Joint Compressions - "Squishies" - After a Meltdown

During an occupational therapy session with Cheryl Mock OTR (Denver area) for Sensory Processing Disorder, the 4 yr old child had a meltdown. After asking him about how his engine was running, joint compressions are used to calm his system.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• sensory processing disorder
• integration
• dysfunction
• occupational therapy

[allenromeroespelita]

I would like to comment on how you do the Joint compression is it distal to proximal or the other way around?

[preprandialcocktail]

@allenromeroespelita More recently I've seen these done a different way which is pull push twist twist on each joint. I don't think the method really matters. You are just pushing the joint together. Muscles do this to bones when under load. You are just giving a big dose of that same medicine through squishies. A kid who tries to move big furniture to rearrange a room gets the same thing. In fact, I know that they've asked at least one kid to do just that to the STAR Center waiting room!

[magicalmiriam]

Whats the aim of the Joint compressions?

[preprandialcocktail]

Joint compressions work on the proprioceptive system. Proprioception is the ability of our joints to tell our brain where our body is. If I close my eyes and lift my arm above my head, each joint in my hand, wrist, arm tells my brain that my arm is up in the air. For a child who is underresponsive to proprioceptive input, compressions are calming just like thumb sucking. The jaw joint has a lot of proprioceptors. Thumb sucking and "squishies" are calming - but using different joints.

[WickedStorm79]

what an awsome mum!

[AliciaLlanas]

I find this interesting. We live in Mexico, and here part of the PT are joint compressions. we did this with our son since he was one month old until he was 3 and half. he is now 6, im wondering if this could have been a helper for how he is now.

[beautifulmind546]

He is so calm. This is so lovely to see and it works well with my own child. She also does well with pushing things or just pushing against the wall. Some yoga poses like downward dog seem to do the same thing for her.

[Passionslvr]

@preprandialcocktail How can you tell that the joint compressions is doing it's job? What changes to we look for in the child? Thanks!

[PinkPunkyKat]

Are you supposed to compress the head? I have autism myself and when my parents tried joint compression with me, they were told to "compress" my head. It felt as if they were trying to smash concrete bricks on it. Joit compression made my meltdowns and agression worse.

[wolinmijnhaar]

not only does this boy look like my 6 year old son, he acts like him completely as well!! These video's are so helpful thank you very much.

My son seems to have legs with a life of there own and I think doing this after his melt downs will make him be more in touch with his body.

It is hard however to stay so calm like the video shows in everyday life as I deal with 4 ASS children in my household.

[Pianda]

@Pianda also try to bing in ameta-perspective " we're doing this for you so that you can step-by-step handle it yourself" -and try to establish a sense of boundary - so the boy shall understand that the fact, that he is nurtured like that beyond normal age is something special - otherwise these kids can develop a natural idea of being nurtered all day and all age. Try to establish a "we want to learn YOU to handle this for yourself"=this is some sort of limit these overserved kids also need

[Pianda]

I know an Autist with 47 years; he had been very much counselled and served A LOT by his parents and environment. He has NO feeling for his body or div. parts of his self. AND HE IS NOT URGING FOR GETTING ALONG at all.

Here, 2.00ff (2.17) shows me sogns of the same partial development: the boy shows that he has got used to the "service from outside" - really try to achieve a fusion - tell him that it's agoal that HE IS ABLE to learn this capability himself!