Problem with DD and sensory needs-jimjams,ct,davros

[jenk1]

last week and this week she has been at the CDC.
Has been seen by a "specialist HV" Physio,OT,SALT,and an Ed Psych.

Didnt get off to a good start with the HV as she advised us that when DD is scratching her face and head banging in her cot to leave her as she is learning that doing these things get attention,
She knew she,d annoyed me cos she said "i can tell from the look on your face that you dont agree with what im saying" or words to that affect.
Best person that we saw was the SALT, she listened to everything we said about DD, she runs a social group for children with ASD/AS and was telling me some tips to do with DS.
The best thing that i learnt yesterday was to do with the problem with DD and sleeping.
She refuses to take her shoes/coat off, she is like this at nursery and when she wakes up in the middle of the night and discovers her coat/shoes off she wakes the whole house up with her screaming and i am at the end of my tether with it, the lack of sleep and the screaming are making me tired and irritable.
SALT told me that dd obviously has sensory issues and that she needs her coat/shoes on to make her feel snug, and to put things on her that are "tight" feeling.
I cant let her sleep in her shoes as she wears peidros and they are very heavy and i cant let her sleep in her coat as its too big and heavy but i dont know what to suggest or do and its driving me mad
DS is completely the other way, he doesnt want any clothes on and its a fight to get him dressed in the morning.

[tobysmumkent]

Message withdrawn

[coppertop]

Ds1 likes to be wrapped up in a heavy duvet at night so that he can feel pressure. Would that work for your dd?

Could you try those bedsock things (don't know the name sorry!) that are like thick socks but with a sole on the bottom? As a last but slightly odd resort what about wrapping her feet in material? Not foot-binding tight but just enough so that she can feel it.

Will have another think and let you know if I come up with anything.

[Jimjams2]

How about a weighted blanket. The "proper" ones are very pricey, but there's a mum on ebay who sells homemade ones for a reasonable price (good quality as well- we have one).

[jenk1]

thanks for the suggestions

[onlyjoking9329]

my DS is like this he likes pressure, he loves to he wrapped up tightly and loves to be squeezed and sat on! we found one of the body shaped sleeping bags with a hood on it really helped him get off to sleep

[jenk1]

Ah, now you have just answered something for me, DD is only 2 but likes to have her hood up all the time and she doesnt like her hair brushed etc, i couldnt understand why she was being like this as DS is completely the other way he doesnt like to wear clothes!!!!

When you say shaped like a body sleeping bag, where do you get them from?

[onlyjoking9329]

sports or camping shops are good for these sleeping bags, my three have some unusual things with clothes, ds used to wear a balacalarva for bed!
my twin girls have to have coats/fleeces zipped right to the top, in fact DD used to have a zip things, she couldn't bear to see a zip undone and would run to zip up old ladies coats & handbags! really embarrasing at checkouts.

[Davros]

This liking of pressure seems to be very common. The theory seems to go that people on the autistic spectrum have difficulty knowing where their body is iyswim! One example I've been given before is that if you close your eyes and touch your nose you can still do it even though your eyes are shut but soemone with ASD may not be able to or would have more trouble. My DS likes to get one of those jersey fitted sheets and wind himself up in it to sleep. I have a friend whose son likes to lie under the mattress while she lies on top - I don't know how they found that one out! I also play "squeeze" and "hug" with DS. Hope you find something that fits the bill and isn't too weird! The HV obviously knows nothing about sensory issues.