Posted by lorilu on February 27, 2005, at 6:48:43
In reply to Re: be careful about one thing » AuntieMel, posted by Dinah on February 24, 2005, at 11:18:17
> Boy, ain't that the truth. Many people, professionals included, don't "get" my son. The first psychologist we went to wanted to do a lot of behavioral interventions and discussed the possibility of SSRI's. The poor boy was in preschool.
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> We took some of his advice on behavioral modification, taking out the judgemental parts about his behavior being a manipulation (geesh, what a way to think about any other human being), and threw SSRI's out as an option. The idiot thought my son had plenty of extra brain cells that he could lose in SSRI dumbing down!
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> He was fine for several years but is struggling again a bit with the stressors we've had this year so we were preemptive and brought him to a play therapist. This one "gets" him. She thinks that once he learns some coping mechanisms he'll be ok, and that no medication is needed. She sees him as a sensitive kid who feels things intensely, is a bit perfectionistic, and it all gets to be too much for him sometimes and he melts down. She wants to teach him strategies for letting out the feelings a bit at a time. And she wants to let him know it's ok to make mistakes.
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> Sigh. I don't know how the first one managed to stay a kid's psychologist for so long. He certainly didn't share my basic belief that kids should be treated with the same respect anyone deserves.
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> Oops. I've gone off on a tangent.
Hi,I was wondering if your son could use a "sensory box" when he got upset. I teach special ed. (not that he is), and I have a lot of sensory things in my class for my kids for when they start to get anxious, have too much or too little energy, or upset. (sorry for bad grammar it's 4:30 am and can't sleep:) I have sensory issues and my son does too. When I mainstream one of my kids he takes a little bit of silly putty so when he is too anxious he can squeeze it. It helps him greatly. At first he would run out of the room, drop a pencil... Now he is doing great. Granted he has an aide with him but he always bring something small with him. I have hundreds of things but things for a regular ed class that work are: silly putty, play dough, small stress ball, water worm (?),he will hold a pink eraser, any koosh ball. We also have sensory boxes of rice, beans, sand... for centers. Occupational therapy is also an idea.
PS Sounds like you are doing an awesome job. Kudos to no meds! My son melts down too. I always say that there are two sides of my son and when people get to know the other side of him he is funny, smart, talkative....My goal is for that side to be the only side minus just the plain old boy stuff. We're getting there, step by step.
lorilu
poster:lorilu
thread:459742
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/child/20050226/msgs/463973.html