Category: Sensory Integration

Creating Sensory Fun

August 12, 2020

With Your Child During Pandemic Times

sensory activities

Let’s start with some ideas for tactile play:

  • Water play- fill up your sink or any tub with water, and get out a variety of Tupperware, measuring cups, and any toys appropriate for bath or water play. For more fun, you can put in a drop or two of food coloring, and your child will be playing with their favorite color, you can even extend this to making various colors by mixing the drops. Pouring water between different sized containers is great fun by itself, and can also turn on the imagination to be creating things such as tea parties. Bubbles can be a nice addition. Keep it light for easy cleanup!
  • Play with sand, or make kinetic sand (without sand)- Kinetic sand is super simple to make or buy, and is easy to cleanup. Making the kinetic sand together is one activity, and playing with it is another. You can put a variety of things in the sand, such as cookie cutters, sand or playdough molds, plastic utensils, toy cars, buttons, figurines, or anything solid. Finding the items, you’ve hidden and placing them in a designated bin can be a secondary game.
  • Make slime- Here’s a great, simple “fluffy” slime recipe. Slime can keep your child’s attention for extended periods of time. If you mix shiny things or glitter into the slime, be mindful of choking hazards. Hint, be sure to keep it in an air tight container to ensure you can use it more than once.
  • Baking- If you’re baking for sensory reasons, you’re going to want to bake things your child can touch. Baking bread is particularly wonderful because of the folding and kneading process. Be sure to set aside enough time. A wide variety of recipes are available online of varying degrees of difficulty and healthiness. Try to pick a recipe that’s not too rapid and will require kneading. Make a point to enjoy the smells as they fill your home. I also love roll and bake cookies or cookies cut with cookie cutters for other tactile baking ideas.

Sensory isn’t only touch, there’s also motion and gravity activities.

  • Hang upside down off the edge of a couch
  • Jump on a bed/trampoline,
  • Roll up in a blanket or sandwiching between two pillows
  • Play in a beanbag chair,
  • Wheel-barrow walking,
  • Commando crawling,

Have fun playing with your child and know that you are choosing impactful activities! Look for our next blog on fun activities to encourage body strength and postural control.

If you need more explanation of why these are helpful to your child, or need more ideas specific to your child, feel free to leave a comment or email us. We’re happy to help.

Surviving the Pandemic with Your Needy Special Needs Child

August 3, 2020

special needs boy learning with tomatis

Keeping your children productively occupied during the pandemic has become a chronic issue, and one that is creating anxiety for parents and caregivers. Our special needs children can be challenging under typical circumstances, but when removed from their daily routine their behavior and meeting their needs can become particularly demanding. This can become another full-time job in an environment where there are other demands on your time. In the coming weeks, we will share blogs targeting specific areas of need and activities. Emphasis of the blogs will include:

  • Sensory processing,
  • Postural control,
  • Motor planning,
  • Emotional development,
  • Memory

Another good idea is to incorporate the FORBRAIN device. The type of feedback it provides especially stimulates attention, language, and memory. For more info visit our FORBRAIN page here.

We’d love to hear your comments or requests in the comment section below, or share your thoughts with us on Facebook!

A Mother’s Own Words Today (July 2020)

July 21, 2020

A Real-Life Testimony of Tomatis

 

Tomatis child's painting of elephants during first intensive

A 3.5-year-old boy referred for Tomatis by a neuropsychologist, presented with:

  • high activity level
  • not attending
  • very hyper-sensitive to sounds like vacuum cleaners, children crying, etc.
  • behavioral issues
  • excessive loud vocalizations
  • not following directions
  • limited word use with poor articulation
  • not playing with other children

Are you seeing any changes?

“Yes! He is quieter and more attentive. I think he became quieter around day 4. He listens to us and repeats a lot of words even when we don’t ask him to. When we talk to him, he’s trying to communicate better. His pronunciation has also improved. I think all the changes within last two weeks in his daily routine, plus new place [our vacation home] with lake and sand every day, was a good base and the right time for us to start these listening sessions. We (all 4 adults) see how he improved!

He was watching the iPad yesterday and was trying to sing a song… It was “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” … I felt like he knew the words. He also pronounced the words correctly, everybody understood.

I read about Tomatis before we started. A lot of people were seeing changes after 2 full therapy parts (14 days + 14 days). We see changes now.”

Seeing improvements so soon is not uncommon. This is one of the reasons why, as a professional, I am so committed to the Tomatis Method.

Our initial goal was to decrease his hyper-sensitivity because it has such a global effect on how we function. Hyper-sensitivity is painful, as the individual is forced to deal with a constant barrage of sounds. The brain is not employing its ability to screen out what’s important from background noise. Hyper-sensitivity drives individuals into a “fight or flight” response. It’s not possible for the brain to learn and function adequately while in a continuous heightened state.

Once we decrease hyper-sensitivity the nervous system is better positioned to process the meaning of input and figure out what is important. Once the brain can get that far, it’s much more capable of formulating an appropriate response.

What happened

This child no longer finds the incoming stimuli painful; he is better able to attend and respond to it. We can see it in his:

  • improved attention,
  • desire to use words to communicate
  • attempts to sing songs
  • being more cooperative

These improvements have a tremendous benefit to his behavioral management and increased ability to learn. As the mother reports, it’s exciting to see such a leap in the first intensive. It gives us great hope for the next intensive and beyond.

12 Things To Know About Tomatis®

April 25, 2020

Boy wearing Tomatis training headphones to boost memory, focus, attention, communication

 

1.) What is Tomatis®?
Tomaits is a sound training program that helps your brain to function optimally.

2.) How does it work?
Musical programs are designed for individuals to listen to with special headphones. The music is altered to work on the ear and the brain based on your needs.

3.) How do you assess my needs?
Assessment is a thorough intake which can be done in person or online.
In person testing is available but not required.
We discuss the results and determine goals together.

4.) What is the music like?
The music is mostly Mozart, but there are also waltzes, Gregorian chants, & marches.
At times the music may sound distorted or scratchy to you, but that’s a result of the programs.

5.) What’s the time commitment?
A typical program is 14 days, 80 minutes a day, a break of 4 to 8 weeks, and another 14 days, 80 minutes a day.
However, there is tremendous variability which may include less time and fewer days.

6.) Where do I listen?
Many clients choose to do their listening in my office especially when Occupational Therapy is needed.
Others choose to listen at home, school, or other location.
We also can combine home and office listening.

7.) What is the equipment like?
Programs are encoded onto a proprietary MP3 type player. Included headphones may be wired or wireless. The music is heard through the ear, as well through a small amplifier at the top of the head.

8.) What can I do while listening at home?
You can really do almost anything that does not involve a screen or reading.
This means no cellphones, iPads, computers, tablets or TV.

9.) What will I feel while I’m listening?
You may feel more attentive, grounded, relaxed, organized, and alert.
These leave your brain in a better state to develop and learn.
There are occasions where people feel oppressed or regress as nervous system changes are occurring, but they usually pass quickly.

10.) Who will benefit?
Almost anyone can benefit from Tomatis® training.
A wide variety of individuals ranging from infants through elderly, high functioning to severe issues.
Specific issues can include:

  • Attention- ADD or ADHD
  • Sensory motor integration
  • Postural and motor control
  • Behavior issues
  • Articulation
  • Speech & language
  • Academic skills
  • Developmental issues
  • Memory
  • Energy
  • Pregnancy programs for maternal relaxation and best developmental outcomes
  • Wellness

11.) Who is my Tomatis® consultant?

  • Sue is an Occupational Therapist with decades of experience in service for people with special needs.
  • Her practice is now focused exclusively on Tomatis® training with/without Occupational Therapy.
  • She is a level 4 Tomatis® consultant, which represents the highest level of training available. (A level 4 requires a minimum 4 years of training and mentorship. It confers programming possibilities not available to lesser trained professionals.)
  • Sue does all programing and provision of services herself.
  • Many people present themselves as credentialed Tomatis® practitioners. Please check credentials on the Tomatis® website.

12.) Does insurance cover Tomatis® training?
There are instances where face-to-face training may be reimbursable to you.

 

Now a question for you: Want to learn more about Tomatis® straight from people who’ve tried it? Check out our client testimonials

 

 

 

Making Sense of Sound

December 3, 2018

boy with sound or sensory processing issue

Someone speaks to you, and you stare at them blankly. Their sounds aren’t making sense. Perhaps there is pause, a time delay, perhaps you can’t figure out how to respond. For most of us, sensory processing is automatic, it doesn’t take thought.

For those of us with processing issues, it is not automatic; it takes a lot of work.

The process involved includes:
-Orient toward the stimuli,
-Sustain attention
-Register the information
-Screen out irrelevant information
-Process the sounds
-Understand the message
-Formulate an appropriate response

While struggling with this process, you may have lost the person speaking to you. Further complicating matters is that the message they sent may delayed or garbled.

Good news

But, there is good news! Brains can change, adapt and improve. There is a concept called neuroplasticity that explains that the brain can change. According to Dr. Norman Doidge in his book “The Brain That Heals Itself”, we can provide planned and controlled stimulation to direct the brain toward healing and higher function. In another book, “The Brain’s Way of Healing”, Dr. Doidge speaks directly about Tomatis Listening Training as a tool for capturing the resources of the brain and moving them to higher and more organized levels of functioning.

Tomatis Training is an excellent tool for people with delays and inaccuracies in processing sensory information, including auditory processing. Firstly, the potent combination of air and bone conduction, causes an excitation and orienting response. Secondly, the listener alerts to the stimuli almost immediately. Once you are able to focus on the stimulation, your brain is prepared and you are at a huge advantage to begin processing.

Tomatis can give you that huge advantage and move your brain towards your best listening. The Tomatis Training is specifically designed to alert the brain and entice it towards higher functions. Tomatis is acknowledged as the leading authority and therapeutic tool in this area. This is why Listen For Change exclusively uses Tomatis. For more information on the Tomatis Training and how it can specifically help you with your auditory processing skills, please contact us. We know we can help.

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