Sensory Strategies

Transcript

Here are some strategies to help your child with their self care and sensory needs, especially if they are sensitive to touch. Overlaundry clothing to soften and use fabric softener. Use social stories to support acceptance of some challenging self care tasks such as nail cutting. Turn socks inside out if the seams are an issue.

Remove labels and tags from the neckline or inside of clothing. Use a soft bristle toothbrush. Use water play or shaving foam play to support tolerance for getting wet and messy. Opt for loose softer clothing when not wearing school uniform. Incorporate play that requires use of force such as TheraPutty and construction toys to improve tolerance for applying pressure with hands.

Now, let’s take a look at some strategies to help your child through their meal times. If your child stuffs their mouth, try using smaller utensils to avoid overfilling. Allow children to explore foods before expecting them to eat them such as smelling, licking, touching, biting, and always let them spit out the food if they need to.

Serve preferred foods at most mealtimes to encourage participation in family meals or participation in eating lunch at school. Allow for food play with edible play dough, pasta, whipped cream, and rice. Gradually introduce new foods and textures offering a taste before serving as a meal. Look for trends in food preferences and trial similar foods. For example, if a child likes crunchy bland snacks such as bread sticks introduce crackers or rice cakes. If your child really dislikes strong flavors and this affects other aspects of self care such as toothbrushing opt for a flavorless toothpaste.

Now let’s take a look at some strategies to help a child who appears to be always on the go be more productive. Provide movement breaks as and when needed and make them productive. A good way to do this is to use functional jobs such as bringing in the shopping and unpacking the shopping and collecting dirty laundry for the washing. Children can also help out with some other household tasks such as sweeping the floor, vacuuming, moving items from one room to another, or you could be really brave and ask them to clean their bedrooms.

Weighted items such as lap pads are available to help calm your child. Here are some strategies to help support your child’s transitions through the day. Ensure your child has access to a quiet and calm environment during a busy day or following a difficult transition.

Children may benefit from the use of a visual timetable to allow them to move from one activity to another and it provides them with a clear start and finish. When your child is at school allowing them to be the first or last in the line may help the child feel calm during transitions between classrooms playground and assembly.

Some children benefit from the use of chew toys during transition. This can be used as a tool to support anxiety related mouthing or chewing.

Here are some strategies to help support your child with their play and leisure. If your child is sensitive to textures, introduce dry textures to their play sessions and as they tolerate this more increase it through to wet textures. For example, you could start with playing with pasta and rice and gradually move through to paint and foam.

Choose activities depending on whether your child looks drowsy, calm and alert, or hyperactive. Don’t always provide more of the same. If a child is constantly movement seeking, more movement may lead to overload and meltdown. Build up slowly to new experiences and finish when things are going well. If you’re wanting to end your child’s play begin a countdown by saying two more then finish or counting five four three two one and finish.

Use movement play carefully if the child is avoidant or easily becomes dysregulated. Incorporate sensory play on a daily basis if working towards increased intolerance. Support your child to vary their play interests by playing alongside them with new or less preferred items.