Sensory overload and Toe walking

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I mentioned sensory overload in the "lack of endurance" thread: Web Page Name but wanted to ask more specifically about it.

When I observed my daughter at school yesterday, it seemed like she was in sensory overload for the majority of the day. She had a lot of vocalizations (some echolalic), increased stimming (hand flapping, foot tapping, running back and forth), and was very uncooperative. At times she would blurt out "Quiet", even though there wasn't an obvious loud noise (just the low hum of her peers working). She just had a hard time settling herself down.

She is characterized as a "sensory seeker". I mentioned in the other thread that they have started a morning sensory routine as soon as she gets to school, and she has been doing that routine for the past 2 weeks. Her Special Ed teacher is reporting an increase in behaviors, which seem to signal sensory overload to me. I sent in noise reduction headphones at the beginning of the year, but I don't believe they are using them.

How do you handle sensory overload at school? I'm thinking she needs to be removed to a quiet place to calm down when this happens.

And the toe walking. She has always toe walked, and I never really thought much about it. I always thought of it as another stim, and I don't make a habit of trying to "correct" non-disruptive stims. The problem is that she is now doing it more and it is damaging her shoes. We run through a pair of shoes every 2-3 months. She has a referral to a ortho to be evaluated.

Anyone else run into this?

I am not much help with the toe walking b/c my son largely eliminated that before school. I would guess based on what you have written that it will subside when her general stress load is addressed. As far as the shoes go, in the meantime, maybe there are ballet flats or something she could wear that would be more sturdy when flexed?

My son has/had echolalia and uses words idiosyncratically, using them as placeholders for emotions he cannot convey. I suspect "quiet" is being used in this way. It may mean sensory overload or it may mean general discomfort.

When my son was in PS, they did not handle sensory overload well at all. In your case it is possible they don't want to be bothered with the headphones, or it may be that your daughter does not want to look odd. I would try to go in there and do as much observation as you can to see which it is, if your daughter will not tell you. If she is willing to wear them and they don't want to be bothered, you can call an IEP meeting and get it put in the IEP.

Another option would be a quiet place --that is not like a punishment area, but someplace she would willingly go to calm down when she needs to. She may need to give herself calming timeouts from the chaos and noise of the classroom.

Observation will help you discern if her issues are exclusively sensory or if there are social or other issues the school may not be so apt to volunteer.

My daughter has a place she can go to take a break. Also, I send noise reducing ear muffs (the type worn at a firing range) with here very day in her back pack.

I think we might have narrowed down her yelling "Quiet" to have to do with her frustration levels.

We had an IEP review meeting, due to the SpEd teacher wanting to revise her goals (they were carryover goals from last year and she mastered them all). The speech pathologist was really good about trying to explain to everyone about the issues with auditory processing and being overwhelmed by sensory issues. We discussed having a quiet area for her, but then decided against it because it couldn't be replicated in every classroom for her (she goes to different classrooms for Reading and Math). Since Jewell has already started to remove herself from the group when overwhelmed and goes to a "quiet" spot, the GenEd teacher said she had no problems with her continuing that. It's not disruptive and gives Jewell those few minutes to regroup.

It seems like the SpEd teacher isn't very experienced with Autism specifically, but she is open to trying different things. She's definitely a big fan of gathering data on anything we do implement.

Toe walking can indicate underlying issues, so I would talk to your OT about how to help.Toe walking is related to tight leg ligaments (shortened or tight achilles is one of them), core muscle weakness, vestibular sensory issues, and tactile sensory issues. So while many stims are indeed harmless, toe walking is something that should be addressed.

Have you read any books about sensory processing disorder? Two of my favorites are Raising a Sensory Smart Child and The Out-of-Sync Child"

Some children are also sensitive to the proprioception they feel when stepping on their heels....that fits into sensory avoiding?
Long term toe walking might cause shortening of the ligaments...If this is starting to happen, you need to sort it out with a physio, to mobilize the ligaments and joints passively....