Shop Sensory

Kids in the Syndrome Mix: Insight into your quirky kid

Maria — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 15:48:07 +0000

One of the moms at my son’s social skills therapy group recommended Kids in the Syndrome Mix. I went home an ordered it right away and I wasn’t disappointed. Like our family, her family has been through the craziness of seeing many different doctors to try to pinpoint what’s going on.

Ultimately, many kids end up with several diagnoses or seem to hover around one or two. Many syndromes co-exist as well.

Kids in the Syndrome Mix addresses multiple neuro-behavioral disorders, helping you get a handle on your child’s “alphabet soup” as we like to call it.

The book addresses:

ADHD
OCD
bipolar disorder
autistic spectrum disorders
sensory processing disorder

It sounds like a lot of info and science, but the author breaks it down in a way that makes it easy to understand whether you’re a parent, caregiver, teacher or medical professional.

Protect Little Ears at Concerts, Fireworks and Noisy Events

Maria — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 15:33:10 +0000

The first time we took my son to a Disney on Ice production, he covered his ears and wailed, terrified by the loud noise. He ended up enjoying some of it, but for the most part he had his hands over his ears. It was anything but comfortable.

Then, earlier this year, we took him to a Monster Truck Rally and brought along some big noise cancelling ear muffs. I don’t know why it had never occurred to me before. He felt safe and secure with them on and had a blast. Since then, we’ve brought them along for loud events, a hockey game, fireworks and more. I definitely recommend having these on hand if you have a child with noise sensitivities or if you’re going to be attending a loud event like a car race or fireworks display.

You can find them at your local hardware store or online. Our affiliate Amazon.com carries these Peltor Noise Cancelling Ear Muffs for Kids in pink and blue for under $15.

Chew Safe Plush Toy for Sensory Processing Disorder

Maria — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 01:23:37 +0000

Soft Clothing, a pioneer in soft, seamless apparel for sensitiive kids, recently launched their first sensory toy, Boris! Boris is an adorable bright blue whale that’s (in our opinion!) pretty stylish. According to Soft Clothing:

Borris is made of chew safe, non-toxic materials, constructed with reinforced seaming, and a double layer of canvas and bonded plush.

This makes Boris great for kids who spend a lot of time chewing and mouthing on toys. Unlike many plush toys, which may have eyeballs and other doodads that can present a choking hazard, Boris is safe for little mouths. Whether you’re shopping for a child with sensory processing disorder or for a young baby, this is a good bet.

Teaching Kids About Personal Space

Dawn — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 16:00:32 +0000

We recently purchased the book Personal Space Camp by Julia Cook and illustrated by Carrie Hartman. It’s an absolutely wonderful book for teaching about the subject of “personal space” that’s often quite difficult for kids to understand. J frequently struggles (obliviously) with this, and we struggle to find a way to explain personal space to her. This book is brilliant.

Louis is the main character of the book, and he is a self-proclaimed “space expert” who has some big problems with personal space. Here’s an exerpt from the book:

The other day on the playground, I was showing Rusty how comets sometimes smash right into satellites. I was the comet. Rusty was the satellite. When we smashed, the playground teacher used her cranky voice. ‘Louis!’ she said. ‘You have a problem with your personal space!’

After several encounters like this, Louis is sent to the principal’s office to attend Personal Space Camp. Louis is excited because he loves anything that has to do with space, but he soon realizes that this Space Camp is not about lunar explorations or meteorites. The principal teaches the kids attending about personal space in very creative and understandable ways. Our favorite was her hula hoop example, where she had each child sit and stand inside a hula hoop to represent their own personal space. J has been very interested in hula hoops lately (we have 3), so this example really resonated with her. At one point the principal puts several people inside one hula hoop and asks if they like the way it feels and if they can be “good pilots.” They all say they don’t like it and that they barely have space to move.

The principal goes on to explain personal space in additional creative ways that are very easy for young children to understand. J definitely had a better grasp of personal space by the time we were finished reading it. The illustrations are marvelous, colorful and engaging, the writing is humorous and down-to-earth in a style that easily connects with kids, and the message of respecting the physical boundaries of others is brilliantly delivered.

Probably best suited for kids 4-8

For further teaching, including corresponding activities for kids, Personal Space Camp Activity and Idea Book is also available!

A Labyrinth for Calming Stress Relief

Dawn — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 19:08:13 +0000

I recently picked up a pewter labyrinth, like the one pictured here, for J. Walking a labyrinth is said to calm and inspire confidence, but tracing the path of a labyrinth with your finger or a tool can serve the same purpose. One source I found claims: “It holds a quiet, safe place for the intuitive, symbolic mind to come forth and be more present than it may ever get a chance to be.”

No matter what, I figure it’s fun (J LOVES mazes), and it promotes focus & fine motor skills. Win! J does seem to calm when she’s doing this, so that’s an added bonus! Finally, it’s a great quiet activity for restaurants, doctor’s offices, etc. that’s easy to slip into a bag or purse.

The one we have (pictured above) is a replica of the walking labyrinth in Chartres Cathedral in France that was built around 1200! I’d love to visit someday to walk the real thing.

If you’re in San Francisco, you can walk a real labyrinth here! You can also print out a paper finger labyrinth for free at Lessons 4 Living.