My daughter has Classic Galactosemia. It comes with an array of possible disabilities. So far she has hypotonia which are weak muscles. We participate in occupational therapy. Therapy confirmed my additional suspicions of sensory issues for Penelope. Penelope hates the feeling of sand between her toes, wet grass, anything dirty or sticky on her hands or feet. She hates strings for some reason as well. Part of therapy is slowly exposing her to all sorts of textures. What I found recently, is that my cooking and baking peak her interest. For months I had her play kitchen right where I was cooking so she could pretend. Now I leave a stool next to me when I cook so she can participate. Preparing food exposes her to all sorts of textures. At her own pace, she can play and touch all sorts of things. Today she engaged with dough. I couldn’t even get her to touch colorful play-dough without her worrying about her hands every second. But making pizzas, she dove into to dough and flour. It was wonderful. I even got her to crack an egg this week without a tantrum. The video below shows how she she expresses herself about a slimy texture, she shows me her hands to wipe off, which I don’t do, and then she starts to shake her hands.
Painting in the bath helps, these are $1 soap paints from Target. If she gets too overstimulated with paint on her hands she can wash in the tub.
If you child has sensory issues always consult with a Dr or professional first. We are guided by an Occupational Therapist for our daughter specific needs. Brush has many benefits and we saw a difference with the two week assignment.