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Post by Chester on Jul 28, 2005 13:15:23 GMT -5
Today is our last day of 10 grueling therapy day, (yes we even went on Saturday!) Our entire family is crabby and exhausted and just wants some alone time in our house. Today is the last two AIT (auditory integration therapy) sessions. My husband took the day off, so we drove two cars in so that I could leave with our daughter for some home time and he could experience the joys of being in another town from 9:00 - 3:00 with odd breaks etc.....
Anywho....my husband and I were talking last night that JT isn't "watching" his right hand any longer. He use to hold his hand up and watch it. It's gone, vanished, not sure when it stopped, but it's been during these AIT days. I asked the therapist today and she called his hand watching "self stim" which I wasn't quite ready for....ya know how sometimes for whatever reason you just weren't prepared to hear something. She said that the self stim is more than likely gone due to the AIT or the brushing program we've done along with it.
He is also making tons of new sounds/words, playing with toys instead of just throwing them and walking not as stiff legged. We've seen a lot of little changes, it takes up to two more weeks for the brain to totally reorganize.
So we left the consult with a TON of home therapy type things to do, we purchased a big lazy suzanne type of thing so we can work on the spinning at home. I felt like one of my kids and wanted to whine "no more homework..................pleazzzzzzzzzzze."
I am so very pleased that he isn't watching his hand any longer though. The therapist explained it as his calming technique. His body couldn't organize everything coming in, so he learned to watch his hand and focus just on that as to not overwhelm himself. So now that he isn't watching his hand, he is able to do a puzzle, or be more successful with a spoon etc.
Dawn
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Post by momofrussell on Jul 28, 2005 13:36:26 GMT -5
WOWOWOWOWOWOW! Chester my dear... THAT is awesome! Coming from one who's son self stims 24/7 it gives me MAJOR CHILLS to know that this AIT helped him not to self stim! OH MAN... that is really cool!!!!! I wish I could see it all! WOW girl... very cool! May have to ask about this stuff with Russell!
A.
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Post by andrewsmom on Jul 28, 2005 19:30:20 GMT -5
AIT??? Not sure what this is.... Andrew was just diagnosed with Sensory integration dysfunction, mostly tactile sensitivity. Is this part of that? Hearing or handling different sounds? Sorry I don't know too much, I just got the book "The Out-of-Sync Child" but with 4 kids I ought to finish this book in about 5 more years. lol!
You mentioned you are doing the brushing program with him. We just started this Tuesday, and I don't see any difference. Although he does sit REALLY still while I am doing it, so I guess it feels good. I would really like to hear more about this. You also mention Jake watches his hand, and I never realized this may be a part of it (Andrew also watches his hand and will not respond to us while he is looking at it). Interesting..... please if you don't mind, could you give me some more first hand info. I would really appreciate it. And I can SOOOO relate to the toy throwing thing!! LOL!
If this is helping him then I think it's awesome! I'm also happy you seem to be having such a great opinion of this. Thank you so much for posting on this.... And Jake....... Keep going buddy!!!
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Post by momofrussell on Jul 28, 2005 19:37:41 GMT -5
Andrew's mom... weighted vests are also another suggestion for "focusing" issues... like the hand watching. Just a suggestion. I was told to read that book too years ago with Russell, but never did LOL.
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Post by andrewsmom on Jul 28, 2005 20:48:41 GMT -5
LOL!! I almost started laughing when they suggested I read it...... ok, in my spare time! I read a post recently about the weighted vests, let me read that again. Thanks!
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Post by CC on Jul 28, 2005 21:40:36 GMT -5
WOW can't say I ever heard of this till I just now read your post  HUGS to you girl  CC ~ |
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Post by Chester on Jul 28, 2005 22:51:17 GMT -5
oh yes, the brushing program......JT HATES the brushing. He is tolerating it now, but it's still like wrestling an octupus. The OT said that kids who have a hard time with the brushing may have some allergy issues, so we'll make an appointment to get that checked out. What they told us today is that you may not see a difference with the brushing right away. That it can be used as a technique to get the body ready to do something hard or new, or can be used before stressful times. Are you doing the joint compressions too? JT loves those, so we have to do joint compressions before brushing. www.auditoryintegration.net I think this is the link to the Audiory stuff on the internet. (Basically it is modulated music that gets played through an AIT machine at a super intense level. Our kids had to have a hearing test before AIT and during AIT. While they are listening to the music the OT is doing OT stuff with them, brushing, spinning, swinging, bubbles, etc etc.) Both of our sons went through the program. The way it was described to us is that it helps to reorganize the brain and how it preceives information. We got to know all of the families that were going through AIT at the same time as ours, for some of the kids this was their second time. There were little kids, big kids, kids with autism, kids with ds, kids like our 10 year old who has a slight learning disability, kids with ADHD, etc. I would say our 10 year old has sensory integration issues more than Jake, well maybe not, maybe JT is just younger and we haven't figured everything out yet. With our 10 year old, it isn't so much the noises and touch....it's more oral. It is incredible how the whole system works together. I wish I would have followed my gut when he was younger, and they were quick to dx him with ADHD. I knew it wasn't so much that as something else, the something else is the sensory stuff. He's been seeing an OT for 6 months now.....WOW! He loves the brushing, all the sour stuff they let him suck on (we didn't understand the need for that, we took it away), the spinning and eye tracking is huge for him, as well as breathing. We're getting this undercontrol and we're seeing a happier/ more age appropriate boy. Now that I think about it, I haven't had to ask him what he has in his mouth for a good week......Hooray! I was also told that I should read the "Out of Sync Child". I haven't even gotten it yet. I just finished the triology of the "child called IT" books, and the new Harry Potter book while waiting for AIT appointments.....hmmm maybe I should have read that one instead. A~Do you have a place near you that does AIT? It was worth every second of inconvience. They don't promise huge leaps, but sometimes it's the small steps that make the biggest differences. AdrewsMom~how old is Andrew? |
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Post by Valerie on Jul 28, 2005 23:38:23 GMT -5
Dawn,
I was so impressed with what you said! I was looking at that site, and their was a questionaire. Nicholas fits a lot of the questions, and actually, so does my older son. (Who I am seriously wondering if he has ADHD)
Anyway, we don't live near any of the sites they listed, but it said there was an at home course. Do you know what age this works best for? And if you don't mind me asking, how pricey was it? I didn't see that mentioned anywhere.
Thanks for the info. And how wonderful that you've seen such good results, and so soon!! ;D ;D
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Post by momofrussell on Jul 29, 2005 5:33:47 GMT -5
Chester, I am going to ask the new teacher in our 30 min meet before school if she is familiar with it.. and if not, I will ask around our district and SSD and I am needing to start a list of things for our IEP in Oct. I usually don't make lists for our IEP like this but I feel this year it's needed... so AIT will be on the list  I can also ask the Judevine Center which is our Autistm Center in St. Louis, if they do it there or where it's done. Only thing with going through Judevine, I am on the waiting list for moneys TO get music therapy through there or anywhere... and so I'd have to pay for it ourselves to do it there. I also have a doc appt with our DS Clinic with a devel ped and ST in Oct and we can discuss some of this there too. Hey Chester, PM me and tell me more about the oral issues and your older one. You got me thinking about my Regan here.... would like to hear a bit more and the AIT stuff.... please! A. |
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Post by andrewsmom on Jul 29, 2005 8:30:47 GMT -5
Chester, Thank you for the web-site. I submitted an e-mail for more info. I think we could travel to conn. without too much of a problem.
Yes we are doing the joint compressions along with the brushing. We just started on Tuesday and I don't really see any difference. So like you say, maybe it takes awhile or maybe it will help in different situations. I'm so happy you brought this topic up. Maybe even more people who have never heard of this will try it and help their children. I'll let you know when I get the info. Thank you sooo much!!!
........Is this covered by insurance?
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Post by Chester on Jul 29, 2005 10:06:03 GMT -5
The therapy center we used treats AIT as OT with free music thrown in (the AIT). AIT isn't covered by insurance because it is considered educational. When they are listening to the music they are doing OT, the cord is long and they can swing, and jump on the trampoline and play puzzles, etc etc.
We can look into the home program in 4-5 months. They talked about it at the therapy center. They said the music coming out of the AIT machine is more intense. The home program is good, just not as intense. They recommend that they take a break to let their brains finish reorganizing and then to use the home program when needed, stressful times, or we're in a lull for growth, etc. But there were people there that have used the home program and got results.
They also recommended the craniosacaral therapy.....there is an upcoming seminar, but I've got to look into that some more. Sounds like massage and yoga?
A~I'll PM you tonight, we're off for a day on the boat! Some of the best therapy around.
Dawn
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Post by Kristen on Jul 29, 2005 11:08:32 GMT -5
We did cranialsacral and feldenkrais with Carter. Actually, his OT he had for a while did holistic mehtods and we were fine with it. Did wonders for him. She taught me joint compressions, c/s moves and also some reiki. She did not buy into brushing, though. Didn't go for that one bit.
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Post by Cbean on Jul 29, 2005 11:53:08 GMT -5
Great news! Would you mind me asking at what age JT started watching his hand. We thought Emily was "noticing" her body parts but now you have me wondering. Can the self stimming stuff start as young as 7 months?
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Post by momofrussell on Jul 29, 2005 12:16:40 GMT -5
Cbean... when a baby is watching his or her hand it IS appropriate.. it's when a child that is 7 is "gazing" at his/her hand when it's not appropriate... does that make sense? (I used age 7 as just an example). It's when the behavior exceeds the age for it.. if that makes sense too. So, Baby Emily IS doing age appropriate behaviors.. noticing her hands, arms, feet, toes...ect... and it's just a stage.... trust me.. ALL kids do this usually even if for not that long, DS or no DS. I do not know if 'self stimming" can start as young as 7 months... but, I wouldn't really worry about it!  A. |
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Post by Chester on Jul 29, 2005 21:43:14 GMT -5
Cbean~ JT joined our family when he was 8 months olds. He was "watching" his right hand even back then. It was different than how he watched his left hand or his feet or other things. He always held his hand up the same way and tilted his hand and head the same way. We didn't think much of it, and neither did the therapists. It wasn't like other people noticed it, if you spent time with him, you would notice it as a "habit". I think that is why it kind of hit my upside the head when the OT the other day called it self stim....I was thinking habit....suppose they're kinda the same thing?
Kristen~what did you think of the craniosacaral? Is it worth heading in for another lecture/learning session?
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I can also ask the Judevine Center which is our Autistm Center in St. Louis, if they do it there or where it's done. Only thing with going through Judevine, I am on the waiting list for moneys TO get music therapy through there or anywhere... and so I'd have to pay for it ourselves to do it there. I also have a doc appt with our DS Clinic with a devel ped and ST in Oct and we can discuss some of this there too.