Sensory Processing Disorder and Disney World

[JustLikeHeaven]

Hi there.

My son 4 1/2 has just been diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder. For the last 2 or so years, we've known that something wasn't right with him. He'll cover his ears and go berzerk with the littlest thing eg. dog barking (and he has one at home), lawn mowers, trimmers, planes flying overhead, farm animals, elevators/escalators, christmas lights, etc.

We went to DW just after he turned two and he seemed to have little or no sensory issues at that point, but the last 2 years have gotten worse for him and he is overstimulated by so many things. He has an Ocupational Therepist, but we're waiting to hear back hopefully this week from her. I'm thinking/hoping that he'll be put on a sensory diet to help him along with these issues.

Have any of you had your child put on a sensory diet? What kind of differences/success have you seen?

We've been saving for a Disney trip for the last 2 plus years, but at this point in time, there is no way we could ever think about taking him to such a highly stimulating place. We are supposed to go December 2008.

What are some of your experiences taking a child with SPD to DW? Is it safe to say that in a year or two, a lot of the issues he has now may not hamper him then??? or aleast as much???

I would totally appreciate any advice/info. I know that all children are different, but I was wondering how much his life can be improved through OT and a sensory diet and I would love to hear some of your success stories as well as frustrations and limitations. I need to know where we're going with this. Is DW something that we should put on the back burner or she we forget about it entirely.

Thanks and sorry for the long post.

Jill

 

[riu girl]

My daughter has sensory issues. They were really severe as a baby/toddler/preschooler but I find a huge improvement in the last few years (she is now 10).

What we did at Disney was we rented her a large double disney stroller. When it was obvious she was getting overwhelmed by external stimuli, she went in the stroller and read, played with a special stuffed animal, had a snack etc. It was like a safe haven for her.

She is now too large ( 5ft 4 , 110 pounds) for one of the strollers, so not sure what to do next trip. I think I will take a gameboy and if she gets too stressed by too much going on, I will try and find an out of the way place and let her play gameboy or read.

Perhaps you should consider renting one of the large strollers. The hard plastic surface seemed to really help vs. a regular stroller.

 

[OneLittleSpark]

I've also heard some people take a towel with them to put across the stroller canopy, to help block out more of the world (just make sure he doesn't over-heat). Some have also suggested using ear defenders or an iPod with headphones to block out some of the background noise. I don't know whether either of those would help, but some have found it useful. I'd also suggest talking to the OT about coping methods in such a busy environment.

When in December are you planning to go? It's apparently fairly quiet near the beginning of the month, but gets really busy closer to Christmas. Can you go earlier in the month, or is that not possible for your family?

 

[Sunbeamblue2002]

My son has sensory intergation disorder (or at least thats what they called it at the time). He had a hard time with toliting issues. His diet is the worst (he is very picky). He also has problems with dark to light and loud noises. Fireworks were the worst. Ot has def helped.

We took him along with the rest of the family to disney when he was 5. He had a very good time and loved rides like Small world and going up and down on the magic carpets, playing with the computers in Epcot and the animals in AK. A stroller is a must. Also know where the bathrooms are and go then. The only real problem We had was Haunted Massion. If I had know that the ride went backward I would have never gotten on. Also don't be afraid to let the cast member know that you need to be in the back at shows or on the side in case you need to get out fast. Also ask for the stationary seats in the 4D movies.

We also had to do a little extra planning as far as where to eat so that he wouldn't starve the week were there. Also remember ear plugs they worked fine for use. However if you want to invest in a pair of ear head phones I have talked to people that have had sucess with those like they use on construction sites. He love the fire works and the spetro magic parade. Just stay far enough back when watching the fireworks. I think you will have a great time if you follow the general rule of go early and you do a little extra planning. Hope that helps a little.

 

[MarieS]

Hi there.

My son 4 1/2 has just been diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder. For the last 2 or so years, we've known that something wasn't right with him. He'll cover his ears and go berzerk with the littlest thing eg. dog barking (and he has one at home), lawn mowers, trimmers, planes flying overhead, farm animals, elevators/escalators, christmas lights, etc.

We went to DW just after he turned two and he seemed to have little or no sensory issues at that point, but the last 2 years have gotten worse for him and he is overstimulated by so many things. He has an Ocupational Therepist, but we're waiting to hear back hopefully this week from her. I'm thinking/hoping that he'll be put on a sensory diet to help him along with these issues.

Have any of you had your child put on a sensory diet? What kind of differences/success have you seen?


What are some of your experiences taking a child with SPD to DW? Is it safe to say that in a year or two, a lot of the issues he has now may not hamper him then??? or aleast as much???



Jill

Hi Jill!

My youngest son has a lot of sensory issues ( as well as other medical problems ie CP, etc) too. He has worked with an OT over the years. A sensory diet really helped with the issues and we continue to use parts of it as needed. I found for a sensory diet to work best, you need to incorporate it into your everyday schedule. It needs to be a regular part of his day to make a difference. With a therapist's guidance we did a program called The Listening Program. www.advancedbrain.com You purchase the discs and special quality headphones and do the program at home. Since I purchased it, I can repeat it as needed. I think this helped somewhat with noise sensitivity but I noticed a bigger difference in attention/focus skills. We also tried a brushing protocol with the OT's guidance, but didn't see much difference so we stopped. Several things that really helped him were vibrating toys and weighted blankets. He loves to have input through his chin and the vibrating toys work great for this. We find them at Target and Mejers. Even now, when he starts to get agitated the vibrating toys help him to calm down. He sometimes needs to have what we call "quiet time"--no tv or music just time with his vibrating toys, etc to calm himself. He likes weighted blankets for sleep or to calm. He also likes bouncing on a peanut ball and going in a net swing. These are getting harder to do with his size and CP though.

On our WDW trip, I made social stories for him so he would know what to expect for rides, shows and parades. We skipped the fireworks. In his backpack I brought along vibrating toys to use when needed. We also took a break for rest and quiet at the First Aid station. I also bought a pair of noise reducing headphones at Home Depot. This helped him tolerate some noises better.

Hope these ideas help!

Marie

 

[wendygrace]

Another sensory kiddo here.
I too will second (third?) the stroller and headphones/earplugs. I'd also recommend the book Passporter's Guide book for special needs that I think is called "Open Mouse". Ah, here it is!
The original, and I assume this newer version, had a listing for "quiet spots" and other helpful tips and tricks. Good read for anyone with special needs!

As for therapy, it helped a ton but also observing our son helped. We keep a "blanke" with us at all times that he sucks on when he gets upset. Really calms him fast but each kid is different and what will work with one child won't with others. And you'd be surprised sometimes at what your child will do at Disney. We were concerned that he would be overstimulated, that he'd be afraid of the characters and that he'd hate rollercoasters. We were wrong on all accounts! LOL disney just has magic.

 

[WildGrits]

My DD now 10 has HF Autism. She has had a Sensory Diet since she was in K. She has also been going to WDW since she was 6 months old. We have never done her diet during the summer or on vacation. They have a great child care center in each of the parks. It is a great place to go somewhere dark and cool out over all the stimuli.

She has always done good at WDW. But I can tell you that we have to stay clear away from any of the 3D movies. She did them this time but in the past as soon as she saw those glasses she would freak.

 

[Steamboat Girlie]

Can someone explain what a sensory diet it? My son is 4 and I believe him to have some sensory issues as well. Thanks.

 

[Hasil72]

My DS was first diagnosed at 4 with sensory issues and the OT diet worked wonders for us. He is both a seeker and an avoider so it makes life interesting. We used brushing, playdough, weighted vests or "lap buddies", and vibrating "snakes" for tactile issues and found that sound machines, dad's loud Metallica CD's, and earplugs (silicon not foam) worked for auditory issues. Some things the OT suggested sounded off the wall and I thought, no way will I do that, but they worked.

The headphones aggravated his sensitivity to touch (especially around his head) but we found that earmuffs worked well. He is still a very picky eater. Doesn't like anything with texture. Perfect for WDW since they offer mac and cheese everywhere with everything. He has since been diagnosed with ADHD, ASD, and mild generalized anxiety disorder but we still refer to "the diet" as well as "Silly to Calm" yoga when DS is overwhelmed.

We took DS on his first trip in 2005 when he was 5 1/2. We would visit the parks for a few hours at a time then go back to the house for down time and return around dinner as the parks cleared out a little. (We ended up renting a home for that trip rather than staying on site. Although I prefer on site, renting the villa was great for DS. Plenty of room to chill out, he could swim, etc. and I could have his favorite foods on hand.) We found a quiet place with no one around to watch the fireworks and had a great time.

2008 is our next trip and I can't wait. Good luck with the OT it may seem like a hassle at times on a busy schedule but it really makes a huge difference.

 

[JustLikeHeaven]

Thanks to everyone that responded. It is much appreciated.

We're planning on going the end of November/start of December.... so it won't be peak time.

I'm very anxious to get going with a sensory diet. Thanks for giving me hope. Right now, it would be impossible for him to do anything at DW. We'll have to wait and see. Your suggestions sound quite helpful though.

I'm a huge disney fan. I went several times as a child and envisioned many happy trips with my own child. I've considered going just the two of us and leaving our son with his granparents, but the thought of that just makes me sad. The whole idea is for us all to go have a good time... especially our son.

Don't get me wrong, there are far worse things than SPD, however the state that he's in right now Disney World would be horrifying for him and there would obviously be no enjoyment. I thank God that other than SPD, he's a healthy boy... this just really hampers him from having fun and enjoying some things in life. Maybe we'll all go, but at a later date... say 2010.... gotta wait and see. Obviously there's more to life than just DW.

Jill

 

[WildGrits]

Can someone explain what a sensory diet it? My son is 4 and I believe him to have some sensory issues as well. Thanks.

The sensory diet, a term coined by OT Patricia Wilbarger, is a carefully designed, personalized activity schedule that provides the sensory input a person's nervous system needs to stay focused and organized throughout the day. A person whose nervous system is on "high trigger" will need more calming input, while someone who is more "sluggish" will need more arousing input to "jazz" up her nervous system. Infants, young children, teens, and adults can all benefit from a well-designed sensory diet.