OT Series:  Sensory Processing Disorders and Going Out – How to Manage – How to Strategize

What You Can Do: Walking Trips and Activities

Judy Benz Duncan, Occupational Therapist

It is a common daily event to walk outside of the home, whether it is from a parking lot into a store, getting from your home or car to the park, taking a walk around the block with the rest of the family, or while on vacation and “seeing the sights.”

Walking trips and activities can become a stressful and difficult task when a child with sensory processing disorders are challenged by a change of routine, or a change from the familiar.

Beginning with, and continuing with introducing changes as a child grows will help them learn to adjust to changes and differences in their day-to-day life. This strategy is a great idea to incorporate into your daily life – well before you ever notice sensory disturbances or sensory meltdowns – any and all children can benefit from the variety and stimulation of change. 

Try any and all of the following ideas and suggestions to help your child develop their tolerance and ability to participate with the family in regular daily activities and events.

• Play “Seek and Find” with your child – have a list of what you want your child to look for and find as you walk in the park, around the block, or even through a shopping mall or store. This will help keep them more relaxed and calm if they are trying to look for and find the items. You may want to give a reward for their efforts. Make your list easy enough that your child will not get frustrated trying to find even one thing – someone else walking with their child, a big tree, a shop with a sign that has the first letter of your child’s name in it, a stop sign, a cloud, a dog, a yellow flower, and so on

• Tell your child where you are going and what they will be doing or seeing along the way

• Take a photo of your child with their “walking shoes” on at the start of your adventure

• Change the normal, expected routes, and time of walking, every time you go out – park in a different area of the parking lot, go into a mall through a different entrance, enter the park at different points, and so on – make changes, keep variety in place!

• Take along a small laminated walking-map showing main places you may be passing on your trip. Let your child check them off as you go so they can see where they are, what to expect, and see an end-point to the trip. Visual cues and clear points of reference will help

• If you drive to the park or store, start with parking as close as possible, and then on return trips, change your parking spot and try to park further and further away

• If you need to use a stroller, this is fine, but try to encourage as much out of the stroller time as your child will tolerate – slowly build up their walking out from time to time. Let them help out by pushing their own stroller instead of being pushed in it

• Try to plan your walking times when you are not in a hurry. When you are not rushed, you can make the walk less stressful for everyone, make it a more enjoyable experience, and allows your child to amble along at their own pace if need be

• Try to give your child a purpose for your walking trip: “We are going to look for a duck at the pond,” or “we are going to pick up some milk and bread,” or “we are taking the dog for a walk,” or “we are going see how many birds and squirrels we can see in the trees.”

• Use a portable timer if needed – let your child know you are going to be walking for “5 minutes” before stopping or heading back home. Give good clear cues to help your child manage their reactions and not feeling like “it’s never going to end!”

• If they complain about their feet hurting, find a bench, or a shady tree to sit under, take off socks/shoes and give each other a foot rub. Let them know that your feet hurt too and rubbing and stretching them will help. If they cannot tolerate shoes/socks coming off and going back on, then just do some basic feet exercises of ankle circles/rolls, flexing and extending their feet, curling toes in and out with their shoes on

• Let them take their stuffed animal friend on the walk with you

• Let them take a fidget toy along in their pocket

• In the grocery, encourage your child to help pick up items and place in the cart

• Take a walk in the spring, through puddles, in the fall over fallen leaves, through snow, on dirt trails, on sidewalks – let your child experience it all!

• Make them as comfortable as possible – dress in clothes that do not irritate, comfy socks and shoes, a hat and sunglasses if they will wear them.

• Bring along some water and snacks in case they are needed

• Enjoy! It’s all about learning and change – just go with flow, and keep calm! You are doing a great job in helping to support your child’s needs.

Please Return to Main Series Page to Continue on to Other Topics:

Car Trips / Traveling to an Activity

Public Transportation / Travel (Bus, Train, Plane, Boat)

Noisy, Crowded, Busy, Events and Places

Shopping Trips

Eating Out

Movies

Parks and Pools

Attending a Party or Family Event

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