My sons like their weighted blankets at bedtime! I've even borrowed them from time to time.

I honestly can't remember what I did when my older son was at his peak with meltdowns (I prefer the term meltdown rather than tantrum; meltdown seems more reacting to/overwhelmed by environment, tantrum seems more willful). I think I was just living moment to moment trying to get through the day.

He didn't get diagnosed until 1st grade. He got some OT in school then we did more (private OT) over the summer between 1st and 2nd. He was most agitated at bedtime so I tried joint compressions at bedtime, along with a CD of ocean waves for white noise, and those seemed to calm him.

Also since he has low muscle tone, the OT suggested doing wheelbarrows down the hall to his bedroom before bed. The muscle work would be calming, she said.

Good luck!

LynnNBoys,
I think the weighted blanket would be a fantastic idea! Our son currently loves to be held tight when falling asleep, so maybe that would alleviate some of those issues! I am so thankful that he has already been working with an OT within the preschool setting, but I am wondering if 2 days every other week is going to be enough when school starts. My head is spinning with all of this new information, now it's just trying to find what works best for us!
We are starting "brushing" on the 1st per the request of his OT. Have any of you had any personal experience with this? I have read a bit about it in my books and have looked it up online, but it seems to really carry mixed reviews from what I am seeing. How does this work in a normal, day-to-day life? We're definitely going to try it, but I would love to hear the thoughts of anyone who has some personal experience with this! Thanks!

You are very welcome. One good thing about the cars and trucks is that there is lots of ways to do sensory play with them. Drive them around in rice or salt or have a "car wash down" in shaving cream or soapy water.

I had high hopes for brushing but it was way too overstimulating for my kids. They would be awake all night long after being brushed during the day. The protocol starts out at every two hours but gradually decreases to an as needed basis so it only requires intense commitment during the trail phases. I would try it and observe his behavior carefully and go from there.

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(08-09-2011, 01:40 AM)ddpspd Wrote: Thank you LynnNBoys!
I am finding that the more I read and look into learning more about all of this, the less and less I am caring what others think!
I still do not know where to begin as far as methods for coping with all of this within the home. My son will start more thorough OT at preschool and in the home when school resumes on the 1st, however, for the time being I feel like things are getting worse and worse each day! We had a great weekend, but today was atrocious! I'm trying to figure out what is triggering the fits, fights, tantrums, and what not, but still do not have a clear idea at this point. Seems to be something new each and every time, and that's only when I figure anything out at all!
On another note, I understand the bedtime situation. My son is almost four and still pretty much sleeps with me at night. Each time we have tried to break this I have experienced weeks of waking up every two hours to put him back in his bed. Not worth it to me! That, and my husband works graveyard, so I really don't mind it! Oh, and you have to love those that resort to spanking as a form of dealing with children who are clearly frustrated, high-strung, or just not listening!
Thank you again for the happy welcome and your kind words!

Thats the thing I feel with my daughter you never know what will set her off but what I try to keep track of is her cues.. (remember I am very new to this) But before finding out about spd I would watch her body language and could always tell when she was about to erupt. Now knowing about SPD I can get a handle on it before she explodes (usually not 100%) Maybe this will help, she does not always tell me what is wrong but we came up with a code word that she can tell me when she feels upset in public. Later on I discuss with her what happened. Like at sesame place she got very upset when she was climbing this net activity no meltdown but very angry. So finally when it was me and her I asked her what happened she said there were bees on top of the net and the sounds from people moving on the nets were sooooooo loud... Explained everything.

On an emotional note I remember feeling very helpless when she has meltdowns and nothing I can do will shorten it or calm her. My OT says stop fighting it sometimes and let her go through it in a safe enviornment.. She may need a release. Still is horrible though to see child go through it.
My daughter sleeps with me too and I caught a lot of grief about that but like you said not worth the fight especially when I noticed that her requests and needs were not the same as the regular kid that just wants to hop in bed. As far as spanking OMG I have heard this so much and honestly it does not work. The first time when she was smaller I tapped her hand to say no she just looked at her hand then back at me no tears nothing... I knew that would not work for her or me... I felt pressured to do that and hated it.
Hang in there lady you are doing an awesome job!