Tween with SPD

by Lisa
(Colorado)

My 11-year-old daughter was very recently diagnosed with SPD. I am finding it very difficult to get a child of this age to do anything she doesn't want to do. "I don't like to bounce, I don't want to spin, I don't like that kind of bubble gum." You just can't force a kid this age to do these things that she is so uncomfortable with. Any great age-appropriate ideas? So much of the information that I am finding is for younger kids.



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Apr 21, 2009
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starstarstarstarstar 		I get it!
by: Heather, Calif

Hi Lisa, My daughter is 12 and I know exactly what your talking about! My daughter was diagnosed at 6 with auditory processing disorder and ADDIN the IN stands for inattentive... she tunes out when she's over-loaded and looks half asleep even though her heart rate is high.

When she turned 11 I couldn't even mention anything about fidgets, gum, jumping, ect. without her getting angry. She just wanted to be like all the other kids. Her teacher even offered to let her chew gum in class and she WOULDN'T do it!

I'm finding talking to other parents of younger SPD kids think they've got it all figured out... if they only knew!! I found that my daughter still loves to go to the park and the playground. The playground is a GREAT sensory gym. I started taking my kids after school almost everyday before homework. My son is 14 and he takes his skateboard and a ball. Sometimes my daughter brings a friend or makes one at the park. Both of my kids love to compete so I'd make obstacle courses and time them, jumping rope, running sprints,hopping on one foot ect. She did'nt even realize she was doing OT!

For my daughter though I did end up putting her on ADD meds. because her self esteem about school was at a crisis point. For her they work great clearing the "fog" and getting her to slow down. She was able to work to her capability without zoning out and her grades went up to A's and B's. But she still needed all of that physical activity even with meds.
Good Luck!
Heather

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