AJ has been going to see an Occupational Therapist, off and on, for several years. We have learned a lot from them -- especially just how important it is to work on gross and fine motor skills, and they helped us to understand AJ's sensory-seeking behavior and how to help him to get the sensory input he needs to feel settled and at peace. At the occupational therapy sessions, he does things like jumping on a mini trampoline, catching and throwing balls, walking forward, backward, and across on a balance beam, doing the wheelbarrow walk on his hands in a figure-8 pattern, and following step-by-step instructions for an obstacle course. His favorite things to do at OT these days, before the session starts, is to build his own obstacle course with the large, heavy foam wedges; and, at the end of the session, to be rolled across the room inside a large, foam barrel.
Watching the OT sessions and talking with his therapist have given me great inspiration about things we can do at home even without all the expensive therapy aids. Here are a few things we do:
Note: Please remember that AJ is 7 years old. Some of these would not be safe for younger kids. Please consult with your doctor or Occupational Therapist for advice.
Fine Motor Skills (which help with handwriting and other hand-related tasks)
Play the classic board game "Operation"which involves removing small pieces from the game board.
Put together Lego creations.
Make Pop Bead critters.
Lots of Maze books (also helps with midline issues). We keep one in the bathroom, which also keeps him focused while he is there!
Puzzles (with small pieces)
Cutting with scissors (making snowflakes!)
Squeezing water from a washcloth
Helping to prepare foods
Counting coins
Wheelbarrow walking (strengthens the hands)
Play-doh or clay
Using a screwdriver (helping mom and dad replace batteries in toys)
Gross Motor Skills (strengthening the long muscles in arms and legs)
Jumping on the trampoline (or in a bouncy house/castle)
Swimming
Judo (or another martial art)
Vacuuming (which he loves!)
Pulling his brother (or something else heavy) in a wagon
Playing tug-of-war with a pool noodle
Carrying a heavy backpack (according to age)
Sensory Input
Playing in a sandbox
Playing with sandbox toys in a large bin or box filled with rice and/or beans (great for those days when the weather is bad)
Playing with Mood Mud (or something similarly slimy)
Swimming
Getting gently squished between the sofa cushions
Play-doh or clay
Sleeping with pillows on each side
Crunchy or chewy foods
Getting tickled
Big hugs
Carrying a heavy backpack
Vacuuming
Snuggling
Do you have other ideas for home therapy? Please comment below or email specialneedsabudhabi@gmail.com .
For our kids,
Karen
A resource guide for ex-pats living in Abu Dhabi, who have children with special needs.
Welcome to Special Needs Abu Dhabi
Raising a child with special needs can be, in itself, quite challenging. Raising a child with special needs in a new country seems to add much more to that challenge. I started this blog shortly after my husband and I, and our two sons, moved to Abu Dhabi in the summer of 2009. We lived there for under 2 years and are now living back in the United States.
Our oldest son, AJ, has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Sensory Processing Disorder. Finding the resources in Abu Dhabi to help him with his special needs was an ongoing effort. In the U.S., the public school system provides testing, accommodations, and an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for students with special needs, so we were spoiled there -- and dismayed at the seemingly apparent shortage of resources available to ex-patriot families (aka "ex-pats") in Abu Dhabi.
There are resources available in Abu Dhabi -- you just have to know where to look. Which is why I started this blog. My hope was to bring together in one place information to help parents of kids with special needs... so you will at least have a starting point. I also wanted this to be a place where we can reach out and support one another with advice and sometimes just a shoulder to lean on.
We have been back in the U.S. for about a year now, and I haven't written on the blog since the move -- until now. There have been a few parents who found the blog and wrote to me for advice -- and I have been happy to give it. I'm glad that it continues to serve its original purpose of helping ex-pat parents to find resources in Abu Dhabi to help their kids with special needs.
Recently, I have begun feeling the need to write again, but I've been unsure how to move ahead with the blog. In hindsight, I don't know if life is any less challenging in the U.S. than it was in Abu Dhabi. There are still daily struggles. I continue to advocate for my son who has ADHD -- to get him the help in school and in life that he needs in order to thrive, learn and grow. There have been steps forward and backward. I have felt hopeless and hopeful.
If you are in Abu Dhabi, or considering a move there, please leave a comment. If you know of resources that you've found helpful, let me know and I'll add them to the list. If you come across an article or book that has made a difference in your child's life, please share. Most of all, I hope you will share your stories. Wherever you are, it's good to know you're not alone.
Thanks for coming by.
For our kids,
Karen
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