I am slowly working through the book Raising a Sensory Smart Child by Lindsey Biel and Nancy Peske. This is the book I got this summer to start reading, that showed me we definitely needed to work with an OT to get some of our issues resolved. I must admit the book was quite overwhelming this summer, but now that I know a little more, it is eye opening. I am loving it!
I just skipped to the crux of the matter and moved right to chapter 10-Helping Your Child Learn and Get Organized!!!
I learned:
1) "not all children with SID have learning disabilities, but about 70 percent of learning disabled kids have SI dysfunction" page 222
2) "National Center for Learning Disabilities defines learning disabilities as a group of neurological disorders that affect the brain's ability to store, process, and communicate information." page 222
3) 'Your goal is that as he grows up, he will become sensory smart and self-aware enough to recognize his own neurological state and to self-regulate, that is, to give himself the sensory input he needs to keep on track." page 229
4) "We don't all learn the same way, although we are generally all taught the same way....the multi sensory approach that taps into more than one or two senses works best. This applies to all children, and especially to a child with sensory issues who has a strongly preferred mode of learning." page 235
So on to some practical ideas for the day!
Here is Hannah working with the Connect Four game. No, she is not playing it, she is using it as a tool.
1) she picked up the red pieces individually with her right thumb and pointer finger and placed them in the game. Then she did the same with her left hand with the black pieces.
2) then she picked up one piece and stored it in her hand and then picked up a second piece and stored it in her hand. She then manipulated one piece back into her fingers and placed it in the game, then the second piece. She again did red with one hand and black with the other hand.
3) She then did the same thing with 3 pieces. We did not go higher as the pieces were too large for her hand.
These games are teaching fine motor skills as well as strengthening her fingers. And she loves it!!
We are still working on grip with Caleb. Here you see the zoo sticks I talked about a while ago, with the squishy worms. Then I added in having him practice his writing with a straw. When he grips it too tight it squished and if he pushed too hard it bends.
Today we had a couple of tough points, so we took some 'big work' breaks. Having him catch and throw a heavy ball, do big kangaroo jumps, race upstairs for something I pretended to need, and the ever popular----jumping jacks!! Most of the time these helped him to refocus and move back into what he need to do. We also discussed him needing to recognize when he 'needs' some 'big work' and to ask for it. We will see if he is able to do that yet in the days to come.
This race takes the top 40 guys and top 40 girls from Oregon and Washington and gives them a taste of elite runner's life on the Nike campus.
Sorry to say Washington won again this year.
Drew's friends (Blake, Nick, Nick, and Ammon) got up at 4 am to drive up and support Drew and the other southern Oregon runners. They are great friends, but had some trouble spelling!!!
Here they got it right!!!
This race is an actual head to head, in that they actually start on two opposite sides of a soccer field and race directly at one another!!! 
This race is an actual head to head, in that they actually start on two opposite sides of a soccer field and race directly at one another!!! 
The cross country logo in the midst of the soccer field.
Drew sporting the Oregon 'blue'!!
Drew and his teammate, David, post-race. 
The cross country logo in the midst of the soccer field.
Drew sporting the Oregon 'blue'!!
Drew and his teammate, David, post-race. 
