Lick for input
We have had the pleasure of attending many different workshops, seminars and conferences over the years that have dealt with everything from legal, behavior, feeding, respite care, speech and a host of other issues that come with the territory of dealing with the special needs. One session at a conference that struck a nerve with me was one that had to do with sensory input and sensory needs. It opened up a whole new world to me about further understanding some of Matthew’s behaviors and how they may seem odd to other people. The speaker was David Brown who is a specialist who works with special needs children in California. He is a gentle person who has a unique gift of communicating and connecting with kids, especially those who have disabilities. His presentation was about listening to the “behaviors” that our kids exhibit, whether they have learning disabilities or not. He commented that while he was presenting, he noticed that most of the people in the room were showing signs of “self-stimulation” or self-stim. That made everyone squirm a little wondering what they may have done and caused some to look around to see who he may have been talking about. He went on to inform that one person, if not several were twirling their pen in their hand, others were tapping fingers on the tables, others were bouncing their knees up and down, some doodling, still others were yawning. His point was that our bodies have a constant need for stimulation, some are just…
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