Blog Hop Day 1: Homeschooling is SENSE-sational

Homeschooling has helped my children tremendously! I am blessed with all 5 children with sensory issues. Today we have a scheduled, productive, pleasantly calm home. Children that can be a handful but we can enjoy outings, going to relatives, and they are focused enough to learn. That was not always the case.

Years ago the family lived a frustrated, frantic life. The 2 years before we heard of sensory integration disorder (SID or SPD) or autism were the most intense years of my life. I had 3 kids then and towards the end of those trying 2 years I was expecting another. Grocery store trips became infrequent. If I did go they were full of screaming, throwing food, my child spinning in circles (found out later that is stimming) or my daughter would bit her fingers until they bleed. You can understand why I didn’t enjoy shopping.

It didn’t stop there. These behaviors were spread across everything my children did. One couldn’t stand to put shoes or socks on. Another hated to have her socks(specific socks) or shoes (only one pair and we had to buy it in several sizes) off. She had to have certain clothing on at all times. No big hugs, no unusual foods. We were a splintered household with children having all sorts of extreme behavior. We didn’t know what was happening.

Very pregnant and searching for some answers we took our 2 most intense kids to the neurologist. They were both diagnosed with autism and sensory integration disorder. We felt sad but relieved. There was a reason our children were acting so out of control and frantic. Even better there was therapy that was very helpful! The kids immediately started therapy for sensory integration disorder.

Therapy was homeschooling at first. We needed to help our kids get a better handle on their wildly erratic sensory behaviors. We started by helping the brain relearn sensory input with the  Wilbarger technique and joint compressions. I went to all the therapy sessions and took notes on what needed to be worked on that week. The therapist was a bit skeptical at first but when she saw that homeschooling allowed the kids to consistently work on their current therapy needs she would give us “homework” worksheets.

Sensory issues don’t disappear overnight. We have needed therapy on and off for 9 years now. We changed out diet to reflect allergies and Celiac disease we later found out about. Homeschooling has allowed us to consistently work on sensory needs everyday (if needed). We don’t stop working with the kids for holidays or summer. The slow persistent manner homeschooling allows has made wonderful changes to our child’s behavior!

Here are a few things that have helped out homeschool be sensory friendly:

EXERCISE BALLS– multi purpose tool! You can use it to sit on (great for wigglers). You can use it to help upper body strength and balance. You can use it as part of Physical Education class.

PENCIL GRIPS– Grips can help a child that can’t stand the texture of a pencil, or need more feedback and more texture. Some have weights that help the pencil feel more hefty in their hands. Work with your child and get a variety of grips to work with.

EXERCISE- Use exercise for you! All that frantic energy needs focused or eased. Marching, skipping, bicycling, skating any work that uses both sides of the body will help with body awareness. It will help your child’s brain work more effectively.

EAR PLUGS/HEADPHONES- Blocking out sounds can help your child focus.

CLOTHING FLEXIBILITY- I realize that my two youngest daughters need pressure feedback so I am happy to let them work in with a swimsuit or dance outfit on or under their clothing. Socks can be on or off, same with shoes.

VISUAL SHIELD- Little movements, and changes of light can be very distracting. Blocking that out will help your child focus.

Homeschooling is an opportunity to build on the foundation therapy gave us and create a self regulating life for each child. We are a family that has gone from getting by each day praying that bedtime would come early and unable to enjoy any outing. To a family that delights in each other, enjoying our time together!

Here are some resources you might enjoy on the topic Sensory Intense Children:

I have written some article on sensory issues before:

Sensory Diet Ideas

Sensory Videos

Potty Training with a hyposensitive child

Are you looking for medical services in your area from therapists, to dentists where are the sensory understanding medical professionals. Finding Service Providers

Here is a great resource for your sensory intense child… Head’s Up Now! You can find material to assist your homeschooling. Melinda is a therapist and mom to an intense child has lots of great articles in her newsletter!

We have partnered with 16 of the most inspiring, lovely, and just plain awesome bloggers in the homeschool community to bring you 10 days, 160 posts full of resources for those starting out, burned out or need new ideas.

The idea for this blog hop was modified (aka stolen) from Darcy’s 31 Days to a Better Photo, but that is ok because Amy is her cousin and families are allowed to do such things. Using this idea we hope that many people in the homeschooling cyber-world feel encouraged, inspired and recharged in their own homes.

Be sure to visit these brilliant women in this 10 days adventure between February 7th-18th! We love these ladies and we know you do too.

10 days of socialization for mom | The Homeschool Chick
10 days of classical education | Milk & Cookies
10 days of large families | Chocolate on My Cranium
10 days of special needs | Special Needs Homeschooling
10 days of struggling learners | Homeschooling the Chaotic Family
10 days of homeschooling girls | Homegrown Mom
10 days of homeschool enrichment | Confessions of a Homeschooler
10 days of building a spiritual legacy | Mommy Missions
10 days of frugal homeschooling |The Happy Housewife
10 days of Charlotte Mason | Our Journey Westward
10 days of unschooling | Homeschooling Belle
10 days of organization | Confessions of an Organized Homeschool Mom
10 days of getting started | Blog, She Wrote
10 days of homeschooling boys | The Tie That Binds Us
10 days of homeschooling Montessori | Fruit in Season
10 days of preschool | Delightful Learning