Every family wants to know what specific activities they can do at home with their child to help them calm down, pay attention and get through the day. The best group of activities I can recommend for the masses include: vestibular (movement-based) activities, proprioceptive activities (heavy muscle work), and deep pressure touch to the body for calming, like arm and leg massages. These are the most common activities I recommend for many of my clients to complete at home, and at school when it’s appropriate.

This episode goes into detail on the activities you can do in the morning, at school, and around dinner & bed time to help your children through these tough times of transition (when adults have a lot of expectation within a short period of time).

First, think about what you do in the morning to get yourself going. Do you take a shower to wake up, listen to the TV or radio, or insist on a cup of coffee before talking to anyone or before getting your kids up and ready for the day? These are the sensory activities or routines you have figured out to do in order to take care of yourself. Your children have their own sensory needs and nightmares as they get up and ready for the day.

Morning activities that are helpful for low arousal (under-responsive/hypo-responsive) or otherwise known as sleepy or grumpy kids include waking their bodies up with stimulation such as putting on upbeat kids music, opening the blinds to help alert their bodies, having them play outside for a few minutes before school, having the school age kids swim laps in a pool before school or running the track at school before school starts, or have the younger kids hop along the sidewalk as much as they can, before you send them into class. If your child has a ton of energy, let him expend it with a hundred or more trampoline jumps (or until your child is tired of doing the activity, not until we think he or she should be tired). You can also try wheelbarrow walks in the house.

Activities that help high arousal kids (over-responsive/hyper-responsive) or otherwise known as highly stressed and reactive kids are calming activities, such as any activity that would theoretically calm a baby. Most kids are past the baby age, so find an activity that is calming but age-appropriate. Common suggestions include deep pressure hugs, muscle work activities to calm their level of reactivity, dim lighting, rocking, or using a pacifier or object to chew. These children may need to be nurtured more, to get them out of bed without jolting their system into a stressed state. You can try hugging, rocking and quietly helping them to the edge of the bed, or assist them in getting dressed, versus talking loudly and in a rushed or stressed tone. Try arm and leg rubs, back rubs and lotion rubs if they like them, to help send chemicals to the brain stem for calming. Once these kids are awake they may be okay with jumping on a trampoline or riding a bike or scooter before heading off to school.

Planning ahead the night before and allowing your children to have some control can be very helpful, especially as we all can be more patient when we have the time. Let them make choices on clothing they want to wear and food to put into their lunch boxes. Patience is much needed here, otherwise no one will get along in the household and then your child’s self-esteem can be quickly depleted. If self-esteem is already an issue, you need to get your child some help. Make sure to build in a cushion of time especially in the mornings, because these kids will meltdown and change their minds quickly, in ways you could never truly predict. You will have the time to step back and let the meltdown blow over, help your child pick up the pieces of himself and still head off to school without being overly stressed or late, if you have allotted extra time.

Deep pressure and muscle work activities are great sensory activities for kids to do while in school. Muscle activities before school are best, to set your child’s body up to have a better day, and these activities can be done at times throughout the day as well. Kids who need a lot of stimulation will run for the tire swing on the playground.

Kids who need to zone out or calm down, may go for the regular swings.

Preschool kids can do animal walks while the teacher calls each child to wash their hands, sit down or use the restroom before lining up at the door. Our sensory kids make great helpers in the class as they can carry objects and keep their hands busy, to help keep them from touching their peers or stepping out of line.

It’s important to validate what a child’s body needs to do, without making the child feel bad about him or herself. Try not to push these kids to do things that are scary for them, like making them put their hands in paint or shaving cream. Let them play with these textures using a paint brush instead. Also giving these kids a quiet break to walk down the hall or let them sit in a beanbag chair in a corner for a few minutes can do wonders for their nervous system calming (preventing unwanted behaviors or outbursts later). Many kids also do great following directions and being less stressed when they have a picture schedule or written schedule and visual/verbal warnings to help them anticipate changes in plans, routines and activities throughout their school day.

Evening routines need to include a lot of movement and muscle work for highly active kids, so try: rolling, spinning, jumping on sofa cushions piled in the center of the family room, setting up an obstacle course sequence (with these types of physical activities), and then doing quiet and calming activities like bath time, bubble blowing, sucking through a straw, reading and bed time. Kids thrive on structure, so try to be consistent with the activities you set up and don’t let it become a chaotic zoo in your home where the kids are laughing, jumping on each other, tickling, wrestling, etc… as they can’t calm down easily, and then someone usually gets hurt, upset or in trouble. Dads, try laying off the roaring, tickling, chasing and tackling for now. When your child’s processing gets better, you can have at it again!

Every child’s nervous system is different, so parents out there, be proactive and patient, and if your child likes what you are doing then keep doing it. If your child is upset and resistant, then try to adjust your plans or routine to be a better fit for your child’s processing abilities. These activities are generic suggestions, so try the ones you think will work and don’t bother with the ones you don’t think are appropriate for your child. If you continue to have a tough time, please find an occupational therapist that has specialized training in treating sensory processing difficulties, so you can get the best care in the shortest amount of time! Hang in there, it will get better!

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Last week I talked about the definition of sensory integration and the term sensory processing disorder, and how sensory processing works in the brain. I was able to get through explaining the common symptoms that are seen when children have vestibular (movement) or tactile (touch) processing difficulties. Today I am going to continue this conversation and go over some symptoms commonly seen when the other 5 senses aren’t working efficiently.

The following sections highlight the discussions on this episode, in an easy-to-read format for you.

Gustatory (our sense of taste):

Children needing to calm their body often crave calming tastes such as sweets or bland foods. Children who are sensory seekers often seek out sour, spicy or bold tastes to alert their senses for: greater eating skills, less drooling and greater attention.

Visual (Seeing):

An under-responsive visual system makes it difficult for children to find objects in a cluttered space, keep up with reading & writing assignments, or complete puzzles well.

An over-reactive visual system can cause a child to be overwhelmed with busy places resulting in avoidant, overly-emotional or inattentive behaviors.

Auditory (Hearing):

Children who are under-responsive to sounds tend to not tune-in well when others are speaking, causing them to: miss details and get in trouble often with adults giving instructions, or frequently express high levels of frustration.

Hypersensitivity to sounds can be caused by reoccurring ear infections, low muscle tone/endurance or inefficient sensory processing, resulting in behavioral or emotional outbursts with daily sounds such as: vacuums, hair dryers, fire alarms, singing, group events or any loud & unexpected sounds.

Olfactory (Smell):

Soothing smells like vanilla and lavender can have a calming effect on the body & nerves, while strong odors like fish, cleaners and perfumes can be perceived as stimulating, and often offensive to sensory sensitive kids.

Proprioception (Muscles & Joints):

Physical activities like jumping, climbing, running, swimming and push-ups activate the proprioceptive receptors in the muscles & joints of the body, resulting in greater overall sensory processing and calming. Everyone needs this type of input for overall physical and mental well being. This sense has the similar effect in sensory kids as it does for those who feel great after jogging or getting a massage.

Neurological impulses are automatically sent to the brain every time our senses are activated, which is all day long! These are functions we take for granted until we realize that they are not working well. These senses need to be processed correctly in the brain in order to get higher level skills such as attention, learning, good behaviors, and best of all–happy kids!

How to Detect SPD:
Sensory processing disorder may be suspected when the level of stress or excitement we would expect to see from any given activity does not match the child’s behavioral or emotional responses. This causes quiet children to often fall through the cracks when they are under-responsive to sensory stimulation, and highly active or hypersensitive children to get labeled as having behavioral, emotional, learning, psychological, and/or attention problems. Parents are often misunderstood by family, friends and other health care professionals when they explain the difficulty they have with their child on a daily basis, as the severity of these difficulties is often not translated well. The person who spends the most time with the child is the one who will recognize the magnitude of their child’s difficulties. Children with sensory processing disorder are often highly intelligent children who have a hard time getting through the day without excessive distress experienced by the child or the caretakers. These difficulties often present themselves with or without the additional conditions of: Anxiety/Depression, Allergies, Food or Chemical Sensitivities, ADD/ADHD, Learning Disabilities, Developmental Delays, Prematurity, Drug Exposure, Neglect from orphanages and Autism Spectrum Disorders/Asperger’s Syndrome.

How to Get Help:
Visit our website for a comprehensive list of symptoms and commonly asked questions, and for the most popular books on sensory processing disorder, also known as Sensory Integration Dysfunction. We can: help you communicate your concerns to your child’s doctors or teachers; complete a comprehensive evaluation for your child; identify other possible conditions that present with similar symptoms; and help resolve these symptoms for a happier, more productive child!

These kids are wonderful kids who are often smart, well spoken, funny and full of life! We just need to get their bodies working better for them so they can enjoy their life to the fullest. Happy, productive and well-coordinated people are the ones who have good sensory processing.

Parents out there, be patient and find a therapist with good sensory training, so you can get the best treatment for your child. You should be able to achieve great, life-long gains!

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