And honestly, they are probably going to need paperwork verifying your daughter's diagnosis before they will implement a plan.

Oh..and one more thing..are you doing the brushing on her skin at night? That was always a HUGE help with my son. It really seemed to help ground him.
Good luck!
L.