My son absolutely hates car rides!! After about 15 minutes he has a meltdown. I am now realizing it is part of his SPD. I started to carry a huge bag of toys in the back seat but he just throws them one at a time. I also tried playing kids cd's. Nothing has worked so far.I was thinking of getting him a portable dvd player to take his mind off being in the car. Any ideas out there? Justin is a sensory seeker, which made me think he would love rides.Maybe the problem is being stuck in a car seat??
I hate car rides, too, but that's because they flip so many of my sensitivity switches. Perhaps he has a sensitivity as well as the seeking? Not unheard of.
I like the idea of a portable dvd player. Particularly if it has ear plugs, it might help him zone in on it, since he can turn it up as loudly as he wants. It might also help to have some toys that will help him "feel" things on his terms. Maybe something like those exercise bands that take some effort to pull? A nubbly cushion to sit on so he can feel when he wiggles? Something to chew like gum, or even just a snack?
For me personally, I have to read in a car to get through the trip. Otherwise, I "feel" every slight movement of the car. Opening the window helps unless it gets too cold/hot.
Although the sound and wind can be annoying, the constant sensory pressure from the wind helps me deal with the car ride.
Music can help me, but I need it blaring to the point that I can almost feel it (not something my husband is willing to have going on) from the sound system and not just headphones/earbuds.
Reading lets me get lost in the book so that I just ignore how crappy my body feels. When we get to our destination my body will still be complaining to me, but once I start walking outside the car for a short bit I recover fairly fast.
For trips an hour or longer, expect that you will need "breaks" every 45 minutes where your son can get out of the car and walk around. Rest stops are great for this.
Thank you for your suggestions. I beleive Justin does have sensitivity as well as seeking. We bring a ton of toys with him but he throws them one at a time. Snacks are a great idea but he has trouble with eating and textures in his mouth. I will try the dvd player but he is too young for earphones right now. We will also try "breaks" every so often. Maybe just having books in the car for him too look at will help as well. As he gets older maybe he will start reading on trips as well.He is just 14 months old so it is hard to keep his attention on anything right now.
I was wondering about his age. I know that can make a huge difference as to what types of things you try.
Sometimes ear plugs help me, and sometimes they make things worse. Since you don't want to use ear buds for him, that might be an option. It really depends on what he's most sensitive to.
I would avoid having a wide variety of toys, simply because that is probably overstimulating him. If he has too many "options," he's likely to get into overload.
Probably not a good thing, but I often have to sleep through longer trips, especially if I'm not driving. I usually take a Benedryl. I know that's not an ideal method, but if you have a long family trip (although, honestly, if I were in your position, I'd avoid that for now), you might need to, for his sanity.