brushing and joint compressions | Autism PDD
I was hoping you all could help me. I have recently (5 days or so) begun using the wilbarger method w/my son. I was hoping those of you who do this could tell me what effectiveness this has had on your kids. I was also wondering if you all do it more than every two hours. What I mean by that is whether you also use it if your child is upset/melting down. Finally, I was wondering if this technique may have negative effects. Thanks for your help!
I do this with my son. I am also very confused as to the different therapies given to these kids. I would like to know if there's any proof that any of this actually work's. My son is 22 months and is in a sensory gym, today for the first time One therapist told me to have a nuerological eval of him. However he just stared therapy and I feel that It's too soon and he needs to mature and see hoe the therapy works after 1 year before I wind up possibly getting a false diagnoses of him because he is so delayed doesn't mean he's autistic. I found that boucing him on a ball helps ground him and he seems to pay attention more when I brush himI have been brushing Korban for about 2 months. And a little joint compression. I was such a skeptic, but it has actually helped minimize the sensory stuff, because he can't get enough sensory input! We are actually at the point where he asks for it after a meltdown. It's interesting. I do it When he wakes up, before nap, and before bed, and when he asks of course. My way of thinking changed when I found out what a day was like sans brushing, that's how I noticed it made a difference!Good luck!
Kristi
I started this when C was 3 - totally skepticism - but I was in a "hey, at this point I'll do whatever I'm told" place so I did it. I couldn't figure out whether it was making any difference or not. We were doing a whole bunch of stuff at once (speech, OT, brushing, therapeautic listening, floortime) and saw small but steady progress but I had no idea what specific things to attribute it to. I stuck with the brushing though. When C would tantrum, I'd pull out the brush. Over the course of the year, C became more verbal. By the time he was 4, when he got upset over something he would walk up to me, pull up his shirt, turn so his back was facing me, and say "brush please." He WANTED it to calm down. For the next 2 years I carried it in my purse and if he ever got agitated I'd pull it out and it helped trememdously to calm him down. For 2 years I would brush him in church to keep him calm and regulated during services. It was a godsend. Now at age 6 we really don't use it any more. If he gets upset, which isn't too often, I just rub his back with my hand.
So in sum, I did the brush for a year when he was 3 and had no idea whether it was working or not. Then we he was 4 he would ask for it and I did it for another 2 years, primarily just when he was upset, and it made a huge difference.
HiI have been doing brushing and joint compresions with my son for about 2 months now every two hours. Well, except for the past couple of weeks. I have gotten lazy about it because I didn't think it was making much of a difference. Well I started every two hours again yesterday and boy what a difference. Now this is a boy who doesn't sit still for 2 seconds and after he is brushed and compressed and given deep pressure in his bean bag chair he is calmer. His whole body is calmer. I am glad that I started it up again. Also his ABA therapist commented yesterday and today that his eye contact was much more intentional.
Keep it up it is so worthwhile especially for those sensory seekers.
I was a skeptic too. I started brushing when they were 2, I did not do it every 2 hours, they didn't even tell me to do it every 2 hours, I did it a few times and threw the thing in a drawer. THey screamed when I did it. So when they put them on a sensory diet a couple of weeks ago I was skeptic, but she said to give it a solid 2 weeks every 2 hours even if they don't like it, basically they will need to get use to it. With it they do some vertical stuff and roll on the floor and jump on a trampoline. It makes things hectic, I have to wake them up earlier to get done everything she wants done. But it has been a couple of weeks and the sensory seeking stuff has really calmed down, and alot of Nikolas' stimming has calmed down too. DH and I was talkiing about that the other day, he does seem more attentive. I don't know that it has helped with the meltdowns so much, they never really had random meltdowns, meltdowns happen cause they don't get their way, so it hasn't helped with that really. From what I have read in the past there is no scientific data that it works, it is more ancedotal. Some people swear by it and others don't. Oh I was told the effects last 45 minutes, I don't think brushing in between the 2 hours would hurt anything, my kids now bring me the brush and when they do that I brush them.
hayden, the therapist told me to have them jump on the floor, that that is joint compressions at least for the lower body. Maybe he would like that better?
Weve been doing this for maybe a month and I havnt noticed that much of a difference, altho he is stimming alot less it seems but his hyperness is getting waaay up there. I dont know if thats due to brushing tho. I thought you were supposed to do joint compressions after every brushing. His therapist said the brushing wakes the nerves up and the joint compressions calms and then they can organize all the input way better. It seems the compressions seems to make him real tired and grumpy so i dont know? He likes the brushing ok but sometimes when it comes to the joint compressions he dosnt like it at all.
I was told to do it every 2 hours altho i must admit I havnt been doing them as often as that
T can't handle brushing
T likes lotion rub downs (legs,arms)and then deep pressure. He has fallen asleep during this, hehehe
Copyright Autism-PDD.net