Parenting with “Love & Logic” and the amazing physical, mental and emotional benefits of CranioSacral Therapy were the double-barreled interviews we had on this episode of our radio show.

Listen to our interviews on Love & Logic and CranioSacral Therapy ~ HERE (or visit the link on the bottom of this post to listen and download the interview)

Love and Logic is a child raising and teaching philosophy that arose out of the work and experience of Jim Fay (a teacher, school administrator and consultant) and Foster W. Cline (a certified Psychiatrist and consultant) described on their website as:

Love and Logic is a philosophy of raising and teaching children which allows adults to be happier, empowered, and more skilled in the interactions with children. Love allows children to grow through their mistakes. Logic allows children to live with the consequences of their choices. Love and Logic is a way of working with children that puts parents and teachers back in control, teaches children to be responsible, and prepares young people to live in the real world, with its many choices and consequences.

We also had the fantastic opportunity to interview Rebecca Flowers from the Upledger Institute about the touch-based therapy known as CranioSacral Therapy.  Originally developed by Dr. John Upledger and influenced by the work of Dr. William Sutherland, the father of cranial osteopathy, CranioSacral Therapy is described on the Upledger website as follows:

Using a soft touch which is generally no greater than 5 grams – about the weight of a nickel – practitioners release restrictions in the soft tissues that surround the central nervous system. CST is increasingly used as a preventive health measure for its ability to bolster resistance to disease, and it’s effective for a wide range of medical problems associated with pain and dysfunction.

CranioSacral Therapy is effective in treating  a variety of health concerns including (but not limited to):

• Migraines and Headaches
• Chronic Neck and Back Pain
• Stress and Tension-Related Disorders
• Motor-Coordination Impairments
• Infant and Childhood Disorders
• Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries
• Chronic Fatigue
• Fibromyalgia
• TMJ Syndrome
• Scoliosis
• Central Nervous System Disorders
• Learning Disabilities
• ADD/ADHD
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Orthopedic Problems

We were first introduced to CranioSacral therapy as a result of work my son was doing at the time with a physical therapist when he was younger.  As I say in the interview, I had the benefit of seeing the tremendous benefits of the therapy before ever seeing an actual session which in hindsight was good because after seeing a session my first reaction was …. this stuff is looney.  However, the results we were seeing with my son were undeniable and when something is working you don’t stop it.

Despite my first impression of this therapy I can honestly say today that there is nothing that’s been more beneficial to our family’s overall health and wellness than CranioSacral therapy.

As my wife is also quick to point out, not only do I not think the therapy looks so looney anymore …. I also see a CranioSacral therapist for my own sessions twice a month and wouldn’t give them up if you paid me to (hey, like I said if it works why quit?).

• The Upledger Institute – Frequently Asked Questions About – CranioSacral Therapy

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Itchy tags.

Doesn’t like socks.

Won’t sit still.

Always fidgeting and moving around.

Sensitive to sounds.

Sensitive to light.

Difficult time properly using pens, pencils, etc.

Could it be you’ve got an Out-Of-Sync child?

These days it seems like there’s a condition for everything under the sun.  If your child (or you even) does anything short of sit still and follow directions there’s got to be something wrong with them, right (of course if they do just sit still and follow directions that probably indicates a problem too, something like “Passive Follower Disorder”)?

So what does being “Out of Sync” mean?

It’s actually another way of saying “Sensory Integration Dysfunction” or the more recent name “Sensory Processing Disorder” ~ yeah I know I was just complaining about giving every childhood quirk a “disorder” label.  Honestly,  since I’m not a doctor / psychiatrist / therapist I don’t really like using the whole “disorder” / “dysfunction” labeling at all …. but it’s what they call it so you have to at least understand that’s the official name.

Enough name calling ….. so what is it?

Long definition short, it’s simply that your sensory systems (touch, vision, hearing, taste, smell, position and movement) are not processing the wealth of information coming into your body and brain in a way that allows you to make the “proper” responses.  This could be because your system is hypersensitive ( ex. – a soft graze of a feather on your hand feels harsher, stronger and more abrasive) or hyposensitive (ex. –  pressure that someone else would feel barely registers with you).

Why some kids have systems that are processing differently is a subject of much debate, however, the fact that it’s occurring is not.

For someone who questions the validity of this kind of thing or says it can’t really happen the way I’m describing I frequently explain it this way (it’s a good way to end the argument).

“You’ve probably experienced an Out-Of-Sync system and actually probably even experienced both extremes.”

Blank stare or denial generally inserted here.

“Okay, we’ll start with Out-Of-Sync to the hypo end first.”

“Have you ever been to a party and seen someone who’s drunk?  They stumble around uncoordinated,  talk too loud,  have trouble understanding what’s going on around them,  pretty impervious to pain, etc. – right?”

Most people agree they’ve seen this.  Some as you talk you can tell are even reliving it.

“Well,  that’s an example of a sensory system that’s been made hyposensitive – via a drug – but still hyposensitive.”

“Now, for the example of a hypersensitive system ….. check with that person in the morning.”

Now, is being drunk the same same as having a legitimate challenge with your sensory system ~ no, but similar.  The difference of course is that being drunk is something that YOU’RE doing to your system and it wears off.  Having a legitimate sensory processing challenge is something your system is doing on it’s own.  However, either way your sensory system is not operating within the confines of what is classified as “normal”.

Being normal is vastly overrated, however, in the case of someone facing challenges caused by a sensory processing challenge these sensory differences drastically impact their lives and their ability to be productive.

We interviewed Carol Kranowitz because, while she didn’t invent these terms or discover these challenges, her series of books, starting with “The Out-Of-Sync Child” have probably done more to help parents and teachers facing these challenges than just about anything else out there.  Her methods and tips for helping children facing these challenges have also improved both the atmosphere in many a household and the productivity in many a classroom.

Bottomline – if you have a child (or you are) facing Sensory challenges you can’t ignore her books.

Oddly enough, there’s many tips, techniques and approaches that you’ll find work amazingly well for folks who don’t have these challenges formally, but do sometimes feel overstressed and overwhelmed because of everything going on around them in their lives.

A quick story to illustrate that point.

Sensory challenges have been a frequent and long lasting challenge for my son (I don’t call them disorders because I don’t know that they are for a lot of kids – they’re just differences which in certain scenarios pose challenges).  In his classroom two easy, cheap but amazingly productive tools that help keep him “calm” and more “in sync” are a Theraband strap wrapped around the bottom of his chair and a “wiggle” cushion on his seat.  Both give him more sensory input while also allowing his wiggling to be less disruptive.  The funny thing is that he’s never had a classroom yet where the other children in the class aren’t always trying to swipe them and use them for themselves – not to be mean but because THEY like the way it makes THEM feel.  One classroom finally ended up putting Theraband straps around the bases of all the chairs in the classroom and the teacher was SHOCKED at home much calmer the class was and how much better they were able to sit and concentrate.

Which reinforces the point that I make frequently which is that many of the things the schools label as being “special education” tools and resources are only special because they don’t let all the kids in the school use and benefit from them…..but that’s a post for another day.

Enjoy the interview.

Some great links ….

• The Out-of-Sync Child – How does SPD affect learning?
• The Out-of-Sync Child – Indoor Obstacle Courses
• The Out-of-Sync Child – Music and Movement Bring Kids Together

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You Missed A Show?

Missed a show?  How could you?

Okay, besides you have a family and the show is on early Sunday mornings.

Then here’s your chance to catch up.  I’ll be posting full breakouts of all the shows we did in 2009 but in the meantime check out any of the shows that you might have missed below:

1. Dr. James Gregg – Is Chiropractic Right For Your Family?
2. The Swine Flu & The Vaccine – What’s The Story & Is It Safe?
3. David Kirby – Vaccine Safety & The Impact Of Factory Farming On Our Diets
4. Peter Wright From Wrightslaw.com – Special Ed & Special Ed Law
5. Twitter – Why, How, Should We Care w/ Leslie Poston Co-Author Of “Twitter For Dummies”
6. John Gatto – The American Education System
7. Dr. Arthur Benjamin – Math Magic & Improving Math Education
8. Barbara Coloroso – Fighting Back Against Bullying
9. David Allen – Author Of NY Time Bestseller “Getting Things Done”
10. Dave Farrow – Guinness Book Memory Master Record Holder
11. Kim Stewart – Eating Between The Lines (Coming Soon)
12. Marianne Syzmanski – Toy Tips For Children
13. Carol Kranowitz – The Out of Sync Child & Sensory Integration

Many (and soon) all off these shows can also be downloaded at Itunes in the Podcast section under “My Great Kid”.

Thank you for listening to the show and following this blog and please let us know if there are any topics, or guests, you would like us to speak to in the future.

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I just found this site online and think it’s a great site and phenomenal tool for schools, OT’s and especially parents.  You pick what skill you want to work and what tools you have available and it gives you skills games/drills/tips that you can do.  Very well laid out, clear and easy to follow and cool activities to boot.

Highly recommend you check it out.

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