Well, let's see what I can suggest here, to help get you started. From someone who's been at it for about 2.5 years already. (Though I'm sure we'll have plenty more experienced that I am join here).

Rule of thumb though, when creating a sensory diet:
1. Get rid of everything you hate, as much as possible. Find substitutes that are less offensive whenever necessary and possible.
2. Find the things you love, that calm and center you, and find ways to integrate those into your daily routine.

(06-08-2010, 02:37 PM)mawkinberd Wrote: I am sensory defensive in all the traditional senses to different extents and very vestibularly defensive.

Okay, then let's first focus on ways of reducing unnecessary and potentially harmful sensory input.

Quote:In sight, I can't stand bright light and often have headaches from all light.

Okay, are you able to tolerate wearing sunglasses? That's a start. I have to say though, often the thing that's helped me through the most has been to take breaks when in brighter areas. I used to work in a grocery store, and man was that awful! Well, I would spend at least a few minutes every hour in the bathroom with the lights out, giving myself joint compressions to help balance my systems as best I could. Sensory breaks are critical. Find a good place where you can be alone and tailor it specifically to your needs.

Quote:In hearing, I am the worst. All sound vibrates throughout my entire body. I have an opera degree, so the smallest negative variation in pitch makes my skin crawl. The buzzing of fluorescent lights can drive me mad on a bad day, but the worst is the television. I can't look away from even a "muted" television set because of the sound the on screen makes. I can jump sky high at the smallest noise.

Beeeen therrrre... (I need to find a good hugging emoticon!)
Here's what's helped me the most with avoiding harmful auditory input - earbuds!!!
Do you have any of the earphones for portable music that go directly into your ear? That's what I'm referring to, and they are a lifesaver! They act as an ear plug by blocking out external noises, but they also give you the ability to drown it out with your favorite relaxing music . I stick those in and use them the whole time when I'm at school (between classes), when at the mall or a store, or whenever I'm in a place that is bombarding. Can't tell you how much they've done for me over the past couple years.

Quote:Touch, gah, that's a killer. My husband constantly wants to know why I pull away or why I sleep with my back to my child while he's in our bed. My personal space sometimes seems like a chasm, and I can't STAND the feeling of anything slimy on my hands. I also can''t wear socks. And just looking at someone with some kind of bump on their skin makes the bottoms of my feet go crazy.

Yes, tactile defensiveness can be quite the killer, can't it? I've got a ton of tactile issues myself (actually, all 8 of my senses are pretty screwed up, lol).
The best treatment for this is Wilbarger brushing, but that's only if you have an OT, which you don't right now. There are other ideas though. I would continue doing all the things you are likely already doing with your clothing (as soft and comfortable as possible, no tags, take opportunities to wear less when possible, etc.).

You could look into massaging yourself, especially your arms, legs, and back. Take warm baths. Use heat compresses. These are all ideas. Another would be, whenever you're giving yourself this input, to do joint compressions as well. From a seating position, press down on your knees 10 times (toward the floor) and then in on your knees 10 times (toward your body). Be pretty firm to reduce light touch and increase deep pressure. That can give you almost a half hour of improved focus. I do it whenever I'm particularly frazzled, and it it's always helped me at least a little. You may also want to look into getting a mini trampoline, as that also gives good muscular feedback.

Quote:Scent is not so bad; I just can't stand anything chemical, like perfumes, Lysol, bleach.

Okay, not so bad, but try to find less harsher cleaning chemicals. Make sure the room is always well vented, and try to limit the time spent using these, and have others pitch in and do some of the cleaning from time to time (if that's possible, lol). Just a couple thoughts...

Quote:Taste is problematic but not dramatic; I'm just more sensitive to salt and sweet than most, although I have recently gotten even more defensive about swallowing foods.

Okay, so 'taste' may not be such an issue, but pay close attention to what is called Oral Defensiveness. It's the textures that may be causing the swallowing sensory issues. I know that's what it is mostly for me, and believe me, I've had many years where I was terrified of swallowing stuff. There are also tactile stimulation devices that help to reduce oral sensitivity, but again, that's likely to require an OT. Just beware of the textures, find what doesn't work for you and avoid it whenever possible.

Quote:Vestibular is a nightmare. I can't look at a cartoon character standing within a foot of a cliff, much less a person standing near me leaning on a railing or (argh!) sitting on it. I've had to leave sporting events because I couldn't handle looking at the field. And I can't swim because of the terror of not feeling my feet on the ground.

Ah... and the underlying sensory system reveals itself. When that vestibular sense is off, it can effect all the other senses, or at least indicate dysfunction elsewhere. I also have a ton of height problems and can't swim. I get motion sickness from car rides and all that stuff that you'll often encounter with vestibular issues.

Feel free to continue avoiding these activities for the time being. They are known to trigger issues for you, and I don't advice doing them over and over again, ever. When you have an OT, which I would recommend getting one once you can, they'll have plenty they can do for this sense. For now, continue to take it easy on this system. Giving yourself good 'crashing' input would also be beneficial, like the kind of input you may get from a trampoline. Daily walks and working out can also help.

Quote:Add to that that I'm also sensory seeking with chewing and rocking, and you get me.

You may also want to look into using hard, sugar free bubble gum for chewing input. The harder, the better, generally. The reason you're having the gag issues with the other stuff may have been caused by the texture. You want to really give your mouth a workout here, to keep from teeth clenching and other things you may be doing that are potentially more destructive. Otherwise, these are very common stims.

Quote:I have a therapy ball, the kind you sit on. I like to roll on that on my stomach. Gives an amazing amount of pressure, but makes it hard to breathe while I'm doing it because I am severely overweight. It helps for a few hours afterward; I feel more relaxed. I also sometimes use it to bounce and sway back and forth, which also relaxes, but to a lesser extent.

Good! Therapy balls are great . I have 2 in my bedroom, myself. They should also help with your vestibular/balance issues. These are typically recommended by OTs, so keep up the good work with this.

Quote:I have a yoga ball, the small kind filled with sand meant as a small hand weight. I lie on it and use it to massage my lower back, where I have a lumbar vertebra that is always out of socket. I usually do this at night before sleeping, and I can feel the relaxation from that part way into the next day.

Ah, this sounds like great tactile and proprioceptive input right here . You may also want to consider doing this during the mid-day, to keep the good feelings lasting all day .

Quote:I have a hard plastic coffee stirrer at work that I chew on throughout the day. It helps my need to clench my jaws constantly.

Good idea with the stirrers. Refrigerator tubing is also a good one. I love chewing on that stuff, lol. There are other chewable stuff available that you may want to look into as well. Other chew toys.

Quote:I recently found a finger rosary online for hand stimulation. I am often seeking tactile input with my fingers and hands, so this works well as a meditative device

Also good. Handheld fidget toys are great, aren't they? I always recommend them to people, and they give you good tactile and muscular input.

Quote:I've started doing simple voice warm-ups again in my car on the way to work. It gives good vibrations and helps drown out some highway noise, but it cuts my concentration for driving while it calms my nerves.

Ah, music is always a great sensory input device, I would say. I played trombone for several years and that was very good input for my mouth, muscles, balance, everything. If you love the piano but can't fit a full one, what about a keyboard? I know it's not quite the same thing, but could that fit, and could you afford one? It would probably be a good investment for you there.

Quote:My current job is low key, but the job I'm applying for now is a public position in a library, so while it is quiet mostly, there's a lot of movement in areas surrounding my (possible) post. Any kind of insight or advice would be deeply appreciated.

Ah, you know, I work in a writing center at school, which is a lot like a library, except more noisy, with tables instead of stacks of books, and people are coming up to me to get papers checked all day. That can be a bit intense at times, but it still beats my old job *big time*. I think a library job could probably work for you, so long as it's quiet enough, noise being such a big issue for you. My job has a 'chill room' which is a small room with just 2 couches and a bookshelf. It's great.

I think a lot of sensory defensives are working at libraries, so if something bugs you, odds are it may be bugging someone else there. I know plenty of SPDers are working at my job. I can tell just from talking to them and how much we all sympathize with each others quirks , man is it ever obvious, lol.

Well, I hope this is helpful for you . And don't worry about writing such a long post, I've written far larger posts on even narrower topics, lol. Take good care, and let me know if you have any questions. This is definitely a topic for our wiki as time goes on!