Brushing Technique

The first time I heard my mother-in-law (special-ed teacher in the public school system) suggest ‘brushing’ my son, Jackson, I thought it sounded silly. What good could that possibly bring? His PDD clearly affected his sensitivity to touch, and it just didn’t make sense to me at the time. I politely listened, but decided it wasn’t worth the fight.

After we received his diagnosis and we were settled in occupational and speech therapy, however, his OT suggested we start ‘brushing’ him, too. She explained the Wilbarger Protocol for Sensory Defensiveness or ‘brushing technique.’ She gave me a therapy brush, showed me how to use it, and challenged me to commit to brushing him every two hours for two weeks to see if it made a difference. I still thought it was silly, but for Jackson’s sake, I decided to give it a try.

This technique uses a tightly bristled, soft hand brush (looks like a big finger nail scrubber) and joint compression to alleviate sensitivity or satisfy deep pressure craving. You basically brush the back, arms, palms, legs and the bottom of the feet. Then you apply deep pressure to joints by holding the arm or leg straight and pushing toward the shoulder or hip from the palm or foot. The joint compression technique is different for older children, but it accomplishes the same thing: relief.

I noticed results almost immediately. There was less fidgeting, crashing and crazy repetitive behavior. He was better able to sit and read a book or snuggle during a movie. He pitched fewer tantrums and seemed more evenly tempered overall. I definitely didn’t think it was silly now, and regretted not listening to my mother-in-law sooner.

That trial was nearly two years ago, and we’re still brushing. We’ve tailored it to fit his condition and our schedule*, but it is still a very important part of our routine. He even asks for it on occasion.

I’m definitely glad we tried it. For something so simple and ‘silly’ it really makes a big difference, and I’m glad to be able to offer Jackson some relief from his cravings and sensitivities.

* We noticed toward the end of the two-week trial that every two hours was too much for him. He loved it in the morning, but by the late afternoon, he would pull away and try to avoid it. So, we altered our timing to before bed, nap, school and other out-of-the-home activities.

NOTE: This is not for every child, and if done improperly, it can cause more harm than good. You should proceed only under the care of a qualified therapist.