My Autism Insights

The approach of March in the colder parts of the U.S. can bring with it some wacky behavior in all of us  because of a general ‘enough winter’ attitude coupled with a hint of spring fever.  For individuals with special needs, who are often more sensitive than the average person to seasonal shifts, it can be a particularly trying time.  Gus seems to be in dire need of strenuous physical activity, but it’s still too cold for him to want to spend much time outside.

So we went on a little adventure today.  I found a stationary bike that is the perfect size for the house AND for everyone to be able to use, for a bargain on craigslist.  We went to pick it up, taking a lovely scenic drive over a treacherous mountain pass.  We won’t discuss my paranoia - I had several escape scenarios in case we happened to stumble upon a suburban Jason.)  So now, Gus can get his large motor muscles all worked out (he’s loving all the sensory input) and he can play his Pokemon game at the same time.  It’s a win-win situation all around.

Have you gotten any particularly sweet deals on equipment for your special needs child?

P.S. Sorry for the blurry photo - he was moving and I was trying to catch him in a relatively stable position. I didn’t do so well!

Since Gus has been doing a good deal of sensory seeking lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how to get him sensory input at home.  At school, they’ve got loads of equipment so that he can choose what he needs: giant bean bag, body sock, jumping, and now sugarless gum to provide oral sensory stimulation.  He liked it - yay!  So much better than Starburst! Even better, I found it locally, so I may be able to use it at home as well.  (Don’t laugh - I’ve been looked for a certain flavor of gum on several occasions and haven’t been able to find it.) I’ll let the school work it into his routine first.

One other thing that often does well for him is to be able to utilize his gross motor muscles.  But at this cold time of year, opportunities are limited.  We have a trampoline (and a couch, which is the jumping apparatus of choice) but he doesn’t always want to jump.  He’s got a bean bag chair and a big exercise mat that he likes to roll up in for squishing.  We also have a pedaling thing (if it has a name, I’m unaware of it), which is basically bike pedals without the bike.  They work all right, but they’re a little awkward, and he spends as much time swinging it overhead as he does pedaling.

We wanted to get a small stationary bike, but even the small ones were either too big or too expensive or both.  Well, we finally (completely by accident of course) came across one on craigslist that is not only well within our budget, but within driving distance.  Win!

Hopefully we can pick it up this weekend and we can let Gus ride while he’s watching TV.  I can’t wait!

What sensory support do you use for your sensory seeking child?