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5 Ways to manage your Child’s Sensory Processing Disorder

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5 Ways to manage your Child’s Sensory Processing Disorder

Over the years, sensory processing disorder has become a major health concern. This neurological disorder is when you become over-sensitive to things in your immediate environment. As a result, you tend to bump into things, find it hard to engage in a conversation, be unable to determine where your limbs are and are uncoordinated.

While sensory processing disorder is commonly diagnosed in children, it can also affect adults. In this post, we will look at the various ways to help manage your child’s sensory processing disorder Southlake.

Create a Safe Space

Is your child easily overwhelmed by the things in their immediate surroundings? Then you need to consider creating a place where they can relax and feel comfortable. For example, if your child is distressed by bright lights, you can include soft lighting in their safe space. If loud noises are a possible trigger, you need to choose a naturally quiet location and include sound-absorbing materials such as pillows and blankets.

It is also advisable to include a pair of noise-canceling headphones in your child’s safe space. To make your child’s safe space more effective, you can include them in designing their safe areas, as they can customize this space to their own needs and preferences.

Incorporate a Comfort Kit

Comfort kits are essential if your child craves to be constantly engaged. These kits usually contain certain tools to help your child remain calm and feel more comfortable in their safe space. A canvas shopping bag makes the perfect comfort kit by allowing you to include your child’s favorite tools, such as earplugs, toys, dolls, chewing gum, or headphones, to help them cope with the environment. This comfort kit should also be easily accessible, especially when you are away from home, to make life easier for your young one.

Be Patient

Children dealing with sensory processing disorder often struggle with sudden transitions. That said, you are advised to give your child adequate time to adjust to new experiences and places fully. If you plan on exposing your child to a new situation, you should provide enough information beforehand to prepare them well.

Create a Signal

If your child is suffering from sensory processing disorder, you need to devise a certain signal that they can use to notify you when they are starting to feel overwhelmed by their environment. This signal should be simple to understand and silent for effective use- a hand signal or a special wave will do the trick. This signal allows your child to easily communicate when they need your help.

Find Suitable Alternatives

If your child craves regular movement and touch, you can provide them with fiddle objects, such as rubber bands, to help them fulfill their need for sensory stimulation. If your child is overwhelmed with loud sounds but enjoys listening to music, you can provide them with a device they can use to control the volume. This activity is relatively challenging as it involves plenty of experimentation and creativity to determine suitable alternatives for your child.

Manage your Child’s Sensory Processing Disorder with Expert treatment.

One of the most recommended treatments used by medical experts is sensory integration therapy. This treatment involves assessing your child’s response to body movement, touch, sight, and sound. This will help your therapist create personalized treatment solutions for your sensory processing disorder. Additionally, with professional assistance, you get to enjoy various medical assessments for a more accurate diagnosis of your child’s sensory processing disorder. Get started today and contact your occupational therapist to help manage your child’s sensory processing disorder.

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HEALTH

4 Occasions When Employers Can Make Use of Drug Testing Services

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4 Occasions When Employers Can Make Use of Drug Testing Services

In many places of business, being under the influence of alcohol or any other addictive substance can create problems. It’s not just about being able to handle the job; it’s also about the safety of everyone working in the place. For this reason, it’s not unusual for business owners to make use of drug testing services from time to time. Here are some examples when testing may be necessary. 

Part of the Advance Screening For New Employees

Hiring for an open position involves finding the most qualified person. In order to complete the process, prospective employers may require new hires to take a drug test before being allowed to report to work. If all goes well, the job offer stands, and a start date is set. 

Most employers understand that false positives can occur, in that there are foods, prescription medication that’s being taken as prescribed, and other factors that may mimic the use of certain substances. That’s often taken into account when evaluating the test results. 

Periodic Testing of Current Employees

It’s not unusual for an employer to have random drug testing conducted once or twice a year. The point is to ensure that employees who are entrusted with proprietary information, or who handle tasks that require a great deal of concentration, are capable of managing their duties responsibly. 

With random testing, employees generally don’t have much advance notice. Since testing may be requested at any time, employees are more likely to refrain from abusing different types of substances and may choose not to use anything at all. This is true even with legal substances like alcohol. 

Unexplained Changes in an Employee’s Demeanor

Along with random drug testing, a change in the demeanor of an employee may lead to the employer requesting a drug test. For example, an employee who is normally articulate but has grown increasingly unable to communicate effectively may be suspected of substance abuse. Assuming other explanations don’t apply, determining if drugs are involved sense. 

Depending on the test results, the employer may take several courses of action. The employee may receive a warning. There’s also the chance that the employer will offer the employee a chance to enter some type of substance abuse program. In the event that the employee does not want to pursue any of these options, terminating the employment may be the only solution. 

Testing as a Requirement For Returning to The Job

Even after employees emerge from a rehabilitation program, it’s not unusual for the employer to require one more drug test. In fact, it may be necessary to undergo the test before being allowed back into the workplace. If the results indicate no drugs in the person’s system, plans are made for the employee to resume his or her duties. 

After that, there’s not likely to be another need for a test outside of the random testing that the employer already conducts. Hopefully, the employee will have no more problems, and the past abuse will remain in the past. 

Whenever there’s the need for drug tests, reaching out to one of the professional drug testing services is the most practical approach. Doing so helps to ensure the testing is accurate, done in a timely and discreet manner, and that the results are only shared with the employer. 

 

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