July 26, 2010 - The Swing

I've talked a lot about my decision to not include drugs in my daughter's treatment plan. What that means is that we have to be very creative and open minded about activities, diet, etc., that will help her with mood stabilization and anxiety control. Somethings work - somethings don't. Once her therapist told me to roll her in a yoga mat and apply pressure to her back. There are certain types of stimuli - like pressure that create activity in the brain that will calm an individual on the autism spectrum who doesn't like to be touched. There's a scene in Temple Grandin about this - she creates a "hug machine". Anyway - the yoga mat thing didn't work - we gave it a try, but couldn't stop laughing long enough to make any progress. No harm, no fowl though.

Most of the time my daughter will show outward signs of stress or anxiety that don't include tantrums. I wrote earlier about her twirling. She also asks me to take her to the park so that she can swing on the swings when she's had a particularly stressful or emotional event. When I spoke to her therapist about this she told me that it was normal for someone on the spectrum to want to swing or twirl when anxious - again allowing the brain to "recalibrate". She suggested that I get her a rocking chair or a swing. My daughter asked me for a swing set for her birthday - she'll be 13 next month, so I thought maybe a swing set wasn't the best solution. What I found instead is a backyard swing - the kind with a bench seat that fits three. It's been great! She's actually on it right now. She just sits and gently rocks while reading or sitting with her dog. She took to it right away and it definately makes her feel better. It actually ended up in our sun room, as opposed to outside. While I understand that most people want a backyard swing in their backyard - this works for us because it's a spare room with great lighting and a nice breeze. It's also become a great meeting place for the rest of the family, too. Many times I look over and all of my girls are sitting on the swing talking or just chilling out - usually with all three dogs piled on.

Anyway - my point in relaying this story to you, is that there are other means to treatment - it's just a matter of being willing to try new and maybe unconventional things. And remember that some will work and some won't - don't give up! When you find a little nugget that works, it's so worth the effort!!!

Remember - DIFFERENT IS BEAUTIFUL!!