Our little guy is 6 years old, is pre-verbal and in ABA, speech and OT. He is slowly making improvements but it is so hard for him to sit still to play or focus. He seems to stimm excessively by either stomping around or tapping on books, puzzles or his chest. Sometimes his tapping seems intense. I have been told he has a need for sensory input. Are there ways to lessen or channel his energy into more socially acceptable behaviours? Other children look at him “strangely”. Thank you!
Answer:
Thank you for your question! Excessive stimming is very common for children with ASD. The first thing I would do is speak to his OT and see what recommendations they have for sensory input for him. We work with OTs in the ABA world all the time for this exact reason. Many of my students have OT exercises that they do 2-3 times throughout the day to help regulate them, calm them down, and get them to better focus on sitting and getting their work done at school. See if the OT can share some exercises with you to do at home. I would recommend doing these OT exercises when he wakes up in the morning, at least once at school, when he gets home from school (in the beginning of his home ABA session if the timing works out), and maybe even before bed. You will see if you are consistent with this it will make a world of difference! You can specifically ask the OT for "heavy work" among any other recommendations.
As for channeling his energy into more socially acceptable behaviors, depending on where you live I would recommend looking for special needs sports leagues. I live in New York and there is an amazing running club for children with special needs. They make it fun and even do races with the kids. Something like that would be great for your son to get some energy out! And it does not have to be a special needs league. Six-years-old is a great age to sign up for a soccer league or any other sport, but I always tell parents to get a feel for the league and make sure they are going to be open-minded so your child has a positive experience. Soccer or track and field are great because they are a lot of running. And if you do not have a trampoline, I would recommend getting one because that could be another great outlet for him!
Thank you for your question! Excessive stimming is very common for children with ASD. The first thing I would do is speak to his OT and see what recommendations they have for sensory input for him. We work with OTs in the ABA world all the time for this exact reason. Many of my students have OT exercises that they do 2-3 times throughout the day to help regulate them, calm them down, and get them to better focus on sitting and getting their work done at school. See if the OT can share some exercises with you to do at home. I would recommend doing these OT exercises when he wakes up in the morning, at least once at school, when he gets home from school (in the beginning of his home ABA session if the timing works out), and maybe even before bed. You will see if you are consistent with this it will make a world of difference! You can specifically ask the OT for “heavy work” among any other recommendations.
As for channeling his energy into more socially acceptable behaviors, depending on where you live I would recommend looking for special needs sports leagues. I live in New York and there is an amazing running club for children with special needs. They make it fun and even do races with the kids. Something like that would be great for your son to get some energy out! And it does not have to be a special needs league. Six-years-old is a great age to sign up for a soccer league or any other sport, but I always tell parents to get a feel for the league and make sure they are going to be open-minded so your child has a positive experience. Soccer or track and field are great because they are a lot of running. And if you do not have a trampoline, I would recommend getting one because that could be another great outlet for him!