Managing Hypersensitivities in Children with ADHD

Hypersensitive to foods and other oral stimuli

• Don't force new foods or foods he dislikes. If nutrition is a concern, opt for other healthy choices and snacks and supplement with vitamins.
• Offer foods in different textures or shapes than is normally served. For example, meatloaf can be crumbled into chunks or served in muffin or mini loaf shapes; vegetables can be pureed and added to soups; fruits can be grated or cubed into desserts.
• Oral sensitivity often makes teeth brushing and dental visits difficult. Choose a small child sized toothbrush with toothpaste that is more palatable and less tangy. Dental visits can be less traumatic if you find a caring staff willing to de-sensitive your child by letting her visit numerous times before doing actual dental work. Some will let the child hold the instruments, slowing working up to having her teeth touched by a dental tool, then moving up to a partial cleaning. Reward your child each step of the way. Bringing headphones to block out dental noises while listening to music often helps immensely.

Hypersensitivity to smells

• Use perfume-free laundry detergents and soaps.
• Find scents your child likes and use them in his room if cooking odors are overwhelming.
• Nose plugs!
• Teach younger children to breath through their mouths when necessary.

General Tips to Prevent Sensory Meltdowns

• Always have on hand head phones with soft music or environmental/nature sounds. You can download many different gentle nature sounds from the internet for the iPod and there are many nature sound CDs available.
• Bring a bag of activities like coloring books, video games, books, etc. Doing repetitive activities often help, such as making friendship bracelets, knitting, Solitaire, etc.
• Allow your child to remove himself from the action; teach him to "see it coming" before having a meltdown. When arriving at a new destination, search out a safe place to self calm.
• Teach deep breathing exercises
• Bring fidgets to help calm her down.

Treatment and Prevention

It's also important to work with your child proactively. Make sure he is well rested and getting plenty of exercise. Many do well with wearing weighted vests, which they find calming to their central nervous system.

Try to avoid situations where you know your child will become overwhelmed. If grocery shopping puts him over the top, leave him home instead. When planning vacations, consider a beach resort if Disney is too much, sensory-wise.

Many benefit from OT (Occupational Therapy) where sensory integration is offered.

Carrying heavy articles (a backpack full of books) can be calming; just make sure there aren't "too" many books, which could injure his back!Pushing furniture around, or a wheelbarrow, etc., often helps to calm children down.

Resources

The Out of Synch Child http://tinyurl.com/6fdtmh

The Sensory-Sensitive Child http://tinyurl.com/59mhhx