Q&A: Help! I Have 2 Toddlers with SPD!

Question:

I have three children, aged 12 and 2 ½ years as well as a 17 month-month-old. My younger two have both been diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder. I need help! I stay at home to be the best mommy I can be. At times, it is more than challenging. They constantly knock things down, bump each other, scream, and fight. I just don’t know what to do. Not to mention, my house is a complete disaster, no matter how much I clean. My question is, how can I get them to calm down? Even just a little so that we can have peace in our house.

Answer:

Sounds like you have your hands full! I’ve been in your shoes! It can be overwhelming at times. Here are my suggestions to get you started on the right path:

• Establish a routine. Use pictures to symbolize all aspects of your day. If you join BrainWorks, you can print activity cards from our site. Otherwise, use actual photographs or stickers on index cards. Start implementing “Room Time” for both of them. Begin with 10 minutes if this is something new for them then build up to 30 minutes twice per day. This helps them to learn to play independently and get a break from the stimulation in the house (including each other). It’s also good for you to get a couple of breaks! You can put gates up to keep them in their rooms if necessary. Don’t give in to fussing!
• Other parts of your routine include meals, book time, and errands, outdoor play, etc. For nap time, even if they don’t sleep, insist that they stay in bed for at least an hour with books or quiet toys. For TV time, don’t allow too much. It’s okay to let them watch a couple of shows while you get things done or make phone calls.
• It sounds like they are sensory cravers. These kids like rough, active play. Make sure you give them appropriate forms of this kind of play. Look at the alerting-activities picture cards for babies and young children. These activities will help meet their need for intense play and then, hopefully, they will be able to settle down for a while. You can print these pictures and let them pick activities periodically throughout the day. Build these into the picture routine (use a long strip of cardboard for your routine board).

Let me know if you have any questions about these ideas. Once you get started with these, let me know how it is going, and we can add more techniques if needed.

Best Wishes,
Gwen