Surviving the HOLIDAYS with a RAD kid.

Since the holidays are quickly approaching I am going to take a minute to piggyback off of Andrea's post about the holidays and just give some examples of things that we do, friends of ours do or that I wish I did to help my RAD little guy out.  

We can often tell when our little clown needs to have some down time.  We start to see this face a lot.  Open mouth, and tension in the face that is masked as excitement. 

Others see it as him being happy and excited but we see it as the sign he is overstimulated.  

So, when we see this face or body language then we pull out our bag of tricks.

The first thing that we try is just pulling him to us.  We try and get him on our lap or take him off to another room and read a book or just chat or rest or play with the Ipod.  We try something that he likes to do but we get him in our presence and allow him to borrow our brain more effortlessly by giving him proximity to us.  We also try to shrink his world there.  We accomplish that by getting him in another room, or just focusing him on something that is just between the two of us.  It might be the ipod, a book or a conversation but it will be something that is just between the two of us.  

However, as you know, with a RAD kid often that does not work.  

Often by the time we see that face... 

and these tense hands...

it is too late for that and he can't handle our touch just yet.  

So, one of my favorite things is this tent that we found at IKEA.  It easily collapses into something close to the size of a golf umbrella.  We pull it out and put it somewhere where he is close to our family so he does not feel rejected or isolated...just secure.  We put him in it with a book and a stuffed animal and then we sit or stay close by the opening of the tent.  It has holes in it so that he does not feel isolated.  For our little guy a book and a stuffed animal is just right but for your kiddo it could be whatever helps calm them.  Our Clown happens to love stuffed animals and books so that works for him.  With another of my friend's kids she gives him something to chew on and music to listen to.

If we do not bring the tent with us we make do with a closet.  My sister started to read to my oldest son in the closet with a flashlight years ago and we have just tweaked that a bit and just use the closet as a place for him to calm and re-organize his brain.  It's not as ideal as the tent for our little guy but if you have a sensory defensive kiddo then it should be better.  It does not provide the opportunity for them to still feel close to you but it can get them centered so that they can tolerate you without a big blowup.

I was thinking the other day when he was playing that this little pop up thing (I think it's a clothes hamper but we have never used it as one) could make an easy stow and go sensory tent that I could keep in the car all the time.  Seems a bit weird to put your kiddo in a clothes hamper but if it works to get him collected and avoid a hold then I am all for it.

A guideline we use with our tent or the closet is that we are the ones who control when he goes in the tent.  Clown is one who likes to control everything so for us it has to be something that we tell him that he can use and if he asks for it our attachment therapist told us to say no...it must be guided by us.  So, we have to stay on top of it and get him in there before he asks for it...not normally a problem!!

A few of my other favorite tools to take with me are these:

Our OT suggests these brushes and he likes to have one to clam himself with.  He is also sensory seeking so he needs more input and this can help him calm sometimes.  We brush his arms and legs only and i try to be the only one who brushes him so he can connect it as a loving thing being provided by mom rather than him providing what he needs for himself.

 This is something a friend of mine does for her RAD kid.  She brings earplugs for her son.  Drowning out noise can help him to keep from overstimulation.  So, she carries these everywhere she goes and thse cool ones are something that he thinks are cool.  It deadens the noise but does not totally drown it out.


Another thing that we did last year and may do again is write a letter to our family members so that they are in the loop as to what we are trying to accomplish with our kiddo.  Below is a copy of the text of that letter just to give you an idea.

Here is hoping that your holiday is a wonderful one.  :)

 As, you all know that we went through an intensive therapy with Clown a few weeks ago.  It has brought about some changes in our lives..specifically in the area of parenting him.  He is diagnosed with Reactive Attachment Disorder and has been for a few years now.  It basically means "he absolutely never learned that there is anyone in the entire world that he can depend on for one single thing".  This year has been hard for Clown and he has not coped with it well....and it was making life hard for our family as a whole.  Anyway, we have known this therapist for a long time and have benefitted from his workshops and writings for years but we were to the point where we needed more help for him.  So, we were able to go through a week long intensive therapy with him and his staff that was great.  It would take forever to explain it but the thought behind it is that we need to take control of Clown's life for him as if he were a much younger child.  He needs to be made to rely on us so he can find out that we are trustworthy.  

The big things you will want to know for our christmas as the cabin are that we are "making his world smaller".  What he needs more than anything in the world is us.  So, Stan and I are going to be keeping him within an arm's length most of the time.   We are not saying you can't enjoy him...just asking that you take your cues from us as far as when he needs to be with us. A few other things we would like to ask you to partner with us in are these:  Please don't get him rowdy...it is so EASY to do...but it is not good for him at all.  Lots of praise for Clown for any little thing is GREAT but contests and competition are not so if there are competition things we will sit him out and have him cheer on everyone.  We are going to bring a pile of books...books are a great thing for you to do with him.   One last thing....a great line for you to use when you see us caring for him is "look at that, your mommy/daddy knows just what you need".  

Also, please know that we are bringing him to christmas outside of our house despite the cautioning words of the therapist.  So, if we get to the cabin and he is unable to cope there is a chance that we may have to leave earlier than expected in order to do what is best for him.  

Love Dawn

Having a RAD Christmas

'Tis the season....for meltdowns, rages, and rejections of our love. The lack of a consistent schedule, large family gatherings, noisy class parties, and holiday performances make late November and all of December anything but holly and jolly for our RAD kids. I talked with our psychologist who specializes in attachment, Rick Sudsberry, about how to make this time of year go more smoothly for our RAD families. Here's his advice:

1. Avoid large family gatherings. Opt for meeting with a few family members at a time over the weeks before Christmas. For us, Christmas usually involves 25 people. This year we're going to celebrate with my husband's parents and a couple of aunts on Christmas Eve and keep Christmas Day just for our immediate family of 4.

2. Keep their world small. Avoid places like the Children's Museum, Bounce Houses, and arcades. The amount of visual and auditory stimulation in these crowded places is just too much for our kids especially this time of year. For us, we are staying home a lot playing board games, watching Christmas specials, making Christmas presents & cookies, and building gingerbread houses. If we go out, we choose a quieter, less busy place such as the gingerbread house exhibit at the Children's Museum, the Nutcracker Ballet at a small community theater, a holiday tea at Serenity restaurant in Zionsville, or winter activities at our local library.

3. Keep them out of busy shopping malls. I recommend shopping online, then YOU can avoid those stressful malls too! But, if you must shop at a store, leave your RAD child with your spouse, a grandparent, or hire a babysitter. The flashing lights, bright "Buy Me" signs, and hundreds of toys that your child feels he must have overstimulates him and stresses him out.

4. On the break from school, maintain a schedule. Our RAD kids function best when life is predictable. So, the times they wake up, eat meals, and go to bed should be consistent each day. Try to stay at home as much as possible.

5. Make 1-on-1 time a priority. Your RAD child really needs time with you every day. My RAD child is an early riser and so am I. We spend our special time together from 6:30-7:30 am before the boys in our house wake up. We snuggle (for about 30 seconds!), read books, sing, chit chat, and play a favorite game. I sneak in lots of touch and loving words during this time through tickles, nose touches, and "accidentally" bumping into her and giggling "Oh excuse me, sweetheart!" This time proactively sets us up for a good morning with the rest of the family.

6. Visit Santa at a less crowded locale. If you live on the northside, Clay Terrace has a small Santa house. You wait in line outside (so dress warm), but when it's your turn, you have the whole house to yourself and Santa's full attention. No screaming babies or feisty toddlers rushing your child's experience. The Santa has a real beard and is sweet as pie! (See pix at top.)