THE PRAYERS HE GIVES and THE REQUEST FOR SENSORY DIET

I always love it when Max gives family prayer. And last week’s prayer is one I want to share. His prayer brought warmth and peace with each word he spoke. He said, "Please bless that angels will open the rays of heaven and come and comfort Grandma." He then waited a few minutes before speaking again. "And please help those people 
who say bad words, to stop saying bad words, and to become mature." 

About two months ago Max asked for the sensory diet. I was shocked that he had requested it after he told me he didn’t want it anymore when he was 11.

The sensory diet was given twice a day from the time he was 3 until 11.

I honestly believe it helped him control his behavior and calmed him.

Over the summer Max wanted hugs ten times or more a day and it didn’t matter where or at what time. Times like when I’m in the middle of cooking or at the store. His way of hugging is to squeeze me so tight I can’t breathe.

Since he has been in school the hugs have decreased and I believe what has 
helped is him carrying a backpack all day at school.

The sensory diet that I have been giving him consist of applying deep pressure against the skin, combined with stimulating the receptors in the joints, this is calming for Max. He always takes a deep breath and exhales slowly as I apply my body weight to his back. Now that he weighs as much as me I need to find another 
form of applying the deep compression to his body.

I wish I could borrow Temple Grandin's squeeze machine. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hug_machine

I think I will research making him a weighted blanket. I have wondered why this sensory issue has come back in full force. The blessing is the behaviors have not.

I have asked his occupational therapist and did research of my own.

Finding it often happens when puberty comes.

Has anyone else had their child who lives with autism request sensory diet
 or hugs when they reached puberty?