The Struggle is Real:
Living with Sensory Overload, Tantrums, Sensory Sensitivity or Tactile Defensiveness
Many people may think that a child experiencing a sensory overload meltdown is just a child having a tantrum. While sensory overload meltdowns, tantrums, and being tactile defensive, can often look similar, they are very different from each other.
Knowing how to tell the difference AND knowing what you can do can help support not only the child, but gives you a better sense of control when you have a plan, as well as several back-up plans ready to use.
This book covers not only living with meltdowns, tantrums, sensory tactile defensiveness, but a wide variety of ideas, activities, and suggestions, by an Occupational Therapist.
The struggle is real, but with a plan, and management, the child and the entire family will benefit and move on to a more positive and growth promoting environment.
This book covers:
Introduction
A Stressful Time for All
Sensory Systems
What is a Tantrum?
What is a Sensory System Overload?
Can a Tantrum Bring on a Meltdown?
Plan Your Strategy for Tantrums, Sensory Overload, Meltdowns, Hyper Sensory Sensitivity, and Tactile Defensiveness
Activities for Calming Sensory Overload and Promoting Quiet Time
Activities for Calming Sensory Overload and Hyper Sensory Sensitivity
Developing a Plan for Tantrums
What can you do to Help the Struggle?
SPD and Sensory Sensitivity /Touch Issues /Tactile Defensiveness
Sensory Touch Sensitivity and Tactile Defensiveness
Common Signs and Symptoms of Tactile Defensiveness and Sensory Sensitivity
OT Activities, Ideas, and Suggestions for Reducing Impact of Tactile Defensiveness and Sensory Sensitivity
Heavy work activities
Body part awareness activities
How To Make: Tactile / Touch Sensory Box
Sensory Texture Rubs
How To Make: Sensory Discovery Bottles
The author, Judy Benz Duncan, has been an Occupational Therapist for over thirty years. She has worked with children from infants to teenagers in numerous settings that included early intervention, pre-school programs, grade school, home health, developmental training centers, and sensory integration clinics.
Judy developed the foundation for designing therapeutic activities and tasks using interactive play and creative imagination to engage the children at a level they could easily relate to while working toward the achievement of their Occupational Therapy program’s functional goals and treatment plan
Judy attended the University of Florida, University of Kansas, and the University of Tennessee. She received New York State approval as a Supplemental Evaluator for OT with early intervention and pre-school students, and has helped develop and start an OT program for families and children in New York. Judy continues to stay up-to-date in the clinical field through mentoring other OT students and new graduates.
She continues to contribute to children, families and professionals everywhere through her professional writing endeavors which include writing books and manuals, managing the therapeutic website, TheraPlay4Kids.com, writing OT blogs and topic-specific articles, working on "interactive story play" book series, writing bi-weekly professional blogs for a pediatric orthopedic surgeon group, a psychiatrist, and an attorney at law. She continues to be an active mentor of new OT graduates, as well as OT students.
The Struggle is Real:
Living With Sensory Overload, Tantrums, Sensory Sensitivity or Tactile Defensiveness
The Struggle is Real:
Living With Sensory Overload, Tantrums, Sensory Sensitivity or Tactile Defensiveness
Judy Benz Duncan, Occupational Therapist
Many people may think that a child experiencing a sensory overload meltdown is just a child having a tantrum. While sensory overload meltdowns, tantrums, and being tactile defensive, can often look similar, they are very different from each other.
Knowing how to tell the difference AND knowing what you can do can help support not only the child, but gives you a better sense of control when you have a plan (and back-up plan B, C, and D) ready to use.
Our sensory tactile, or touch, system responds to anything that may touch the skin. This includes light touch, discriminative touch, deep touch pressure, temperature, vibration, length of contact time, and pain messages.
When a child is tactile defensive, they are very sensitive to touch, often finding certain kinds of touch painful, overwhelming, and often overloading their sensory system.
While a tantrum is behavior based, sensory overload or tactile defensiveness may also impact a child’s response in everyday situations.
A Stressful Time for All
Being faced with a child having a tantrum or a sensory overload meltdown can be scary, frustrating, and very stressful. When these behaviors happen when you are out in public it seems to make the situation “feel even worse” when you are feeling other people’s eyes on you, watching you, and feeling that you are being judged or talked about.
This book covers not only living with meltdowns, tantrums, sensory tactile defensiveness, but a wide variety of ideas, activities, and suggestions, by an Occupational Therapist. The struggle is real, but with a plan, and management, the child and the entire family will benefit and move on to a more positive and growth promoting environment.
Sensory Systems
Every day, all day, we experience a variety of sensory input. Sensory stimulation may be from a touch, a breeze, the temperature of a room, how our clothing feels against our body, the sounds we hear, what we see or smell, or even how our bodies feel at any given time.
Some children are very sensitive to external stimulation, while others do not seem to notice sensory input that causes actual pain or injury.
Having a sensory processing system that is not functioning properly makes it difficult to interact and function on a daily basis. When the sensory information cannot be processed and managed effectively a child is unable to properly interpret and understand their surroundings, and even what they are feeling.
Children learn through their exploration of their world. Play is how they explore and learn and grow. Through play a child uses all of their senses into order to explore and learn – they use touch, taste, smell, proprioceptive/movement, vision, body awareness, and so on while they play and interact.
Having a variety of sensory input, sensory experience, and sensory sensation, helps to promote the development and maturation of a child’s sensory systems.
When there is a sensory integration processing deficit, normal development of play and exploratory skills are significantly impacted – for those children use of sensory boxes and other organized, planned, sensory integration activities can provide specific stimulation and input under more focused conditions.
What is a Tantrum?
In general, a tantrum happens when your child wants something, and they want it right then, or they do not want to do something (anything) that you want or need them to do. It does not really matter what that “something” is, as it is quite typical for toddlers and pre-school aged children to display this kind of behavior.
Kids at that age do not yet know how to express themselves well and may get angry and frustrated easily. As they get a bit older they may still find it difficult to keep their emotions in line and express themselves, their needs, wants, and thoughts, in a calmer, more easily acceptable manner.
Tantrums can happen because they did not get a toy they wanted, they didn’t get to go to the fast food place, they have to have water instead of soda, they think someone else is getting more attention than them, they want to go home but don’t want to leave where they are – tantrums can be for any and all reasons!
A key point however, is that your child has some control over their behavior, and you may find that if you are not paying their tantrum all the attention and action they are wanting, they may stop right in the middle of their tantrum to make sure you are paying attention to them.
A tantrum may stop when the child feels they get what they are yelling, crying, throwing things about, or when they finally come to realize their behaviors are not getting them what they want.
Children are quick learners – if they know that a tantrum will get you to “give in” to end it, then tantrums will continue and may become more and more frequent.
What is a Sensory Overload Meltdown?
Can it Bring on a Tantrum?
A sensory overload meltdown is not a tantrum but a reaction to feeling overwhelmed, over-stimulated, or when they cannot tolerate and regulate the sensory input that they are experiencing.
Sensory overload meltdowns can occur from too much sensory input, or specific input. Too much sensory input can overwhelm a child with sensory integration or sensory processing issues, triggering a meltdown. For some children, a tantrum may escalate into a meltdown.
Sensory overload meltdowns, and hyper sensitivity to stimulation, can occur from sounds, sights, tastes, textures, temperature, clothing irritations, changes in routine, new situations, taking a bath, too many things going on around them at once, smells, touch, and the list could go on and on. When a child is unable to adequately process too much sensory input, or specific types of input they may react with yelling, crying, hitting, running away, shutting down, and other behaviors that look just like a full-blown tantrum.
Sensory overload meltdowns are out of a child’s control. These meltdowns may stop when the child wears themselves out or a change occurs what removes or reduces the overwhelming sensory input and situation.
Plan Your Strategy for Tantrums, Sensory Overload, Meltdowns, Hyper Sensory Sensitivity, and Tactile Defensiveness
There are several strategies and plans to use that may help when it comes to tantrums, tactile defensiveness, and sensory overload meltdowns. Each one will be covered with ideas, activities, and suggestions for developing a plan.
Activities for Calming Sensory Overload and Promoting Quiet Time
When a child’s sensory system becomes over-stimulated or they are having difficulty handling and adequately interpreting the sensory information, having a plan to call on, using calming, quiet time activities may help the child manage the situation more comfortably.
When sensory input becomes too overwhelming, it is natural to try and leave the situation, or display behaviors that show the stress and often pain being felt by the overload. Having a “Sensory Calming Box” or “Quiet Time Box” at the ready can help relieve some of the dramatic effects sensory overload can have on the child.
Sensory overload is not the same as a tantrum which is usually child controlled and often stops when the child gets what they want. A child in sensory overload is reacting to stimulation or something in their surroundings that are not generally in their control.
Regular scheduling of quiet time and periods of calm activities when NOT in sensory overload can help during times of high stress, anxiety and over-stimulation. Understanding a period of “quiet time” is also required when a child “throws a tantrum,” BEFORE their demands be met can also help de-escalate the situation.
Teaching the child how to calm themselves, and having items on hand in case they are needed, are a great way to “practice” calming behaviors and give the child experience to call upon to help them manage in a variety of situations.
Activities for Calming Sensory Overload and Hyper Sensory Sensitivity
Any of these activities may help. You may need to try them all to find one or several that will work with your child. What works in one situation may not work in another. It takes time and patience but the end result is in helping the child manage, relax, and calm themselves.
It is important to remember to stay calm yourself so that you do not become part of the sensory overload in your attempts to calm the child.
o Sitting under a large, heavy, or weighted (make sure they can breathe ok and that airflow not restricted)
o Crawling under and between large, heavy pillows or cushions to make a “kid sandwich,” push down on top of cushions to torso to give extra weight as needed (keep airway clear)
o Giving whole body bear hugs (if they will allow)
o Use of an indoor therapy swing or snuggle swing
o Crawling into a snuggle space (a small area between furniture, a small pop tent, the closet, etc., with low lighting, pillows and soft throws, a bean bag chair, etc.). Crawl in to the space with them if they allow, or just offer your hand on their back if that is all they can handle)
o Give deep pressure, whole hand, slow, rhythmic massages to feet, legs, arms, back, or head, as they tolerate. Use of hand held non-electric massagers. They may allow to one area but not another.
o Hold and rock in slow steady motion (on the floor or in a rocking chair, use of a “sensory squeezie seat,” or even laying over or on a large therapy ball)
o “Smooshing” or deep slow squeezes to the hands, and sometimes to the mouth/chin area works
o Helping to “tuck into a ball” with head down, knees up
o Use of squishable items like sensory / stress balls, texture balls,
o Use of toy spinners and other age appropriate movement toys
o Putting on a heavy coat, weighted vests, use of weighted sensory pads or blankets (watch weather to prevent over-heating)
o Whole body squeezes, rocking, or hugging of a large therapy ball
o Push heavy or weighed down chairs or other small furniture pieces, like an ottoman, across the room
o Use of undergarments, such as tight fitting tag-free sports shirts made to help regulate body temperature while keeping you dry
o Child safe chewable items for those children who like to chew and who do experience calming from this activity
o Make a quiet space where the child can go when needed (giving them some control as well), and using this specific spot for only quiet time activities
o Roll your child up from shoulders to their feet in an exercise mat or large beach towel. Stay close to “unroll” if they are not able to tolerate this.
o Make a calm environment by dimming the room lights, putting on slow rhythmic music, watching rope lights, floor tube lights, twinkle lights, fairy lights, or other non-heat producing light strings or boxes, playing with/ stepping on light-up sensory floor tiles
o Use of headphones with or without music
o Use of Sensory Discovery Bottles (Directions included at end)
o Stuffed animals (one or a box of them) to hug or hold
o Box of fabric strips to feel and sort through
o Small plastic or blowup pool filled with child safe plastic balls, cut up pool noodles, fuzzy fabric pieces, etc. to roll or crawl around in
o Favorite story book or favorite toy to read, feel, play with
o Sensory balls (can make several at home and take with you wherever you go) made with heavy helium quality balloons filled with flour, dry rice, large marbles. Do not use with children who like to put things in their mouth and bite or chew. Due to the choking hazard, always provide supervision and never give to children with pica or who may bite them – provide alternate child safe chewable items and toys instead.
o Heavy Work (ideas, activities, suggestions, follow at end)
Developing a Plan for Tantrums:
The causes for a tantrum is usually based on something the child wants to have, wants to do, or does not want to do. Tantrums typically have a purpose behind them.
Some of the following strategies may help in handling a tantrum. You know your child best, but try the different ideas and suggestions to see if they do help, if they reduce the number and degree of the tantrum.
It may take several times in different situations, and consistent behavior from you, to elicit a lasting change – stay calm – you can make the difference!
What can you do to Help the Struggle?
The following ideas and suggestions are meant as a support plan for you. Have Plan A, B, C, and D, ready to go for when you need them! If you have a plan, and plans, in your head, you may be able to remain calm (or calmer) and be able to address the tantrum more effectively.
o Stay calm and stay in control (first and foremost) If you can manage your own emotions it will help keep the situation from escalating even further
o Identify the cause – What is the tantrum about? If you know what your child is having a tantrum about, it makes it much easier to know what to do, how to handle it, and how to help your child find a better way to express themselves, especially for the next time.
o Remember that you cannot MAKE a child do something, other than just picking them up and taking them out of the situation (which is ok). You have little to no actual control over making them talk, or eat, go to the bathroom, go to sleep, or even behave the way you would like. You do have control though about how you react and respond to the tantrum and your child’s behavior. Once you “give in” to the demands they are making with their tantrum, you are literally teaching them that by throwing a tantrum they will end up getting what they are looking for.
o Acknowledge that you understand what your child wants. Tell them, “Yes, I know you want . . . .,” or “When you are ready to stop yelling, you can tell me what you want.” If they are unable to tell you, then you may have to guess it out – do they want a toy, to leave, more attention, are they tired, and so on. You can always, tell them “I know you are mad (or angry or upset – whatever words work for you) but this is not the way to behave.”
o Let your child know that you understand they are mad or upset. Let them hear that you are aware that they are not happy, or that they want something. Try to express for them why they may be upset – “It makes me upset or sad, or angry when I can’t play with my toys too,” or “when I can’t have a new toy,” or “when I have to wait in line to pay for what we are buying.”
o If you are able, just ignore the tantrum. Pay them no attention, except to make sure they are safe and not going to hurt themselves or someone else. If out in public, and you can withstand the looks, just let the tantrum play out. You can always, if able, pick them up and leave the area, screaming all the way back to the car if need be. Anyone who has had kids should be able to understand!
o Praise or thank your child for ending the tantrum early or before it really gets started. Let them know you are happy to see them acting more grown up and let them try to tell you why they are angry or upset – let them learn to use their words. Don’t just give in and let them have what they want though – they’ll learn very quickly that just starting to have a tantrum but then stopping will get them what they wanted in the first place.
o Set clear rules or expectations ahead of time. Let your child know what is going to happen, where you are going, how they need to behave. Let them know that you are not buying them a new toy that day, that they need to sit during a meal even if they do not want to eat, that you expect them to not yell or scream or throw things.
o Tell them the plans for what will be happening. Repeat what you expect as needed.
o Including telling your child what you do expect, also tell them what will happen if they do have a tantrum – and then be sure you follow up your words with action. If you tell them they will have to sit in the stroller or shopping cart then they need to do that; if you tell them there will be no new toy or game and no stop for fries or a drink on the way home, then do not stop. Becoming consistent with YOUR behavior and response may be hard, but it will work!
o Offer choices – not 15 different choices, but 2 to start. If they do not want what’s on the menu, what clothes you are looking at, what shoes you are trying on, then they can have a choice – pick 1 of the 2 or none. Their choice. If they do not make a choice, but you need to order or buy something, then let them know you will be choosing for them – and if they still choose not to eat it, or wear it, or play with it, then it is THEIR choice. Deciding and making choices is a learning phase – it may be harder on you than them to stick with the plan! Learning to accept alternatives is a life skill that we all eventually need to learn.
o Show that you care but be consistent in your own reactions and behaviors. Let your child know you will listen to their feelings or what they are trying to tell you but in a calm manner – not during a tantrum.
o Can’t say it enough – Stay Calm!
o Keep your child and everyone else safe. Remove any dangerous items they could throw or hit with. Do not accept violent or dangerous behavior at any time.
o If somewhere where you can plan for a “calm spot,” you can have your child go there, sit there, lay there, wherever you think best, to calm down, be safe, and think about their behaviors. It’s not a punishment place, but a calm-down place.
o Use humor to try and diffuse the situation
o Take a time-out if possible to avoid your own emotions getting the best of you; turn away, walk away, try to ignore the tantrum and do not take it personally – it’s not about you, it’s about your child’s emotions being out of control. If they tell you they “hate you,” it is their anger or frustration talking – they really don’t – they just want something and they want it right then.
o If planning a trip out, try to have your child well-rested so that fatigue and just being “plain tired” do not play into the tantrum
o Try distractions – call their attention to look at something, to listen to something, etc.
o Use positive words. Try to avoid “no,” “stop,” “shut-up,” “you are being bad,” and try to use words like “I would like you to stop yelling,” “I want you to be quiet and stop hitting and throwing,” “would you please.” Not easy, but give it a try – changing your reaction and behavior may change the whole situation.
o Whisper. No yelling, or screaming at them. Whisper
Good luck! Tantrums are never a fun thing to deal with and often just wears you out emotionally, making it seem easier to just “give in” to what they want.
SPD and Sensory Sensitivity /Touch Issues /Tactile Defensiveness
When a child’s sensory touch system does not properly process the sensory inputs it receives, there are three typical responses seen.
Children with SPD tactile or “touch” issues may:
· be slower to respond and may seek out more sensory input
· they may be unaware to even notice the tactile sensory input where they be injured for example, and not notice, and
· others are sensitive to touch where they find some types of touch overwhelming and painful, displaying what is generally labeled as “Tactile Defensive.”
Sensory Touch Sensitivity and Tactile Defensiveness
Our sensory tactile, or touch, system responds to anything that may touch the skin. This includes light touch, discriminative touch, deep touch pressure, temperature, vibration, length of contact time, and pain messages. When a child is tactile defensive, they are very sensitive to touch, often finding certain kinds of touch painful, overwhelming, and often overloading their sensory system.
Light touch sensitivity may include anything that touches the skin lightly, like a strand of hair, the breeze, humidity “wetness,” a loose thread in clothing, a feeling of vibration from “thumping” music, the “heat” felt from sitting too close, crumbs, a tickle, etc.
Discriminative tactile / touch sensitivity may include being oversensitive to things that a child touches. This may interfere with the development of fine motor skills, motor planning, and coordination. This type of tactile defensiveness may be seen with a child who does not like, or who resists, “messy play,” where play items may be sticky, wet, rough, or squishy, or with dry play items like sand and craft materials. Discriminative sensitivity can also impact meal time, with oral tactile issues with food textures and temperatures.
Deep tactile / touch pressure includes firmer touch, hugs, and squeezes. A child may be overwhelmed and respond to deep tactile pressure that is soft or hard (as in a hug), loose or tight (as in clothing or shoe fit), or by the weight of pressure (blankets, pillows). They may “tolerate” a brief encounter, at certain times of the day, or only deep pressure in certain specific areas of their body.
Tracking your child’s responses to what they react to, when this occurs, time they will tolerate, areas of the body they can accept sensory tactile stimulation to is an important step toward developing the plan with your service providers to support your child and to work to reduce the level of tactile defensiveness.
Common Signs and Symptoms of Tactile Defensiveness and Sensory Sensitivity
Children, as well as adults, with tactile / touch sensitivity may display the following common sensory processing symptoms:
· Avoids hugs, kisses, tickles, massages; may try to “rub away” where they were touched or kissed as if the sensation remains and continues to irritate them
· Difficulty wearing socks and/or shoes
· Dislikes socks, especially the seams and has a preference for the position of sock seams
· Avoids playing with or touching messy textures such as finger paint, glue and play-dough
· Difficulty at mealtime, avoiding and refusing certain textures of foods, or food that is mixed so that there are different textures in one bite, food with lumps, food that is too cold or too hot
· Avoids playtime with dry textures like sand, dry noodles, dry rice, craft materials (like feathers, lace, yarns, glitter)
· Resists brushing their teeth
· Resists brushing their hair, or having a haircut
· Resists finger nail or toe nail care and trimming
· Easily irritated by the feeling of clothing tags, clothing seams, a loose thread, the fit of their clothes (too tight or too loose)
· Dislikes the feeling of certain fabrics (blankets, sheets, car seat, etc.)
· May pull off and remove clothing that is irritating them no matter if it is at home, in public, at school
· Easily irritated and overwhelmed by temperature changes, windy days, rainy days
OT Activities, Ideas, and Suggestions for Reducing Impact of Tactile Defensiveness and Sensory Sensitivity
The following activities, ideas, and suggestions may help you support your child in reducing the impact of their tactile defensiveness.
Please speak with your child’s pediatrician, OT, ST, PT, and service providers for their input, advice and guidance before making or attempting changes – these ideas may or not be the best choice for your child, and working with those who do know your child is the best bet for success!
If your child withdraws or becomes overwhelmed with any of the activities or media presented, move on to something else!
If you have serious concerns about your child’s eating habits, always consult with your pediatrician to rule out medical or oral-motor structural problems, consult with a dietitian/ ST/ feeding therapist, and discuss with your child’s service providers.
Your child may only tolerate one or a few of the ideas suggested – remember it’s trial and error and giving your child some control over what they will work with will help in preventing sensory overload.
Talk with your child’s service providers – they can help modify, adapt, or give suggestions on how to make changes that will be the most effective for your child.
As with any sensory activity, never force a child to participate. You may need to present an activity numerous times before they will interact, accept, or tolerate the item or activity. Continue to offer the experiences and activities giving the child some control as to whether or not they will participate. For some children, just being next to and looking at certain items is a start.
· Massager (manual or electric/battery operated) – small massagers may be less intimidating and more easily accepted; they may only tolerate to certain areas of their body – start with these spots and move on from there as tolerated
· Soft body friendly sponges, loofahs, soft flannel pieces of fabric (for body rubs, holding, use during deep pressure activities, massages); start with the body areas they can tolerate and move on as tolerated
· Soft blanket for rolling up in, hiding under, wrapping up in; provide deep pressure and massage through the blanket as tolerated – start on specific areas that they can manage, slowly increase time they will tolerate and move on to other parts as they allow
· Bubble wrap (to squeeze, walk on, pop – vary the size of the bubble wrap to allow experience with different types of pressure and force needed to “pop” the bubbles with their hands, or feet); encourage walking on bare foot; try letting them roll on the bubble wrap
· Bag of feathers, textures fabrics, etc., to feel, walk on bare foot, rub on their bodies; if they can hold, try letting them rub these on to you as a start
· Paint brushes and sensory brushes – rub on their body if tolerated and have them tell you where you are touching them for body part identification and self-awareness; can do with their eyes closed if they will tolerate; let them “paint” you
· Bubble solution – have them blow (or you blow) and then have them try to “clap” or “kick” the bubbles to break them, or have them “blow” or “wave” the bubbles to try and keep them in the air; keep wet wipes / paper towels on hand in case it gets “too sticky” for them; let them try to break the bubbles with a foam pool noodle if they cannot tolerate touching the bubbles yet – shorten the noodle slowly until they are also needing to touch the bubbles with their hands
o Kid classes for martial arts or yoga
o Gymnastics (kid classes, or kid-safe areas at a facility)
o Letting your child help with setting the table, meal preparation (stirring or mixing), and clean up
o Let your child help with home tasks like folding towels and putting them away, hanging their clothes on a rod, wiping off the table after meals, putting silverware back in the drawer, mopping or sweeping, carrying out the bag of garbage, and so on o Help you wash the dog – a great activity that addresses so many sensory issues!
o Heavy work activities (Directions, ideas, and suggestions for heavy work follow at the end)
o Body part awareness activities (These ideas, activity suggestions, and more are included and can be found at the end)
o Set up an obstacle courses inside using furniture, pillows and blankets, empty box to crawl through, a taped line to follow, creating areas to crawl on, under and through. Outdoors, you can use things like hula-hoops to jump in to and out of, adding in movement task “stations” that ask them to perform jumping jacks, commando crawling, bear walking, walking on a line or low balance beam, and other creative movements that challenge your child to balance, crawl, jump, skip, and run.
o Hippotherapy or Equine Therapy (check for what is in your area!) This type of therapy is used under the supervision of a qualified staff. Hippotherapy involves riding a horse with simultaneous involvement of a variety of therapeutic activities. Riding a horse provides all kinds of sensory information, including, tactile, visual, proprioceptive and vestibular. Maintaining their position on the horse, and staying alert while riding, facilitates postural control, balance, and body part awareness.
o Make a Tactile / Touch Sensory Box (Directions/Ideas follow below)
o Give Sensory Texture Rubs (See more about the why’s, and how-to’s at the end)
o Brushing or Willbarger brushing program does make a difference to help decrease touch sensitivity. This technique needs education and training by an experienced therapist and it is not the right solution for every child.
o Weighted items (lap blanket, weighted stuffed toys, soft hand or ankle weights)
o Compression vest or clothing
o Lycra body sock / sensory bag
o Chewy toys / “chew jewelry” / kid-safe chewable items – there are hundreds of items available on line
o Squeeze balls / stress balls / racquet balls
o Stretchy toys (be sure they are kid-safe!)
o Small rubbery bounce pads / wiggle pads
o Ask your child to lie on their back on a large piece of brown wrapping paper or opened up big cardboard box, and draw around them, making their outline on the paper. Have your child draw on features and clothes to the outline and name the body parts while they are doing this. Let them get as creative as they want. Hang on the wall to let the see a life-size “them.”
o Warn the child prior to touching them – let them know you are going to touch their arm, their back, their hair, etc.
o Use firm direct pressure when touching your child – avoid light touch – let them know you will be giving a hug, or holding their hand and be deliberate about it without hurting them
o Avoid tickling the child, especially if that will cause a reaction that may escalate
o Ask your child’s therapists what other strategies and techniques may work for your child. Let the whole team work with you to help support you and your child.
Heavy work activities
Many children benefit from taking part in “heavy work” that can help to calm their bodies, help them self-regulate and organize, helps them to make more sense of the world around them, and provide lots of great sensory proprioceptive input that lets them become more aware of their body movements, coordination, and motor control.
Heavy work sensory activities include any activity that requires your child to use their muscles and joints, putting pressure on them as they move, providing necessary sensory proprioceptive input that helps your child self-regulate.
Heavy Work Calms and Helps Children Focus by providing deep proprioceptive input into a child’s muscles and joints. The use of “Heavy Work” helps them self-regulate in the same way that exercise may help an adult deal with stress.
Heavy work helps your child to re-center, re-focus, and lets them expend energy into appropriate outlets.
Proprioception refers to an awareness of posture, movement, balance and a basic understanding of position, weight and resistance as they relate and impact the body.
Children often seek out proprioceptive input when they are looking for a way to calm or organize their nervous system, and if they do not have appropriate or acceptable ways to obtain this input, they may run, jump, climb, display negative behaviors, become overwhelmed and have a sensory meltdown.
Scheduling in “heavy work” time and “heavy work” sensory playtime can help to improve your child’s ability to focus on other tasks (sit-down tasks and activities), manage and self-regulate at more comfortable levels, and just make for a less anxious and stressful home life.
Heavy Work Activities and Chores
o Remember that not all children are the same, and will react differently to each activity.
o You may want to take the time to introduce each new activity or chore one at time, give good training and instruction, letting your child choose which one(s) they want to start with, and make the sessions for no more than 5-10 minutes at a time.
o Pick and choose from the list – one or two different tasks a day is great!
o If there are activities that frustrate or overwhelm your child, just leave them off the list.
o Giving your child a choice helps to get them to take part and gives them confidence as well.
o Slow, steady resistance, along with effort that needs to be exerted, can be just what a child needs!
o Short time frames (of 5-10 minutes at most) is all you need! Set a timer if you want to give your child a visual, auditory, and another way to help organize their time.
o Return to 5-10 minutes of heavy work as needed throughout the day, especially if your child needs to work on a sit-down, meal-time, or other task that requires focus and attention.
Body part awareness activities
Body awareness is the ability to recognize where your body is, how to move through the environment, how to relate to things and people you are interacting with.
As a child grows and develops, they learn how to use the information their muscles and joints are sending to their brain, to practice and learn new tasks.
When a child struggles with developing body awareness they may appear “clumsy” or uncoordinated, or have delays in their motor skill development.
Body awareness affects our life in even the simplest of tasks.
For example, your body sends signals that lets you know:
o How far to reach in order to grab a drink
o How close you need to be to reach a toy, a hand, a snack, etc.
o How deep to put your spoon into a bowl of food while eating
o How hard to grip a crayon or pencil (too loosely or so hard it breaks)
o How high you need to bring your foot up to climb stairs or step over a curb
o How to put an arm into a sleeve, or head into a pull-over
o How to give a “hug” without hurting the other person or pet
o How hard to toss a ball, or how to catch a ball
o How close to stand next to someone (awareness of personal space)
o How to walk without having to watch their feet
o How to successfully handle and play with toys or building/construction blocks
o How to walk through the house or store aisle without bumping into things
Does your child exhibit any of these body awareness issues? There are many more that could be listed, but those noted above should give you a good starting point of where your child may be at, and where they may need the most support and help to develop their sense of body self-awareness.
There are many ways you can help children develop body awareness. Children learn through play, and while many of the following activities may seem like play-time, remember that play is a child’s work, and that is how they learn, grow, and develop their skill base.
All activities that follow can be adapted so that your child can participate and benefit. Working with your child’s service providers, who know your child, is a perfect way to know how and what to adapt for your child’s developmental and performance levels.
If any of the activities below are “too difficult” or “too frustrating” for your child, it just means that the activity needs to be downgraded so that they can find success and “enjoy the playtime!” Playtime may be work, but it needs to be fun to keep your child’s interest, promote effort, and increase their participation!
Body Self Awareness Activities
o It is easy to start out by just reviewing and identifying body parts. Talk about arms, legs, back, stomach, head, pointing and rubbing first your arm for example, and then asking your child to touch or rub theirs – assist them to find the right body part you are talking about if they seem unsure. You can start with an arm, and then work your way up to specific parts, such as the elbow, hand, finger, shoulder, and so on.
o Use very simple commands such as kick your leg, wave your hand or shake your head, while you are demonstrating the movement for your child to copy or imitate.
o As your child is able, move up from finding specific body parts to finding, for example, their right ear, left foot, working on developing right/left discrimination. When they are pretty consistent with this, add in a new challenge of, for example, using their right hand to touch their left knee.
o Chase bubbles, clapping, poking, and kicking as they float by. Try to do this where they have enough room to run and move around to avoid knocking things over or bumping into objects or walls.
o Practice drawing pictures of people they know, or ask your child to draw a picture of themselves. Name body parts as they are drawn out. Often, children with poor body awareness are asked to draw a picture of a person, they may exclude certain body parts or place in the incorrect location when drawing a person or themselves – give cues to look to see what is missing, or ask, “Where are your arms?” to help them see the “whole” person.
o Set up obstacle courses for the child to go over, under, around and in between objects. This is a great way to get your child to move and maneuver through a variety of spaces and changes in position.
o Complete heavy work activities such as pushing, pulling or carrying heavy objects. This will help to reinforce where the joints and muscles are in space while they are working against a weight or resistance.
o Sometimes a child may benefit from changes to the environment in order to help with body awareness. Try putting an “x” with tape, or a hoola-hoop, on the floor where you want the child to sit. Perhaps a chair with arms on it will help to provide an external cue of where the body needs to remain seated.
o Sometimes walking at the front or back of a line instead of in the middle of the line will help them to be part of the group without bumping into others or straying out of the line.
o Have children try to mimic poses of different movements that you model for them. Crazy positions are always fun!
o Ask your child to lie on their back on a large piece of brown wrapping paper or opened up big cardboard box, and draw around them, making their outline on the paper. Have your child draw on features and clothes to the outline and name the body parts while they are doing this. Let them get as creative as they want. Hang on the wall to let the see a life-size “them.”
o Practice drawing pictures of people, mom/ dad/ brother/ sister/ grandma/ grandpa and name the body parts as they are drawn.
o Let your child draw a face on a paper plate to make a mask or cut out different facial features from a magazine and stick them on a plate to create a cool crazy face.
o Draw a large circle and then have your child add the facial features and hair, eye brows.
o Have your child to trace round their hand or foot on a piece of paper, or try doing self-portraits or a family portrait.
o Set up obstacles courses for your child to go under, over, through and around objects. You can use pillows, big empty boxes, a line of chairs, a line of “painter’s tape” to follow from room to room, and so on.
o Imitate animal movements by asking your child to imitate the movements of different animals, such as creep like a turtle, waddle like a duck, hop like a rabbit, slide across the floor like a snake, prance like a horse, and so on.
o Work on balance by encouraging your child to balance on one leg, and then the other for as long as possible. Use low balance beams or “walk the line” with a piece of painter’s tape on the floor.
o Give tactile cues and reinforcement using gentle, but firm pressure, to touch a child’s right side while saying the body parts on the right side. Switch and continue with cues on the left side.
o Try working on jumping jacks, jumping rope, cross crawls, crawling, and other activities that require bilateral coordination.
o For increased body awareness specific to hands, provide playdough, modeling clay, cutting thick paper, exploration of various textures, digging in the sand box or sand table, use of sensory boxes, water table, and so on.
o Give each child playing a soft exercise ball or a large beach ball (slightly squishy balls are easier to control and manage). This can be done with just your child, or in a group. You may need to model the action for your child to imitate until they are able to follow without visual cues. For lower levels of understanding, physically assist your child to perform the action.
· Hold the ball over your head
· Hold the ball on your right side
· Hold the ball on your left side
· Squeeze the ball between your knees
· Try to turn the ball around and around in your hands (rotate or spin it around)
· Put the ball behind your back
· Try to pass the ball around and around your body
· Sit on the ball (with help for safety)
· Lay over the ball (with help for safety)
· Put the ball on the sofa, or bed
· Put the ball next to the chair
· Touch the ball with your foot
· Try to hold the ball with just one hand
· Put the ball on top of your foot
· Try to bounce the ball up and down
Tactile / Touch Sensory Box
Sensory Boxes can be kept in a shoe-box, a plastic container with lid, a tackle box, a lunch box, and so on.
You can mark each type of box with the child’s name, type of box, place a photo of the child on or in the box if you so choose, or let the child decorate their sensory box.
If your child withdraws or becomes overwhelmed with any of the activities or media presented, move on to something else!
Your child may only tolerate one or a few of the ideas suggested – remember it’s trial and error and giving your child some control over what they will work with will help in preventing sensory overload.
Items that can be included in a tactile sensory integration box include:
o Soft squeeze and squish toys
o Fabric strips or squares (velvet, fuzzy, fake fur, leather, boas, silk, satin, embossed or textured fabrics, sheepskin, moleskin, washcloth)
o Bubble wrap (using different squares of big to little bubbles)
o Loofah sponges cut into different sizes and shapes
o Sensory brushes, soft dish scrubbies
o Lycra body sock or bag (used with supervision)
o Tubs of sand, rice, lentils (this would be a separate activity typically in its own container and used with supervision) for hand-play to find hidden objects
o Tub containing theraputty, playdough, “gak” or “slime”
o “Messy Tub” with shaving cream, finger paints, lotion, glitter glue, paint brushes, wax paper, paper towels, hand wipes
o Basin for water play (using warm, tepid water)
o Vibrating toys or vibrating toothbrush, vibrating hand massager
o Stuffed animals, soft blankets (weighted are great!)
Sensory Texture Rubs
Some children seek out sensory input, and providing texture rubs and activities that help meet this need is a great way to help your child find appropriate ways to get the extra sensory input they need.
Remember to watch and observe, and use these methods as tolerated, stopping when child seems anxious, fearful, or overwhelmed. Give them some control on how much, how long, and what they will tolerate.
Some of the activities you may want to try include:
o Texture Rubs – provide a variety of materials where your child can touch or rub different textures against their skin. Once your child tolerates one type of texture, move on to provide other types of texture
o Try texture rubs to the back of their hand (to start), then to arms, legs, feet, back, head, as they tolerate the sensations
o You may find that your child will not tolerate certain textures, while they crave others. Building tolerance to a variety of textures will help them into the future when it comes to wearing different types of clothing, wearing winter clothes, washing, brushing their hair, trying on clothes or shoes, sleeping in a different bed when on vacation or on a sleep-over, and so on
o Use a combination of both dry and damp wash cloths and then change it up to wet and slippery soap rubs
o If your child cannot tolerate a bath and texture rubs you can try to provide the texture rubs over your child’s clothing, through a weighted blanket or vest. Start with what they will tolerate and work from there
o Try texture rubs while in the bath – you can use sponges, wash clothes, loofahs, soft sensory brushes, foam scrubbers, foam floatable toys, and so on
o While in the bath and trying the different texture materials (as noted above) change up the experience by use of different types of soaps (soft, foamy, oatmeal, bar, liquid), and shaving cream
Other ways to get in some texture rubs:
o Where the child rubs his hands across different textured materials (soft, hard, bumpy, rough, silky, etc)
o Rubs their hands over a pebbled wall, and the like.
o Texture rubbings on a tree
o Uses chalk or crayons to color on paper that is placed over sandpaper or other textured media (leaves, wikki stix, lace doily, coins, mesh)
Sensory Discovery Bottles
Making Sensory Discovery Bottles
Sensory discovery bottles are fun and easy to make right at home. You can purchase some ready-made, however if you make your own you can make several different kinds, have your child help out if able, and make in different sizes for a change-up in sensory stimulation (weight, size, handling ease, travel sizes).
You can make sensory discovery bottles that let your child explore sound, weight, movement, color, manipulation, and a variety of shapes and colors, all without having to actually touch the items or get messy in the process.
Sensory discovery bottles are often a calming activity that can be taken with you wherever you may go.
Small bottles are great for small hands, and travel. Bigger bottles are great for floor play (for roll and chase activity, for crawling toward the sight and sound) or for added sensory “weight” input for individual and shared (pass back and forth) play.
See below for more reasons why bigger heavier sensory discovery bottles are a great choice!
What You Will Need:
· You can use a plastic water bottle (a small 12-16 ounce one, or a 1 to 2-liter bottle), or purchase empty ready-to-make discovery bottles in the craft aisle or on-line
· Make sure the cap is smooth and does not have any jagged edges.
· You will also need some good child-safe glue to attach the cap to the bottle once filled.
· You may also choose to wrap some plastic coated tape around the cap for extra protection.
· Depending on the size of the bottle you are using you can gather a variety of items that will fit inside of the bottle (they will need to be able to fit through the bottle top opening!)
· Filler for the bottles (after you have added your variety of items) can be dried rice, small millet type bird seed, small dry pasta like pastina, clean play sand, glitter) – having different bottles with a variety of fillers is a great idea!
· Using a funnel will be a great help in filling the bottle and avoiding mess! (you can make a paper funnel by rolling up a sheet of paper, or using the cardboard roll from paper towels or toilet paper and pinching the end to fit into the bottle)
· Make a list of what you add to the bottle so that you can use it later for “search and find” activities
Filler Ideas for “Dry” Sensory Discovery Bottles:
· Small colorful toys (anything and everything will do, including little cars, people, animals)
· Coins
· Buttons (of different colors and sizes)
· Marbles
· Paper clips (big colorful ones as well as the silver ones)
· Bottle caps
· Bobbins
· Game pieces (from a variety of games) including dice
· Rubber bands (different colors)
· Big dry pasta (one or two rotini or penne, etc.)
· Thimble
· Small pieces of ribbon (different colors)
· Nuts and bolts
· Sequins
· Beads (of various sizes)
· Tiny colorful “pom-poms” from craft aisle
· Small shells and interesting small rocks / pebbles
· Small puzzle pieces (shapes, numbers, letters)
· A crayon
· A key
· Piece of twine
· The list goes on!
The bigger the bottle the more items you may fit in, although the weight and handling ability also will become greater.
Making several smaller sensory discovery bottles will help keep attention and make it more interesting by having different choices and different themes available for use.
Bigger, heavier, bottles are great for increased sensory input during “pass back and forth” play, rolling the bottle across the floor, carrying the bottle from one spot to another, two-handed manipulation, pulling out from inside a larger box or from under cushions and blankets - think of other ways to use these bigger sensory discovery bottles!
