Sensory Star Chart

One of the best tools we've learned about from Myles' last year of OT is implementing a "sensory diet".  Because he has trouble regulating his body, giving him deep sensory input (think joint impact) helps calm him and gives him better control over his own body.  One book I read on Sensory Processing Disorder explained that it's much  like having an ice cream headache - all of the time.  When an ice cream headache hits we usually press on our foreheads which overrides the pain of the headache.  Giving deep sensory input to Myles' body helps override the jumbled input he is dealing with all day and helps him "regulate".  "REGULATE".  Definitely my new favorite word.  It describes exactly what Myles needs.  Some days there is no other way to describe how he acts other than unregulated.  I can't remember exactly when I got this idea, but I was having a difficult time getting Myles to engage in regular sensory activities at home, so I decided to reward him.  For the last six months or so each time he chose one of these sensory activities he could put a star sticker on his chart and when filled he got to purchase something from iTunes.  Today he jumped on his trampoline 18 times in order to finish it off!  He chose a new "bot" app from the app store.  So proud of him!

Our Star Chart Key: 
(Myles insisted on arranging the stars like a graph)

Heavy Ball = I make a list of rooms in the house, he carries a 5lb weighted ball to each room and back to me where he checks off the room

Brush = therapy brush and joint compressions

Pizza = rolling a large exercise ball over his body with deep pressure

Hopper =  3 laps around the basement or main floor on one of those rubber balls with a handle

1 minute trampoline = 1 minute proved to be a little too tiring and he preferred counting, so he did 25-30 jumps.  We have a small spring-less trampoline with a handle

massage = exactly what it sounds like