OT: Day 14/30

Today was all about making a plan. Making a plan so that when things go wrong (and we pin pointed those specific situations) we will already have a plan in place. We also talked a lot about feelings, and about RED ALERTS!



We started off with some more self-care practice. Turbo is getting better, but still struggles with the thought of getting his hands messy. To help him along, his task was to clean off lizards in the sink. Using some foam that doesn't smell like shaving cream, definitely a must for this practice, he covered the lizards in the tub. Next, we was to clean them off with his hands and some water. His first words, "No thank you. I don't want to get my hands messy", which was expected. It was great how he responded with words and not with a fit of frustration. So Ms. Renee offered him a squirt bottle filled with water instead. He was agreeable with it, and proceeded to clean off the lizards. Which was good anyway because the squeezing motion will only help strengthen his hands.

We moved on into the large gym and the zip line. When he climbed the tower, he and Ms. Renee wrote a story/plan how specific situations where he feels frustrated, aka: RED ALERT! I mentioned before how torn Turbo is when he has an "owie" with a Band-Aide and his need for being clean (take a bath/shower). Last night it happened again. Although this time, he did get into the shower and then realized that he had an owie and immediately needed to get out. Before, we would have fought him and kept him in there, but with our task of trying to rewire specific situations that cause him stress, we said ok, and helped him out of the shower.

What they were doing was devising a plan on what to do when "THAT" situation comes up again (which it will, obviously). His plan is to put a plastic bag with tape over his owie and get into the water. That way it won't get wet. (much like you do when you have a cast). He seemed up for it, but we won't know if during his panic state of mind, will it work or not. We will have to see.

His code word is RED ALERT! It is something he can say when he feels himself going into panic mode, or whatever it is that happens. Sometimes a 5-year-old can't express what is wrong, he just knows something is wrong. So easy words like, RED ALERT, can be used to tell us that something is wrong, and for us to help him through it. I'm excited to use this, but I have already had the opportunity to use it, but I forgot about it! It hasn't even been 3 hours since the session! (next time...next time...)

Once finished with his story, he used the zip line to crash into the ball pit where he was to find plastic lizards. Again, he was to use just his touch and not his eyes. To help block out visual stimulation of the large gym and other people in it, she covered the pit with a blanket while he searched for the lizards. This helped tremendously. Not only was visual distractions blocked out, but it was dark and he was FORCED to use his hands and not his eyes.


I thought about the tents that we have at home that are the bane of my existence and wondered how I could incorporate them into our daily life. One area of struggle is when he is watching a movie or TV. Too much is going on in our house for him to just sit and watch. We have a portable DVD player, so maybe if I were to isolate him in his room, in his tent, with a blanket over it, might he be able to focus on the show and not become distracted. Mental note...(yeah, we know how that goes)...

Next, we played a bit of zoom ball, and climbed the rainbow in the small gym. Just some strategies to bring him down to a BLUE or GREEN level.
Afterwards, she had him balance on a core strengthener while playing Simon Says. Then she drug him down the hall on a bag to get his shoes.


The highlight of the day was his Chewie!