Sensory seeking - how do you help them?

[Barmymummy]

DS (4) ASD traits loves to bash things. Always has. When he was small he would run full pelt at you and bash into your legs. Now he is older he loves running at the sofa, rolling off the bed onto the floor, 'bumping' into things etc etc. He has also started to enjoy hitting the sofa with his hands. Its obvious he enjoys it and feels nice but its driving me mad at times.

How do you go about fulfilling their need to do this without getting bashed or having your sofa destroyed?? Can see him loving judo when he is older and able to learn about control

all I can say is trampolining! Lots of firm squeezes, getting one of those big inflatable balls and rolling it over them, wrapping them in a blanket and squashing them! My DS loves all this stuff, he's 6 with ASD and LOTS of sensory needs. He gets destructive too and that's hard but sometimes the squeezing really helps!

a drum kit? Not sure bit watching with interest for some ideas!

Totally agree with yoga ball and trampoline! Self or otherwise destructive ones though I would try and block as what's manageable and even quite cute at 4 is not so much fun at 7!

Trampoline

or a big box with lots of cushions for him to sit in

DS is now 9 and ok with this for now, it wa a big issue before

Yes he loves tampolining! Sadly we don't have a big enough garden to get one .

Drum kit....shudder, can you imagine the racket??!!

When I or anyone else squeeze him he tells us to stop it and doesn't seem to like it very much. Its just the bashing into things he seems to like.....considering getting a padded wall for him to chuck himself against

However, I have got a toddlers trampoline outside in the garden that he uses when its nice outside....if I brought that inside would that be a good idea? Could stick it in the conservatory/playroom for him. Would an adults exercise trampette thingy be better??!! Wish we had a bigger garden

You could get him one of those punch bags that you hang up (great for running into) or one of those inflatable things that you hit and it springs back up (not sure what they are called).

Dd1 just likes to hang upside down on the sofa , dd2 likes being bundled into a blanket or being sat on by the dog (the dogs not as keen when she does it back) .

We will be getting a trampoline when/if we move to a bigger house.

I had this trampoline for nine don't need a big garden I used to stand it against the fence when not in use.

www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3672095/Trail/searchtext%3ETRAMPOLINE.htm

sorry mean't mine

LOL Marne! Yes he'd love a punchbag!! Not sure I would have anywhere to put it though. I honestly reckon he'e love having a section of his wall padded so he can hurl himself into it

Its funny because his funny ways have come and gone or changed but this is only one of two things (other is delayed echolalia) that have stayed with him and are as obvious now as they were when he was little.

Maybe I should encourage American Football! WOW HE'D LOVE THAT!!! Imagine having permission to actually charge full pelt at someone!!!!

Yes a trampoline is excellent.
We have a small garden too, and got one with the mesh sides that is only 5 foot in diameter, DS loves it.

Does your DS likes deep pressure? Mine does. A simple game as told by Bibic, is to wrap kid in tightly in his duvet , and tap gently away at their wrapped up body for a few minutes.
It's called the 'sausage roll'.... DS loves it!

Oh I have no idea! Will give it a try!!

mysonben my boy does that he comes home strips to his boxers and wraps himself in his quilt or blanket he's 15 and hates clothes OT told me the other week it was quite common among ASD kids. He hates wearing clothes though.

I was told by the OT that trampolining could be counter productive for DS1 as it will 'feed' sensory seeking and that we should just do deep pressure rolling and weighting him down so that he develops a better sense of where he is in the world.

Hi
If you can get an OT to do a Winnie Dunn sensory profile that would be really useful for you as it sounds like your son needs some kind of sensory diet in order to provide him with the feedback he is needing....
If an OT is hard to come by- as they seem to be in many areas in the UK then try any of these books for suggestions of activities you can do at home:
Practical Sensory Programmes for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Other Special Needs
by Sue Larkey
The Out-Of-Sync Child Has Fun: Activities for Kids with Sensory Processing Disorder
by Carol Kranowitz

Barmy, you should see my living room - entirely taken over by rocking horse and 1.10m trampoline!! (I live in an appartment). Every so often trampoline is cleared away so that we have a bit more space and we always pay for it afterwords. DD also a nightmare for spinning on the office chair!

Well I tried today to wrap him up in his duvet and tap gently but he just laughed his head off and said can I get out now??!! PMSL!!

I don't know, its weird to describe. He is completely with it when he is doing this bumping around and stops when I ask him to but whilst out in a shop today he started to do it again and as soon as he started he got a bit worried and said "I don't want to go to my room for 5 minutes mummy" and then stopped.

God it broke my heart. Naughty step etc never worked for DS, so when he does something naughty - which to be fair isn't that often - (hits or is rude to me etc) he goes to his room to calm down for 5 mins. I felt so upset that he classes this bumping as 'naughty' and that he will get sent to his room for it which of course I would never do .

It doesn't help that alot of the falling to the ground is re-enacting his fave tv programme 'hole in the wall' where he pretends to fall into water.

Oh I don't know, I'm just rambling now, ignore me

Thanks for all your help and advice, will try out as many suggestions as I can

I have a sensory seeker too and would highly recommend the trampoline if you room, we have a giant one in the garden which he jumps, somersaults and crashes about on, its great.

Giant bean bag and let him crash away!

Jumping and stomping as well.