Textured moments

I often wonder what it is that makes Owen like something one minute and then hate it the very next minute. Is it the feel, the smell, the sound, the color, the texture? Well yes, all of that. It is an ever changing world to him. It seems the more I learn about sensory processing the more I understand but the more questions I have. 
Before Owen was diagnosed with autism I noticed a lot of things that would set him off into meltdown mode and I started noticing what would calm him down. We would often walk down by the post office. He would touch the bricks as we would walk by and then he just wanted to stay there and run his hands across the bricks. He would stay there for twenty minutes or more if I would let him. The bricks had a vertical line pattern to them and he would put his fingers right on the edges, often humming to himself as he did it. The humming is a constant with Owen when he is trying to find a happy spot in his body, a calming mechanism if you will. 
As time progressed I have found a lot of other textures that make Owen happy. He tends to like harder surfaces more than soft things like stuffed animals. He has never been one to have a certain toy or use a pacifier. The need for these textures seem to be at certain times for him. It is like he is trying to find a connection to himself and his surroundings. 
When I realized how much Owen liked textures I starting trying to come up with ways to help my little guy. I asked a lot of my friends if they could think of things with rough, hard textures. With some of these suggestions I came with the idea to make him a sensory book of textures. I found a lot of different materials to use and then my friend added a few more and sewed it together for him. 
Owen loves input into his feet so I came up with the idea to get him some of the welcome mats for him to play on. The hard ones with all those little spikes. I also got a few that are more like carpet. I placed them all over his room and he will jump on the mats and then come rest on the softer one. I put one in front of the tv and he will jump on it as well. I forget sometimes that it is there when I go to tv area but I don't forget for long. I am amazed how much he gets from that stimulation though. 
I am always trying to come up with new ways to help Owen get the input he needs. It would be wonderful to hear form other parents that have other ideas how to help their little ones. Please share my blog with people you know. Thank you all for the wonderful support I have gotten. It truly means the world to me.