What mysterious therapy did I receive as a kid?
December 1, 2020 8:11 AM   Subscribe

I received some strange traumatizing therapy as a child: what was it? I was taken into a tiny dimly-lit room where I had to lay on a mechanized table. I was given one earplug and headphones that played grating, disturbing sounds like silverware scraping and things like that. Meanwhile, the table would move in different patterns (jerking back and forth, or in a more circular pattern. I was left alone in the room until the end of the session. This was at a child's therapy center of some sort in LA in the 80s.

The center did other (physical? occupational?) therapy for children's developmental(?) issues, and after this surreal hellscape in the private room, I'd be taken into what I imagine was a traditional looking children's physical/sensory therapy-ish room, where I believe I balanced on half of a red ball and did some other exercises. I was very athletic as a child, so none of this was for physical issues. My mother was a Narcissist, so I'm just curious if this was something legit for the time period, or what on earth else it was, and my search terms aren't exactly fruitful. Also, this definitely happened, and unfortunately it wasn't an alien abduction.
posted by asimplemouse to Society & Culture (9 answers total) 6 users marked this as a favorite
 
Auditory integration training? Although that does not explain the movement of the table.
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 8:26 AM on December 1, 2020 [1 favorite]


Any chance that she signed you up for a pediatric study? We live in a research-heavy area with a lot of universities, and the balancing-on-a-ball made me think of some of the ones that have been circulated through the university parents group. Often these happen once, and compensation can be involved.
posted by childofTethys at 9:11 AM on December 1, 2020 [3 favorites]


Response by poster: There is almost no chance this was a study. For all my mother's faults, she was meticulous in choosing doctors/specialists/etc. and a university experiment would not have fit her MO. I'm not saying it's impossible, but more like 3% likely and 97% unlikely. The Auditory Integration Training does however seem very likely. The Autism/ADHD connection, the length of therapy, the time frame, etc make it seem very plausible. Though agreed, it doesnt explain the table. Thanks for the ideas guys, hoping for some more-- I wont chime in again.
posted by asimplemouse at 9:32 AM on December 1, 2020 [2 favorites]


The ball and the motion table make me think of occupational/sensory integration therapy of some kind, which currently often gets used with kids with possible autism/adhd, since you mentioned that. (Many of whom may also have problems with physical movement/regulation, just because you didn't doesn't mean this might not have been on the 'menu' so to speak)
posted by heyforfour at 9:37 AM on December 1, 2020 [1 favorite]


Best answer: My kid did some Sensory Integration Therapy about 10 years ago, and was put on a large table that was suspended from the ceiling and moved in circles and back and forth. He wore noise-cancelling headphones. It was described as a way to center his mind and body before the real exercises (climbing wall, touching different textures, playing in water) began.
posted by Malla at 10:44 AM on December 1, 2020 [5 favorites]


Response by poster: Sorry to chime in again but I just spoke to my mother to confirm this, and it was NOT a study. It was an established occupational therapy office that catered to children/teenagers. But she didnt remember any other details except the fact that I went for at least a few months, likely more. Any other ideas?
posted by asimplemouse at 10:45 AM on December 1, 2020 [1 favorite]


I should mention that unlike you, my kid suffered from poorly developed muscle tone (a physiological problem that runs in my husbands family, and is usually something kids grow out of) and so was also doing Occupational Therapy at the same time to help with that.
posted by Malla at 10:59 AM on December 1, 2020


Is there any way you might be remembering receiving an MRI?
posted by latkes at 7:16 PM on December 1, 2020


Response by poster: I don't remember getting an MRI but it was theoretically possible.

So it seems likely it was a form of Sensory Integration Therapy, but maybe someone will come in with more details. I'd love a more specific answer but this definitely gets me further. Thanks all.
posted by asimplemouse at 4:44 AM on December 2, 2020


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