Hey Julianne! Yes I have a pattern for making the weighted blanket send me a PM with your EMAIL address and I will email it to you. (also to anyone else interested)
SLEEPING ISSUES
These kids not sleeping is so rough!
1 suggestion... since these kids like predictibility and routine and resist change... DONT START SOMETHING YOU DONT WANT TO HAVE CONTINUE.
SO here are some suggestions to try
Try a consistent and predictable routine before bedtime every night.
Allow them to do some heavy loading exercises this will help them release excess energy and calm themselves before bed.
Some say its a chemical imbalance with the seritonin levels in their body... many swear by giving their child supplements like Melatonin PLEASE CHECK with your childs dr to find a safe amount if you choose this route
Melatonin for Sleep Disturbances in Children
For me part of the help was a small dosage of Clonidine.... even now at 9 1/2 without medication he can not fall asleep until well after 1 am!
** ALSO NOTE keeping a journal of when your child sleeps and is awake daily behaviors and so forth is a good idea.. sometimes it gives you better knowledge of what is going on when you can look back over the past several days or weeks and start seen a predictable pattern with your child.
Reward chart
Reduce Your Stress Level Sometimes nature sounds can help soothe or calm them
Calming Activities like heavy loading or deep pressure massage. http://www.101lifestyle.com/beauty/massage/massagestroke.htm l ALSO
http://www.wekneadyou.com/pages/techniques.html *Keep in mind this is usually done by a trained therapist HOWEVER you can be taught how to do this safely... ALSO keep in mind most autistic kids so not like the light touch...... firm, deep pressure massage relaxes them, grounds them, makes them more aware, alert, and more receptive
Many believe sleep disturbances are sensory related.. I will include some links here
How to know if its sensory / What to do *NOTE this also includes calming activities*
Sensory Integration - Must Read
Sensory Defensiveness & Sensory Diet
Sensory Integration & Teaching Strategies
Bed tents - they block out the outside stimuli providing a calming and quiet environment for the child to relax and go to sleep Many special needs catalogs sell them here are some links to various places
http://www.target.com/gp/browse.html/601-3573889-0737750?%5F encoding=UTF8&node=13419891
http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=twin+size+bed+tents& hl=en&lr=&sa=N&tab=ff&oi=froogler
*** Just type in a search for TWIN SIZE BED TENTS and something should come up***
WEIGHTED BLANKETS! This has been the final thing to really help my son and many other kids here! It isnt 100% but for my son its been 98% I never would have believed if someone had said he would sleep through the night from day 1 but he did!
http://www.specialkidszone.com/Product_Level3.asp?ProductID= 1368
http://www.beyondplay.com/CATALOG/SEN3.HTM
http://www.calmcomforts.com/blanket/blankets.htm
http://www.theraproducts.com/index/page-catalog/main-8161/su b-8289/
http://www.saltoftheearthweightedgear.com/fabricspage.html
http://www.weightedblanket.net/
http://www.myweightedblankets.com/pricing___orders
Here is some general info about Sleep problems in ASD kids....
http://aut.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/5/2/209
http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=367&a=3376 *good Info here
I just came across this site and thought it might offer help as well.... http://www.angelfire.com/tn3/task/sleep.htmlThank you so much. I think I will pass these links on to my mom too. She seems to be very interested in supporting Levi and me through all of this. She is spending a lot of time with Levi now and I notice her patience has greatly improved with him now that she realizes he is not just being intentionally difficult.
This board is such a blessing. I am getting 100 times the info that I was getting from the doctor.
Thank you Michelle for all the great input!
Thank you again, Julianne