Processing...

I remember the one time the school district's occupational therapist came to our home. Eli was about 2, before we had any idea of him having autism. He was in the school district's early intervention program, and it was obvious that he had some sensory issues. The vacuum cleaner made him scream bloody murder, even if he was on the other side of the house. He had a hard time being held. He could seem to calm himself down long enough to enjoy a hug. He had a very hard time going to sleep.

Eli screamed at the therapist and would not be in the same room with her, and he wouldn't let me be in the same room with her either. I had to plug him with a binky and have him sit on my lap on the kitchen floor while he ran his hands through a bucket of beans. She spoke to me from the dining room and explained to me that children with sensory processing difficulties have in a sense an immature immune system. She said that they need more sensory input than average children.


Here is Eli swinging happily about the time this took place.

It was spring and everyday Eli and I went to the park where he could climb. I put him on the baby swing and I would swing him hard for a long time. We did this every day that we could that spring and summer. We noticed changes over time. He was no longer upset and screaming at people who came to our house, but even began interacting with them. Bedtime also became alittle easier.