I saw that a friend had posted she was noticing her daughter seemed to have a high tolerance to pain. Throughout our WHS get togethers every few months we have talked about this and how it does not seem to be documented anywhere. I’ve asked all of Tanner’s doctors but nobody really has answers. Tanner got a different OT last summer and when I mentioned it she knew exactly what to do and it has defintely helped. She gave me a sensory brush and directed me to Southpaw Enterprises web site for a brushing kit. You can find them at http://www.southpawenterprises.com/Therapy-Brush-Sample-Pack-P403.aspx . The package is $16.50 and well worth it (It comes with 2 of each brush). You can also mention it to your child’s OT and maybe they can provide you with some brushes and some guidance. I made a video showing our typical brushing routine for Tanner. (I am not an expert or claiming to be one. This is just our routine taught by Tanner’s OT). It is to be done every 2 hours but that sometimes just isn’t feasible with everything else we have going on. These techniques “wake up” the nerve endings allowing the child to feel more. Not just to feel pain. Using the brushing technique on Tanner’s face even helped to get him to let me brush his teeth. He would not open up EVER for the tooth brush. I started with the face brush for a week stroking his cheeks. The next week I did the same strokes but with a tooth brush and also gently brushed his lips with the tooth brush. Now, he opens wide and loves getting his little teeth brushed. (In the video I say that I used the brush to brush his teeth….I didn’t actually mean that I brushed his teeth with the face brush. It just sounded weird so I want to clarify). The video was too long (just a couple minutes) to be uploaded to this site so I’m including the youtube link instead. If you want an extra bonus there are a couple other videos along the sidebar of Tanner:)
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We also saw a high tolerance for pain and “unsuspected events” in our son. One might thinkt that since he was sight impaired that he might react to every small touch and be more sensitive than most kids but we observed the opposite.
Thank you, Jess! I will order the brushes and talk to our OT today.
Very helpful! Hopefully Denise will let me brush her teeth one day. For now she’s fighting me like a little mule :))
That video was so sweet! i know it wasn’t your intention with this “informative” video but it made me cry seeing Tanner on video, i’ve only seen pics before. There is something so special about him, those lashes, his laugh, his grin, the way he looked at you so lovingly when you sat him up to brush him. You are such a good mom. I know there are many things we do for our kids that their special needs require, some require more than others. But the brushing routine alone is such a loving and selfless thing you do for Tanner. Thanks for sharing. I am going to try the brushes on Brodie hoping it will help him allow me to brush his teeth!
Thank you so much for making the video. Magnolia’s OT just talked about brushing today. Tanner is so adorable. I also love the way he looks at you with those eyes. Too sweet! His laugh is contagious. Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks so much for posting this Jess. I will check out the brushes for Dylan. It looks like they are really working for Tanner. Tanner is sooooo cute and his laugh sounds so much like Dylan’s – I love it! 🙂