What activities do you do with your PDD-NOS Child?

I am going to have a zillion questions today, I feel it. When I say I'm exhausted, I am ready to DH has been working p/t and I am really not getting any kind of break and I am running (have run) out of things to do with DS. His attending is very poor and will only partake in things for five-ten minutes if I'm lucky. If I am not actively engaged, he is ripping things out of cabinets, drawers, closets, etc. We tried finger painting and he squished the paint for about 1 minute tops, then smeared it all over his face and then jumped down from the chair and smeared it all over the walls and carpet. We tried building blocks and all he was interested in was dumping them out on the floor and then throwing them at the tv..."no throw no throw" till I was blue in the face. Unzipping my throw pillows and taking the stuffing out of them. Puzzles are much of the same, one piece and he throws it. I bought dinosaurs because he likes to go "ROAR" but that is only five minutes and he is back to ripping out ripping out the stuffing again. I got a trampoline for my mom's house which he says he uses but not for any extended length of time. He will occassionally sit and watch sesame street or nemo but those are few and far between. He has no "off" button except for when he is sleeping. I tried activities in this sensory book i purchased but that only lasts for a short period. I guess I am finding it hard to fill 11 hours of awake time. I also dont know how to encourage some independant nondestrictive play time. Right now he is climbing and jumping on top of me. When the weather is nice we go to the park (I live in a coop and there is no safe outdoor area for him here) which takes up some time but with the cold bad weather approaching I am really freaking out with what I am going to do with him.

Re: What activities do you do with your PDD-NOS Child?

Where are you located? I highly recommend getting an annual membership to the Children's Museum! When DD was younger (she's not behavioral...in fact, the opposite), we'd go to the Children's Museum twice or more weekly.
Other things to try (if you can tolerate the mess):
Moon Dough
Moon Sand
Putting little animal figurines in shaving cream
Make a rice table

What about a swim class or another type of movement class?

Re: What activities do you do with your PDD-NOS Child?

I find sensory bins to be really soothing. (Beans with different objects in them) However, his fine motor skills may be 'delayed' and that is why he can't attend to many toys ? So of course, the sensory bin may not last long

Give him more baths ? Baths as an activity....Bath paint, bubble bath

Play bubbles

Balloon throw

Basketball game ?

Fill boxes (laundry basket) with heavy items, put a rope on it so that ds can grab it and have him drag it a lot. Keep praising him, with enthusiasm making him feel like he is winning some sort of game.

Mini trampoline

Tents and tunnels

Ball popper game ? (something that requires little fine motor skills but continues on)

Dancing/movement (I have a lot of great cds I could recommend)..this takes up a lot of time in my home

Drumming ! Drumming is so organizing, and it helps so much with immitation skills. (just purchased a really nice drum for 20 bucks)

Maybe try a compression vest ? I just bought one for my dd, and it definitely has had a calming affect. The one that is recommended is southpaw's bear hug (you can adjust the amount of compression)

Two is hard...it really is...(every time you can tag another minute to an activity it's an accomplishment)

Get ds out of the house, even for a walk down the block

Re: What activities do you do with your PDD-NOS Child?

I agree with all of the above suggestions. Any 2 year old has a short attention span, so lots of ideas help.

I started having DS help me bake things a little past two. he'd do some mixing or kneading or pouring (we made lots of quick breads), and after he was so proud of what we made. Baths are great too with shaving cream or gel crayons. And yes, going outside is so important, even for a short time. Children endure the cold well if dressed for it. Go for a nature walk and pick up leaves, pine cones, things like that.

If paints are an issue, you can use pudding to paint with in the kitchen. Or quirt paint in a plastic bag, seal it, and let DC squeeze it.

Traditional toys were not big in our house at that age, still aren't, though he's more interested now.

Re: What activities do you do with your PDD-NOS Child?

I will go out on a limb here.. But at 2 my DS had his own iPod touch and it was a life savor. It taught him so much. We also use the computer a lot together.

We did, puzzles. Play doh painting, but he did those with his therapists, he did those activities in school... So we focused on the iPod, computer time together.

At 4 he is getting his own iPad, he uses mine right now, and some of the games we play he does better than me. We still spend time together and do a ti tied together, but just more in the modern way.

Re: What activities do you do with your PDD-NOS Child?

My DS was 27 months when he started school (a seperation class). It did him and I both wonders. 3x a week, 90 mins each day!

Then we did:

Library Programs
Park
Get togethers with other moms and kids
Joined MeetUp Group
Went on walks

Around the house:
Anything sensory and music!

Sand, Snow (umm when it snowed..LOL), beans, rice

Read Books

Water Play

Yep...even popped in a movie or watched a tv show

Re: What activities do you do with your PDD-NOS Child?

You've gotten some great ideas here!
I wanted to add that we had a mini trampoline out at all times, and we also turned our pack and play into a ball pit. It took about 300-400 balls but it was a lifesaver. It was also out at all times so he could go to it when he "needed" it.
I agree with lots of baths too - you can add epsom salt for extra calming effect. We did most of our shaving cream play in the bath.
Try playing different types of music - we had a classical baby cd that was great. We also played Laurie berkner's Rocketship Run cd a lot and dances/acted out the movements to the songs.
How is he in a high chair? It took some training to get Cole to sit in it, but thats where we'd do some art projects, sensory bins, shaving cream play ...

And finally, for your own sanity, try to schedule play times and break times. It helps to spend 5 minutes in the morning coming up with a game plan ( you'll have to be flexible in the beginning until you figure out what activities "work for him") Remember to schedule something for yourself - even if its 15 minutes with a cup of tea and a magazine or an extra long shower with a new shower gel.

Toddler SPD is HARD. It gets better.

Re: What activities do you do with your PDD-NOS Child?

Agree, there are great ideas here. Just wanted to add that I needed to make a space for my son. We took a room and basically dedicated it to him, all his stuff and he just travels from one thing to the next and it keeps him busy. It also helps eliminate him climbing on me, I also use it for home ABA, so I have no more adult living room it's more of a therapy room but when he's stressed I let him in and he is very content. Just an idea for works for me.