Visual stimming wont stop, help? | Autism PDD

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I'm no help either but I can tell you Jakob also visually stims ALL DAY! Take him to the park, he doesn't care about any of the equipment, just wants to walk back and forth past a few cars and look at them peripherally!! He paces all day around the house doing the same thing. I don't have to deal with seizures though, and I usually can keep his attention on some therapy for a few intervals during the day as long as I allow him breaks to walk around abit...he always comes back to the activity though.Sorry i am of no help ... Zach doesn't have this at all, he is one who avoids visual stimulation unless it has to do with disney movies

My 3yo pdd-nos/epilepsy son has really bad SI problems with visual stimming. He can spend ALL day stimming just walking back and forth looking at reflections and shadows and things. A pacifier has helped a little in he sits for a short time now and sometimes plays! BUT evetually he gets up, spits it out and goes back to stimming. OT has no clue. We try hard rough play and excersice, compressions, spinning, chewy food, bubbles in increments, vibrating toys ect. All the website and books I read only talk about how children with Autism avoid looking and avoid visual imput. NOTHING about wanting more visual. He has very few other SI issues none with food. Between stimming 90% of the day and having 40-60 mini seizures a day his brain is never working. (thats another issue Im working on). Anyone elses kid like this, any other ideas for him?? People are upset we use a passy, but it works! Kinda. Even if you kid is like this and you dont know what to do please anyone anything???

Hi there!
Luke visual stims fairly often and what we try (as with his other stimming) if we can't get him to stop stimming (after allowing him to do it for about 5 mins) is to somehow get involved in his stimming so he MUST interact with us.  For example, when he paces around the dining room table, we'll chase after him and tickle him.  Or we'll put an object in his way and force him to climb around it.  If he's spinning something on the table, we'll either bat it off the table (which usually makes him giggle when he chases it down and brings it back) OR we'll force him to take turns with us ... he spins, then we spin.  Luke enjoys toys with lights and music, so that may be helpful, too (if you're not worried about the flashing light issue, as you mentioned).

Good luck!
Kellie

First of all..usually strobe lights which have a particular rhythm that set off the alph waves are usually the ones that cause seizures. I never say never, but toys that have lights and musics won't really have the same effect on most kids. If your child is EXTREMELY seizure prone, I probably would rethink things.

V.T. WORKS..truly! I confess that although I do vision therapy, my specialty isn't autistic kids

Good luck!   You guys all have me curious.. I need to get out of geri-care and research vision therapy and autism!

Renee

hi there cant help with the visual as jordon does different stimming  and visual is only with certain things etc . but dont worry about the paccifier if it makes him happy xxxx

[QUOTE=srs-mom]
Things that may help: Give him other visual stimulating toys. Examples: Toys that have bright blinking lights, cars/balls that move down ramps, gears, spinning toys.[/QUOTE]

Srs-mom and Ginger............ you might want to consult with his doctor BEFORE giving bright blinking light toys. Ginger says he has epilepsey,..... SEIZURES..... now I know I dont know alot about seizures, but last I heard flashey lights CAN CAUSE SEIZURES. I know its a warning put on ALL video games! SO PLEASE BE CAREFUL and CHECK IT OUT WITH THE DOCTOR FIRST

Ginger NENE on the board is an optometrist or opthamologist  I believe (SOMETHING

Amber

We have the same problem- although it has gotten better during the past few weeks. It seems like some days all he wants to do is stim with his peripheral vision- other days he hardly does it at  all.

Things that may help: Give him other visual stimulating toys. Examples: Toys that have bright blinking lights, cars/balls that move down ramps, gears, spinning toys.

It's still visual stimming- but it's more functional. And you can use his interest to teach language and social interaction.

Here are a few suggestions:

http://www.kidsurplus.com/intg02089.html

http://www.kidsurplus.com/cassf121.html

http://store.yahoo.com/kidsurplus/inf1503031.html

http://store.yahoo.com/kidsurplus/sma4400529.html

tops, pinwheels are also a big hit.

We are also about to start vision therapy. You may want to ask around to see if there is someone in your area who does vision therapy.

Good Luck!




Ginger I wish I knew what to say to help. The only thing I can think of to suggest is a small baby proof hand held or table top type mirror so he can sit and play and have the reflections right there. Is he looking at himself? maybe he is trying to "see" how he feels? I have also heard of people covering or removing all reflective things from the home to stop or control the stims. I don't know much about seizures, but can't the reflections cause a seizure?

I am sure you have seen this, but just in case here it is again maybe there will be something there that might help. How to know if its sensory / What to do  and Calming Activities

If I come across anything I will be sure to pass what I find along to you.

In the meantime try not to worry what others think of the passy. He is YOUR child. YOU have to care for him. Most people wouldn't last a good day in our shoes WITH HELP! So you do what works for you and your son!

And remember.... even if we don't have the same experience we can still listen and try to understand it... we know the frustration of ASD's!

Hang in there!

About blinky lights:

We are not too concerned since during the 2 EEG's he has had part of it is to wake him up and make him look at the light blinking at different speeds. It never cause a seizure. I know that one day it could and we for sure avoid strobe lights or anything like it. He has lots of toys with lots but the lights are dull but enough to stim.

Right now we are working really hard on teaching him the picture board. That he must pull it off, hand it over, and he gets the toy. BUT he doesnt care he doesnt want the toy, not even bubbles. He gets too frustrated. He is making no connection that he is asking for things. It has been about 3 weeks of intense work with lots of tantrums. We have tried lots of things. Did anyones ASD child just not get the picture board?

He is trying to be verbal He has about 20-30 words and jibbers a whole lot. He has even started using infliction like a conversation, although very little listening haha.

I know with Jeffrey, I was told to avoid anything that could bring on a seizure.  Even tho he is on seizure meds, it doesn't guarantee against him having any.  In the summer I don't let him get too hot because that can trigger a seizure.  And as it was explained to me, he might not have a seizure now but down the road we don't know about.  Also staring at lights, wouldn't that be the same as staring directly at the sun and getting the spots in your vision?  Especially if the light was very bright?  It could affect the vision later on.

Tammy

tabitha38522.8870601852Visual Stimming......Hmm.....never really thought about that as being stimming but I guess it really is!   Our kids needs to see the same part of a movie repeatedly would be the same thing only compounded by the music or words also present.    The only advice I can offer is to keep him busy providing other distractions.    He is going to be compelled to continue this and you may not be able to get rid of it all together....you may have to allow him to do it during his free times....it will help calm him.    It is like an OCD.     He may grow out of this fascination and find another.   What we try to do with our son is decrease the stimming to a point where it doesn't interfere with others or his school work..(Jacob lines up pencils and looks at them at eye level)..I allow him to do it at home during his free time....I don't have time to harp over him all day and he would be miserable if I did.   He is usually listening to something at the same time.   I don't want him to stick out or people to think he is weird so we discourage it in public.     If it causes more stress and disturbance in public to stop him ....I'd let it go for another time.     Life is too short to stress all the time!     Some visual therapy might help but I'm not sure what they would do.  
good luck!    bonnie

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