When looking at behavior, there are close similarities displayed with both children who have attention difficulties (ADD/ ADHD) and sensory processing disorder (SPD). Co-morbid diagnoses may include Autism, Developmental Delays, and Learning Disabilities. Common characteristics for children with both sensory seeking SPD and ADHD (hyperactive/impulsive type) are as follows: impulsivity, excessive activity, disorganization, impatience and poor self-control.
However, more specifically, children who have SPD tend to be more in control of stopping impulsive behaviors. They may crave activity relating to a specific sensory system, may become more organized after receiving proper sensory input and may be more patient while waiting if give proper sensory input. They commonly poke/pull/touch others without proper sensory input.
Those who have ADHD (hyperactive/impulsive type), tend to continue impulsive behaviors, be disorganized and have difficulty waiting-even with sensory input. They tend to crave activity not related to a specific sensory system. They often talk a lot, impulsively interrupt, and have difficulty waiting a turn during a conversation.
For Children:
Ο Learning to Slow Down and Pay Attention by K. Nadeau, Ph.D. & E. Dixon, Ph.D. (2004).
Ο Putting on the Breaks by P. Quinn, M.D. & J. Stern, M.A. (2008).
For more resources, talk to a psychololgist at Child and Family Development at either of our Charlotte offices.Ο Cory Stories by J. Kraus & W. Martin (2004).
For Teens:
Ο The ADHD Workbook for Teens: Activities to Help You Gain Motivation and Confidence by L. Honos-Webb, Ph.D. (2011).
Ο The Girls' Guide To AD/HD: Don't Lose This Book! by B. Walker (2009).
For Young Adults:
Ο Survival Guide for College Students with ADHD or LD, by K. Nadeau, Ph.D. (2006).
Ο ADD and the College Student: A Guide for High School and College Students with Attention Deficit Disorder by P. Quinn, MD. (2001).
Along with many rating scales and other standardized tests, the team of child psychologists at Child and Family Development in Charlotte, NC often uses a continuous performance test as one part of our psycho-educational assessments.
The Brain Train website, www.braintrain.com, provides a detailed description of the IVA+Plus and other tests and protocols.
The IVA+Plus is a unique combined auditory and visual continuous performance test which provides data in order to to help psychologists and other clinicians better assess the ADHD symptoms of individuals ages 6 through adult. Following the diagnostic criteria outlined in the DSM-IV, IVA+Plus provides data that allows for differentiation between the four sub-types of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder – ADHD, Predominantly Inattentive Type (formerly called ADD), ADHD Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type, ADHD Combined Type, and ADHD Not Otherwise Specified.
The IVA+Plus is a useful tool. It provides a wealth of objective data, follows the DSM-IV guidelines for a unique integrated format, identifies both auditory and visual inattention and impulsivity, mixes visual and auditory stimuli, creating a "real-life" task, increasing test sensitivity and power and improves diagnostic accuracy. In a validity study, IVA+Plus correctly identified clinician diagnosed ADHD children 92.3% of the time and accurately assessed treatment and medication effects. Research studies demonstrate excellent test-retest reliability and stability.
The Family Clinic: Multi-Modal Management of ADHD and Related Emotional Issues was founded in February 1991, a joint effort of Carolina Neurological Clinic and Child and Family Development, to provide services to children diagnosed with attention disorders.
Since 2001, Dr. Pleas Geyer of Carolinas Medical Center has led the collaboration. The Family Clinic has broadened it’s scope to include not only children with ADD/ADHD, but also autism spectrum disorders, developmental disorders, anxiety, depression, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and other emotional issues.
The Family Clinic meets at our Midtown office on most Wednesday afternoons.
The treatment goal is to carefully monitor and support children with diagnosed ADHD/ADD, anxiety, depression, developmental disorders, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and related emotional disorders, including medication therapy, focusing on the impact on development and school performance.
Pleas R. Geyer, M.D.. is a child and adolescent psychiatrist who provides care and medication management of children and adolescents diagnosed with emotional and developmental disorders. Dr. Geyer is in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Carolinas Medical Center, and is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He brings a depth of experience in his treatment of our child and adolescent population. Dr. Geyer is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in General Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and Forensic Psychiatry.
Contact Jenny at our Midtown office to learn more about The Family Clinic.
More ideas for fidgets, include using small toys that provide additional tactile input, such as squishy, spikey, gooey, and moveable surfaces. A classic figet, or "stress ball", can be made easily at home. Just take a thick balloon, fill it with sand or flour, and tie it securely. You may also want to fill a balloon with playdoh for a different texture, and finger strengthening.
Make sure to take your childs needs & any safety concerns related to mouthing objects or immaturity into account before providing your child with a fidget. For more information on helping children with ADHD, sensory processing disorder, anxiety, or hyperactivity in Charlotte, NC contact an occupational therapist at Child and Family Development.
Alerting foods can be good to increase the arousal level of children who are typically low arousal. They may also need to be considered foods to avoid during particular points of the day when inattention, hyperactivity, or sensory challenges may be present.
Alerting foods can include:
- CRUNCHY FOOD: like bavarian pretzels, carrots, apples, banana chips, pickles, popcorn, crackers, granola bars, nuts, raw vegetables, etc.
- Sour and spicy flavored foods
- Cold items (ice, popsicles, ice water, ice cream)
- Carbonated drinks
- Sucking on hard candy like Warheads, Fire balls, sour balls, Hot Tamales, etc.
If you are looking for more information on oral strategies, ADD, or sensory processing, consult with an Occupational Therapist at Child and Family Development.
Looking back on my days in elementary school, I remember the banging of erasers and washing the board as a special job. The cringing of someone scratching a chalkboard is long over. These days, students may ask "What's a chalkboard?". Classrooms now are filled with an amazing amount of technology, from computers, laptops and smart boards. Schools are constantly trying to keep up with the endless amount of technology available to them.
As a Pediatric Speech Language Pathologist, I have had to put away some of my dittos and articulation cards and move forward with the technology. When working on expressive and receptive language skills, Powerpoints and SmartBoard Activities have become the norm. Flip Videos are now used for teaching social skill lessons to children with Autism.
I purchased an Ipad a few months ago and have found that children with disabilities can do things on an Ipad that most adults cannot. I have seen a child who is non-verbal increase expressive language skills by using the Ipad to communicate. A 2 year old with a developmental delay was able to navigate through an activity, gaining a sense of independence while increasing receptive language skills.
We have to face it. Our world is more technologically based than it has ever been. Children with Autism, Attention Deficit Disorder, Learning Disabilities or Developmental Delays will benefit from early use and exposure to computers and other forms of technology.
If you are interested in learning more about how technology can help your child, please contact me at jwalton@childandfamilydevelopment.com.
There are a number of foods which may have a calming affect, because of the sensory input provided to the mouth. Some of these foods include:
- Sucking (ice, milk shakes, noodles, hard candy)
- Using a sports bottle with a straw for increased heavy work
- Thick foods like peanut butter, milk shakes, or smoothies
- Chewy foods like gum, fruit roll-ups, dried fruit, bagels, gummy candy, chicken strips, cheese, taffy, caramels, Starburst, or cooked vegetables
It can also be beneficial to include these foods & techniques in your child's lunch, at snack time during school, and provide a water bottle with a straw throughout the day.
If you and your child are looking for more guidance in the areas of sensory processing or ADHD in Charlotte, consult an Occupational Therapist at Child and Family Development!
All you need are small toy cars, popsicle sticks, plastic construction blocks, and small balls; shaving cream, a tray, and a way to clean up and dry off. (Other plastic toys can "take a bath" too.) Kids can use their cars to drive through a carwash that they build out of the blocks. Cars can be used to makes lines, patterns, or letters. You can also make a maze with the blocks for cars to drive through an obstacle course. After you are finished with the drive through, make sure to rinse the cars, dry them, and then put them away!
To increase the tactile experience, increase the amount of shaving cream to provide more contact with the skin, and include extra textures in the mix. To decrease the challenge, use less shaving cream, and provide paper towels within sight to ease anxiety about quick clean up when the shaving cream becomes too much.
This activity was shared from: The Out-of-Sync Child Has Fun: Activities for Kids with Sensory Processing Disorder by Carol Kranowitz, M.A. For more great activities in all areas of sensory processing, get your hands on a copy of the book!
Feely Shapes: Fun with Spaghetti!
What you will need:
- package of spaghetti
- pot with water
- placemats
Activities: Cook the spaghetti and then rinse it with cold water until its cool enough for little hands to touch. Provide a placemat for easier clean up and encourage your child to make shapes, numbers or letters out of this fun new texture.
The following shapes are appropriate expectations:
2-3 years old: imitate a vertical line, horizontal line, and circle; copy a horizontal line
3-4: copy a horizontal line and circle
4-5: cross, diagonals, square, X
5+: triangle, make a person, create a picture, uppercase letters, & lowercase letters
Adding different types of pasta will increase the tactile input & creative potential during this activity. If children are afraid to touch the pasta, they should be encouraged, but could use eating utencils to lessen the sensory challenge.
This fun activity is shared from the book, "The Out-of-Sync Child Has Fun: Activities for Kids with Sensory Processing Disorder" by Carol Kranowitz, M.A. which is full of great sensory
activities for kids!
Child and Family Development is pleased to offer Cogmed Working Memory Training.
Joy Granetz, Ph.D. is one of a few trained Practitioners in our area.
Dr. Granetz is a North Carolina licensed psychologist and has over twelve years of extensive experience. Dr. Granetz is based at our South Charlotte clinic where she provides neuropsychological assessment and psychoeducational evaluations of children and adolescents with special focus in working with children and adolescents with learning disabilities, attention disorders, head injury, tic disorders, and epilepsy. Dr. Granetz also provides therapy for children and adolescents with emotional and/or behavioral difficulties. She is proud to lead our Cogmed Working Memory Training program, an innovative computer-based training program to help children with attention deficits.
Cogmed Working Memory Training is a home-based program that helps people with attention problems by training and increasing their working memory capacity. Clinically proven results demonstrate that after training, people improve their ability to concentrate, control impulsive behavior, and better utilize complex reasoning skills. Better academic and professional performance can be achieved.
Visit their website, www.cogmed.com, for more information about this state-of-the-art intervention. A free parent webinar is available.
To find out if Cogmed Working Memory Training is right for you, call our South Charlotte office (704.541.9080) to schedule an initial appointment.
This activity may be overly stimulating for children with tactile defensiveness, which we often see in children with Autism or Sensory Processing Disorders. If your child exhibits defensiveness, encourage them but, don't force them to touch the pudding. Incorporating tools like a spoon or old paint brush could encourage them to continue with playing with the pudding without having to touch it. Add sprinkles, Cool-whip, or other fun toppings to vary the texture! It will take a little clean up, but it will be alot of fun!
Any child would benefit from this activity including those with anxiety, dyslexia, attention deficit disorder (ADD), hyperactivity, and developmental delays! Enjoy :)
This activity will offer a minimum sensory challenge (water play), but is a fun way to work on fine motor skills, eye hand coordination, and pre-writing, drawing, or letter writing with your child during their summer "vacation" from school!
Mystery Paint
4 tablespoons of baking soda
4 tablespoons water
cotton swab
white paper
water color paint
Place the baking soda in a cup and dissolve in the water. Have the child dip a cotton swab and paint an invisible picutre. When dry, brush watercolor paint over the paper... Abracadabra the picture appears! Some children will have a hard time painint something they cannot see. It may take several tries before they understand the process. As an adaptation, parents or siblings can make pictures ahead of time & your child can use the watercolors to uncover the hidden picture.
Activity shared from "Including the Special Needs Child" by Grace Bickert
Children with learning disabilities, ADD and ADHD, anxiety, dyslexia, autism, hyperactivity, or developmental delays could all benefit from the skills used in this activity!
This sensory cooking recipe will be more of a challenge for tactile defensive kids & wouldn't be very tasty, but it will make a fun gooey mess for sensory seekers, or anyone who likes to get their hands dirty every now and then.
Oatmeal Dough
1 cup flour
2 cups dry oatmeal
1 cup water
Gradually add water to flour and oatmeal in a bowl. Knead until mixed. The dough will be sticky but unique to the touch. Mold as you would any play dough. For variation add in small amount of cornmeal or coffee grounds.
Have your child help to read the ingredients. Mixing the dry ingredients together shouldn't be too much of a challenge- a challenge lies in the kneading of the dough which will be very sticky. This could be a particular challenge to a child with autism, anxiety, or sensory defensiveness. Others might love the opportunity! If your child isn't a lover of sticky things, offer them a spoon to help with the mixing process, and encourage at least a little poking or touching of the dough after it's mixed. For molding, you could offer a cookie cutter or other textured object.
Recipe shared from "Including the Special Needs Child" by Grace Bickert
This cooking activity can be a fun hands-on sensory experience & and a creative way to introduce some new or "scary" foods to picky eaters!
Peanut Butter Play Dough
1 jar peanut butter
A few spoonfuls of honey or syrup
Powdered milk, cocoa, or powdered sugar
Mix the first two ingredients. Then add powdered milk until it is a consistency for molding. Roll, shape & decorate with raisins, nuts or other edible items. Then eat!
This activity would be great for children with autism, anxiety, Adhd, learning disabilities, or developmental delays and can be varied according to your child's specific needs. Following directions & doing the hands-on steps of this activity would be great for any child! (As long as they are not allergic to peanuts!) To make this activity a greater sensory challenge: don't offer a spoon to mix, encourage using hands to create sculpture or shapes, encourage your child to eat their creations and their decorations. To make it easier: offer a spoon for mixing, use a rolling pin or cookie cutters, and encourage your child to just touch and play with the new foods rather than eating them!
Recipe shared from "Recipes for Sensory Play"
Bead Dough
3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup cornstarch
warm water
Mix the flour, salt, and cornstarch in a bowl. Add water slowly until it starts to clump. Let the children knead into a large ball. This dough will make great beads and sculptures. To make beads, roll into small balls and pierce with a toothpick. Children can also roll out into a long snake and cut off small pieces. Later string the beads on dental floss or embroidery floss. Dries in about two days.
Recipe taken from "Including The Special Needs Child" by Grace Bickert
One piece of occupational therapy is addressing aversion to sticky or gooey textures which can impact a childs willingness to engage in everyday activities. If you are home for the summer or on the weekend and are looking for a sensory cooking and play activity, here is one that can be paired with a book! It is a great activity for any child, but particularly children with autism, attention deficit disorder, ADHD, hyperactivity, or developmental delays.
This recipe is for "Oobleck" from Dr. Seuss' book, "Bartholomew and the Oobleck". You can read the story before making the gooey substance. Your kids can get involved with mixing the recipe together and it offers a great sensory experience afterwards. The oobleck looks like liquid and will run off and down your fingers, but when you pick it up in chunks or pinch it, it feels like a solid.
Ingredients:
1 box cornstarch
1 1/2 to 2 cups water
a drop or two of food coloring
Add water to the cornstarch in a bowl until it is semi-firm & mix well. It can be stored covered in the refrigerator. As it becomes dry in storage and/or from handling, add water to soften it.
To increase the sensory challenge ask your children to mix the ingredients by hand and play with the oobleck with both hands. Decrease the sensory challenge by offering them a spoon to mix and even to play with the oobleck. Some children will warm up to it slowly, progressing from spoon play, to poking in one finger, or liking the feeling of the ooblick dripped on the back of their hands or off their fingers! Remember, with any sensory activity, the goal is to have fun and only stretch a little bit beyond our comfort zone, rather than causing too much anxiety.
Recipe shared from www.skillbuildersonline.com "Recipes for Sensory Play"
A pediatric occupational therapist at Child and Family Development works on helping to develop your child's scissor skills.
Children can snip with scissors by 2-2 1/2 years of age. Remember to use safety scissors! By 4-5 years of age, a child should be able to cut out simple, basic shapes such as a circle or square.
In order to learn how to cut, you must master the following:
- balance
- shoulder stability
- forearm control
- wrist stability
- grasping skills
- finger isolation
- accurate release
- 2 hand usage
- eye-hand coordination
- able to hold and manipulate scissors appropriately
- short random snips
- manipulate scissors in forward motion
- stay within lines (wider lines first, narrower when more control is gained)
- cutting shapes with straight lines
- cutting shapes with curved lines
Activities to work on scissors skills:
- cut with thicker materials that are less likely to bend and tear and that will add resistance and feedback so the child can really feel what he/she is doing
- index cards, post cards, construction paper, foam, brown paper bags, junk mail!
- cut drinking stras, string them to make necklaces
- cut playdoh - make snakes and cut into chunks
- give your preschooler a pair of safety scissors and an old toy magazine and let them cut out their his/her favorite toys
- Use squirt bottles, squirt toys, water guns, turkey basters, tongs, and hole punchers to practice the hand grasp and motions needed for cutting with scissors
Read a book together. Ask your child to point to or name pictures in the book. You can also have your child talk about what is going on by looking at the pictures. For older children, you can have them read a passage in a book and then discuss or ask questions based on the passage.
Have a sound day. Pick a day and you and your child can find as many things as you can that begin with a certain sound throughout the day.
Use purchased games. Games that your child may already have may be used to teach speech and language skills. For example, using a Go Fish game, you can work on labeling objects and asking questions.
Make a word/sound collage. Kids love to look through pictures in magazine. Go through and cut out pictures of different objects in categories or pick objects that begin with a certain sound. You can paste these into a word/sound book which you could add to at any time.
Make a recipe together. Have your child pick out something to make. You can work on naming ingredients and objects you will need to make the recipe. Recipes are also a great way to work on sequencing and following directions. Plus at the end, you will have something yummy to share!
These are just a few suggestions. There are many websites that have tons of ideas for speech and language activities you can do with your toddler, preschooler or school aged child. You can make any activity throughout the day a potential learning experience. Just remember to have fun!
If you do have any concerns about your child's speech, language or hearing, contact Child and Family Development to set up a free phone consultation with a licensed speech therapist.
Picture a child who happens to be overly sensitive to sound. Imagine what this child will hear if she is sitting in the classroom while the teacher is talking. Will she hear the teacher? OR, will she hear the sound of a classmate's pencil writing, the clock ticking, someone's foot tapping, a classmate chewing her gum, someone walking down the hall, the birds chirping outside, etc. With all of this ambient noise, how will she be able to focus on what the teacher is saying.
One more example... how about a child who is under-responsive and has trouble processing movement and balance sensations. He needs to move around more than his peers in order to rev up and get his body going. He is a "mover and a shaker", a "bumper and a crasher", and is always "on the go". He rocks, spins, jumps, climbs, leaps, and runs everywhere. He pays more attention to satisfying his need for movement and not much attention to what the teacher (or mother) is asking him to do.
Sensory Processing Disorder is a neurological condition which affects behavior and learning. Medicine doesn't fix it, but, often, occupational therapy helps. Occupational therapy can provide a sensory diet to address the child's underlying difficulties processing sensations rather than just the symptoms of inattention.
If your child is frequently (but not always) inattentive, it is useful to ask some questions:
- Where, when, and how often does this inattention occur?
- What is the stimulus?
- What does the child do as self therapy?
- What is happening (or not happening) when the child concentrates well?
- What does the child need, and what helps?
If you are unsure as to whether or not your child has ADHD, please consult with your physician who can refer you to an occupational therapist who can help determine if your child's inattentive behavior is more related to a sensory processing deficit or an attention disorder.
Resource: Sensory Processing Disorder vs. Attention Deficit Disorder
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