Our son’s favourite toy after working hard with his O.T. in her clinic was to have play time with a metallic pinwheel. Blowing is an extremely calming therapy, so it not only calmed him but helped the muscle development in his mouth, which in turn helped him with his dysphagia (swallowing disorder). He also has dyspraxia (motor planning disorder), and the pinwheel did not place demands on his motor abilities. And we both loved to watch the light bounce off of the metallic petals!
We wanted to make sure we had seven petals representing all five senses as well as the two ‘hidden’ senses - the vestibular sense and the proprioceptive sense. We used the royal purple color, as both royal blue and royal purple are great sensory calming colors.
We particularly loved what the pinwheel represents - a cycle. Just as the pinwheel is in constant motion and seldom stops at the same place twice, we never have the same day twice. Temperatures vary, the smells in the air change, the brightness of the sun or the loudness in the room all change; these changes all impact our SPD children.
For us, the pinwheel represents not only SPD but the work of our foundation. Our hope is that it will also hold meaning for you – those who use this site.