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Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Sensory Strategies to Help Your Child Regulate

Those of you who attended the state adoption conference had the pleasure of hearing the presentation about the Alert Program. This system of teaching a child to self-regulate, uses the term “heavy work” to describe activities to help a child regulate their energy level. Whether a child needs to perk up or calm down, these types of activities can be instrumental in getting them to “just right.” As explained in the book, "The Out-of-Sync Child", this idea is based on the proprioceptive sense.

The proprioceptive sense took some time for me to understand. I finally got it, I think, not from the definition or explanation, but from the list of activities in this category. Proprioception has to do with feeling something happening in one’s joints. Pushing, pulling, lifting, chewing, and deep pressure all fit this category. If your child has poor body-awareness or muscle control, she needs help in this area. If your child bumps into things or seems “klutzy,” falls into chairs, or is slow in learning how to ride a bike or shoot a basket, proprioception is probably the problem. This sense, along with tactile, can even effect eating- a variable often over-looked. Sensory problems are common in our kids because during the development of their brains, trauma (staying alive) took the priority, and the other, “unnecessary” tasks, especially the sense of touch and body-awareness, were neglected. The thing is, even if your child has no issues with these things and seems fine, proprioceptive activites are still beneficial in regulating energy levels. And this huge for our kids.

The companion book, “The Out-of-Sync Child has Fun,” describes many activities to meet this sensory need. I’m just going to pick some and list them here. As a disclaimer, make sure these activities are supervised and safe.

1. * Take a thick rope, 7 or 8 yards long and park your car on top of it. The child can try to pull it out. Or hold one end of the rope while standing still and have your child lie on the floor holding the other end. He can try to get to you by pulling the rope hand over hand. (To add an attachment component see if he can play the no-blinking game at the same time or reward him with a silly kiss when he reaches you, or let him put a sticker on your face) Or make knots in the rope and play tug-of-war. Or make it into a circle and jump in and out of it.

2. *Fill two-liter bottles with water and then add food coloring or glitter, or small objects. Glue the tops on. Shake. Tip back and forth. Carry in hands, pull in a wagon, push with a stick, kick or bury.

3. *Crash onto a pile of pillows or beanbag chair.

4. *Get a section of log and let your child hammer nails into it. If this is too difficult, use golf tees and stiff foam. Get a piece of wood and hammer a nail design or name into it.

5. * Place heavy food items around the house and have your child “shop” for them, placing each one in a big plastic tub or bucket and pushing it from room to room. Try using books, bags of rice or beans, or your filled two-liter bottles.

6. * “Oh my gosh! The wall is falling down! Help me push it back up!” Stand against the wall and push with all your might holding your hands up high, or down low, or use your hips, your knees or your shoulder.

7. *Carry buckets to water plants. Rearrange the furniture. Have pillow fights. Chew beef jerky. Sit your child on the washer during the agitation and spin cycle while standing close by. Help in the garden. Wrap up tight in a blanket.

Making these kinds of activities a regular part of your child’s day can help her keep in a calm, alert state before a problem arises or help veer away from a melt-down if you can catch it early enough. Googling “proprioceptive activities for kids” can give a hundreds of ideas. Sensory activities can also add that component of “fun” into your day. Helping my child's state of awareness reach it's perfect level, helping him become successful, re-programming those pesky neurological pathways and have fun doing it? What could be better than that?

Friday, May 4, 2012

Mother's Day Celebration in Gallup

Saturday, May 12


Mother’s Day Special!

Fiesta wants to treat all Moms!

Mom, dads & kids will meet at

Indian Hills Elementary at 3 p.m. - Gallup, NM - Region I

The dads & kids will meet in the cafeteria for snacks & to do some special things for the moms & to play on the playground from 3-5 p.m.



The moms will go to Camielle's Sidewalk Cafe together for coffee and dessert and for time to talk with each other.

Around 4:45 pm the moms will go back to Indian Hills to meet up with the dads and kids.

Please RSVP by Monday, May 7th with number of people from your family attending so that we will know how to plan!



Thank you,

Brian & Sheila Kruis

Fiesta Family Contacts

Region I - Gallup

505-488-8697

bpkruis@yahoo.com