Sunday

This past Sunday at church was the first time I did not have to take Wade out of the Sacrament meeting once! If any of you follow Wade and his Autism, you will know that for almost 3 years, Sacrament meetings at church have been a nightmare for Wade. It is also very difficult for Delaney as well, but they both have totally different issues. Delaney is just the typical, loud, stubborn 18 month old who doesn't want to sit still or be quiet, its typical. Wade is another story. He does not deal well with being in the chapel when there is so many people. Now for the last year, we have worked with doctors and Wades Intervention Specialist Amy with different ideas that we could do to try and help Wade cope with Sacrament so its not so hard on him or us. Wade has come a very long way from where he was a year ago, some people now would never guess there was anything wrong with our 3 year old if they didnt know and just met him, (which honestly bugs me sometimes, because first they don't live in our shoes and are with him all day long and two they have NO IDEA how much WORK we have put into this last year with him to get him where he is today, it has not been easy for us or the therapist, it has taken constant daily WORK which can be exhausting for me but is oh so worth it) Well all of the ideas that we have tried so far have failed, the therapists have worked with us to try pictures to try and prepare him for sacrament, certain snacks, books,  taking him to the church on another night to practice sitting in the chapel, we have tried taking him out into a room and sitting in our lap, than a chair, etc...well NOTHING worked. The doctors have said that Wade has Sensory Integration Disorder (which is common in autism) and that this can be contributing to how he acts in sacrament. It is hard for me to explain, let me start by pasting the definition:

Definition

Sensory integration disorder or dysfunction (SID) is a neurological disorder that results from the brain's inability to integrate certain information received from the body's five basic sensory systems. These sensory systems are responsible for detecting sights, sounds, smell, tastes, temperatures, pain, and the position and movements of the body. The brain then forms a combined picture of this information in order for the body to make sense of its surroundings and react to them appropriately. The ongoing relationship between behavior and brain functioning is called sensory integration (SI), a theory that was first pioneered by A. Jean Ayres, Ph.D., OTR in the 1960s.

Description

Sensory experiences include touch, movement, body awareness, sight, sound, smell, taste, and the pull of gravity. Distinguishing between these is the process of sensory integration (SI). While the process of SI occurs automatically and without effort for most, for some the process is inefficient. Extensive effort and attention are required in these individuals for SI to occur, without a guarantee of it being accomplished. When this happens, goals are not easily completed, resulting in sensory integration disorder (SID).

The normal process of SI begins before birth and continues throughout life, with the majority of SI development occurring before the early teenage years. The ability for SI to become more refined and effective coincides with the aging process as it determines how well motor and speech skills, and emotional stability develop. The beginnings of the SI theory by Ayres instigated ongoing research that looks at the crucial foundation it provides for complex learning and behavior throughout life.

We have had NUMEROUS tests and evaluations lately with transitioning Wade from the County's help me grow program into a developmental preschool, they have done about 5 different tests and evals, and it was brought up numerous times of his sensory issues with his body. Its like Wade isn't aware of his own body in his environment and when he is put into a setting (like sacrament) he doesn't know how to cope or react to whats going on around him and control his body. Wade every minute of the day seeks out deep pressure and impacts on his body, he constantly is jumping (and I mean HARD jumping) off of ANYTHING (it doesnt matter how high it is), and he likes the feeling/impact  of hitting the floor hard. He has huge sensory issues especially in his legs. So we all decided at church the last two weeks, we would see how Wade would do if I held him tight on my lap and applied deep/tight pressure and constant moving on his legs and back to see how that helps. Well last week, I only had to take him out once, and yesterday I didn't have to take him out at all!! Doing that nonstop (and he is abnormally strong for his age) felt like a total workout for my arms by the end of sacrament, but I was so impressed it seemed to REALLY help. Now I hope this just wasn't a coincidence and that it will help from here on out, but this could be a step, way to go Wade!!