Check out the cool swing Hannah's OT loaned us. You can get them at IKEA. We hung it in our kitchen and it will give Hannah opportunities for "rebalancing" her sensory systems. Our girl gets overloaded easily by different stimuli so things like swinging, massage and other techniques help her to dump out that extra stimulation and be better able to stay calm and focused during the day. When we put her in this swing, Hannah definitely seemed to get right in her "zone" so I think it will work. It's like what happens to her when we go for walks in the stroller. She just kind of checks out/zones out/takes a sensory break. I think we could all use the birds' nest swing now and again, don't you?
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Cool swing. Elizabeth easily gets overloaded and out of control. I really need to get our days sorted out with adding in her proprioceptive exercises. I always remind myself of this after she had had one of her overloaded times. You will have to fill me in on what you are doing for the girls, this is an area where I have let things slide and we are paying the price. I hate people looking at her and thinking how out of control she is when I know she is doing things because I am not giving her enough sensory feedback. I don't know about the girls but most often these times are when we are out in public and I just want to hide.
Ross desperately NEEDS one of those swings!! What did you hang it from? I have been talking to our OT about what we can make/buy to give him some vestibular motion, as well as a calming, sensory place and that is precisely what I had in mind. We went to a friend's house the other day and they had a kid sized hammock that was much like that, except it was made of an open weave fabric, and he totally zoned out in it. The one you have would be so much better because it would help block out more stimuli, while also giving him the vestibular motion input! You said it is in your kitchen, but I am trying to figure out how you installed it.....
Angi,
Does Elizabeth see an OT at all? Hannah's OT has been so great at giving us suggestions for moderating her sensory input and the swing is just one of the things we're doing. She has told us that doing a little bit throughout the day is even better than trying to do a big session once a day so I do lots of little things when I can squeeze them in: chewing on a chewy tube when reading stories before nap or bedtime, using the swing when she gets up from her nap, some brushing/massage before putting on her pjs at bedtime. I do think it's helping her when she gets overloaded and out of control.
Melissa,
We weren't sure where to hang it; my husband was hesitant to put it in a door frame and thought in a ceiling joist would be better but he didn't love the idea of screwing a hole into the ceiling either. Thankfully we have weight-bearing, exposed beams in our kitchen, including one just in front of the doorway to the playroom. That's where he screwed in the eye hook and we attach the swing to it with a caribiner. It can hold both girls at the same time if need be and it's working out great. I put Hannah in it after her nap yesterday and she totally zoned out for almost a half hour, she was so content in there and I noticed such a big difference in her behavior the rest of the afternoon. I hope you can find a good place to hang one for Ross; sounds like he'd love it!
what a great idea. Grace's PT use to swing her on a hanging pummel but hasn't in a while. I'm going to check into this.
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