To Debbie

[Guest guest]

Welcome to this list.

As to Jayla.: HAve you tried using SI play just before you have to do

something - trampoline jumping, rolling on a ball, rolling her into a

blanket - what ever makes her feel safe and secure, and grounded . (Her

OT/PT can give you more ideas. Then use these things before you need to

leave the room . You don't mention the age of the NT kids. Can either of

those occupy her briefly while you attend to neccesities.

I know the bathroom issues well. Elie came to the bathroom with me until he

was 6 or 7 as I was afraid he would get out of the house if I let him out of

my sight.

On Thu, Apr 3, 2008 at 2:07 PM, debsher 123@...

wrote:

> Hi. My name is Debbie and I'm brand new here. I have 3 kiddos with DS:

> an 8 yr old biological daughter, a 5 yr old adopted from Guatemala when she

> was 3 1/2, and a 4 yr old adopted from Hong Kong when he was 17 months old.

> I also have 2 other typical children at home.

>

> My 5 yr old, Jayla, is the one who has the dual diagnosis. She also has

> Sensory Integration Disorder. She had a horrible start in life in Guatemala.

> She was constantly moved from orphanage to orphanage, as they don't know

> anything about DS, what it means, etc. She spent her last 18 months in the

> same orphanage, mostly in a playpen, where they dropped bottles in for her.

> She had no idea how to eat when she came home (not even applesauce.) It took

> me almost a year to teach her to chew, and now she eats everything.

>

> Within weeks of coming home she had eye surgery (on both eyes) as they

> were literally rolling around in her head. She then had heart surgery a few

> weeks later, to repair a very large hole in her heart.

>

> My issue now is, she is all of a sudden out of control, into everything,

> throwing everything, and has no idea of safety issues, etc. We are

> constantly cleaning up her latest mess, and we honestly do not get a minute

> of sanity unless she has decided to spin in the sun (she takes her beads or

> some other toy and will just spin around for quite a while.........I am

> dizzy just watching her!) Yesterday when I left her alone (to use the

> bathroom for a minute, LOL) she started throwing dirty dishes out of the

> sink, breaking them all over the floor. Or she will dig in a plant (since

> has been removed) throw over a bookcase, etc. One of her therapists and I

> were laughing, saying its actually a good thing that she now realizes that

> she has an environment she wants to explore,...but I don't have a big enough

> house to make her a " safe room " or something like that for those minutes I

> need to be occupied. What makes it worse is that I homeschool my other

> children, and lately she is making it next to impossible for us to get

> anything done. (She will be old enough to go to kindergarten next year, and

> I will probably send her, even though we consider ourselves a homeschooling

> family. I just don't see another option at this point.....)

>

> I would welcome your ideas, whatever they may be. I also want to know if

> anyone knows of a high-chair with a 42 point harness (kidding of course) but

> some sort of adapted high chair that she could NOT get out of or destroy.

> (She has taken all the insides out of ours, has pulled apart and broken the

> harness, etc.) I need one she cannot destroy, tip over, etc.

>

> Thanks in advance for your help, I am looking forward to getting to know

> you all.

>

> Debbie

>

>

[Guest guest]

Debbie,

Blessings to you for taking on these loving little ones and all

their challenges! It does really sound like Jayla is having some

severe sensory issues. And it sounds like she is trying to

communicate with you. The services of an OT should help to address

what can be done to decrease these behaviors. Also a behavior

therapist could help.

I, too, considered myself a " homeschooling mom " until I had my son

12 years ago. I homeschooled my 3 oldest daughters (now 29, 27, and

25) but my son required such extensive surgeries, therapies, and

care that I decided that I couldn't supply all he needed. We tried

to homeschool his next eldest sister, 2 1/2 years older than him,

when she was 5. She kept saying, " Why does DJ have all these people

coming to see him? " and she was jealous of all the " toys " and

therapy equipment they would bring for him, that we decided to stop

homeschooling at that time, and put her into private and later

public school.

You might consider a Rifton feeding chair. You can get them with

harnesses or seat belts and trays. My son has used these throughout

his life and we still utilize one for one-on-one teaching times to

decrease his issues with fidgeting during teaching, or running away.

Usually an OT is the person to approach about appropriate seating

issues.

You have been homeschooling, but do you Utilize therapy services

provided through your school district?

Hugs,

Donnell

>

> > Hi. My name is Debbie and I'm brand new here. I have 3 kiddos

with DS:

> > an 8 yr old biological daughter, a 5 yr old adopted from

Guatemala when she

> > was 3 1/2, and a 4 yr old adopted from Hong Kong when he was 17

months old.

> > I also have 2 other typical children at home.

> >

> > My 5 yr old, Jayla, is the one who has the dual diagnosis. She

also has

> > Sensory Integration Disorder. She had a horrible start in life

in Guatemala.

> > She was constantly moved from orphanage to orphanage, as they

don't know

> > anything about DS, what it means, etc. She spent her last 18

months in the

> > same orphanage, mostly in a playpen, where they dropped bottles

in for her.

> > She had no idea how to eat when she came home (not even

applesauce.) It took

> > me almost a year to teach her to chew, and now she eats

everything.

> >

> > Within weeks of coming home she had eye surgery (on both eyes)

as they

> > were literally rolling around in her head. She then had heart

surgery a few

> > weeks later, to repair a very large hole in her heart.

> >

> > My issue now is, she is all of a sudden out of control, into

everything,

> > throwing everything, and has no idea of safety issues, etc. We

are

> > constantly cleaning up her latest mess, and we honestly do not

get a minute

> > of sanity unless she has decided to spin in the sun (she takes

her beads or

> > some other toy and will just spin around for quite a

while.........I am

> > dizzy just watching her!) Yesterday when I left her alone (to

use the

> > bathroom for a minute, LOL) she started throwing dirty dishes

out of the

> > sink, breaking them all over the floor. Or she will dig in a

plant (since

> > has been removed) throw over a bookcase, etc. One of her

therapists and I

> > were laughing, saying its actually a good thing that she now

realizes that

> > she has an environment she wants to explore,...but I don't have

a big enough

> > house to make her a " safe room " or something like that for those

minutes I

> > need to be occupied. What makes it worse is that I homeschool my

other

> > children, and lately she is making it next to impossible for us

to get

> > anything done. (She will be old enough to go to kindergarten

next year, and

> > I will probably send her, even though we consider ourselves a

homeschooling

> > family. I just don't see another option at this point.....)

> >

> > I would welcome your ideas, whatever they may be. I also want to

know if

> > anyone knows of a high-chair with a 42 point harness (kidding of

course) but

> > some sort of adapted high chair that she could NOT get out of or

destroy.

> > (She has taken all the insides out of ours, has pulled apart and

broken the

> > harness, etc.) I need one she cannot destroy, tip over, etc.

> >

> > Thanks in advance for your help, I am looking forward to getting

to know

> > you all.

> >

> > Debbie

> >

> >