Sensory Therapy For Kids
During dinner last night I was feeling a little over stimulated by the activity at the table. So, with my husbands willing hands, he sent me on a walk by myself. As adults, we can find ways to decompress and fulfill our need to process the moment, the day or even month that we're facing. However, this task is different for a child. These little hands and feet have not gained the skills that adults (hopefully) have. So, they need a present adult guiding them in this process of self-regulating. With these loving hands, little by little a child can begin to practice these skills on their own. A child's temperament will determine the best way to support them in this learning.
My youngest little guy rarely has two feet planted on the ground at the same time. His motion is usually a run, jump or skip. Asking our son to walk is like asking me to stop eating chocolate. Slowing down is so very hard for him. Being active is simply part of his temperament. In my own simplified words, temperament consists of personal characteristics that you are born. These characteristics can be molded in different ways depending on how you're raised and/or life circumstances. Our temperament determines how we will respond to experiences and events in our lives. One of our little guy's temperamental characteristics is being highly active and I must be diligent in preparing the environment to aid him in meeting that "need to move" appropriately. Of course, keep in mind predictable routines and age appropriate expectations are two strategies in supporting behavior (that's a whole other blogpost though).
In this blog post I will briefly explain what we have implemented to support our little guy as he learns to navigate through his high activity levels appropriately. Most of these sensory activities can be a great way to "reset" a child's brain and support them in refocusing and using their energies appropriately. Keep in mind "active" children are different from one another. So, not all will respond well with the following ideas. These are simply methods that work for our little guy and I like to call it sensory therapy. It is by no means an extensive list...simply our frequent go-tos.
SENSORY THERAPY
Create a Quiet Space:
One of the biggest strategies that works in our setting is Separation. Sometimes all a child needs is separation from the current situation or the people. This means we stop the activity being pursued until he can calm down. This also means we may separate ourselves for a set time. Sometimes that might be directing the child to a quiet space with soft items to rest or it might mean you tag team with another caregiver for support while you walk away. The goal in this situation, would be for the child to eventually escape to this safe place on their own without adult prompting. Tip: a child's bed is a "built-in" soft space!!!
Table Time Activities:
Creating and revisiting boundaries with children gives them a sense of security and comfort. Table time activities can aid the child in maintaining a sense of control. During these activities there are two guidelines. First, the child stays at the table with the activity. The second guideline is to use gentle touching and there is no throwing. When I sense that our Littles need extra boundaries, I suggest a table activity to engage in focused exploration. Usually this is a perfect way to "reset" behavior and support them in being ready to listen and obey. Some of these activities have included: baby doll washing, dominos, pipe cleaners, pom pom balls and small containers, building with wine corks, coin drop in containers, etc. Tip: save these activities while they're waiting for a meal or you just want to take a shower.
Massage:
The sensory input that message provides is priceless. I know its benefits me...how much more for a child that can't regulate the way I do. In this opportunity I simply press firmly up and down their legs and arms with both of my hands. Its the constant pressure that creates a calming effect, releases stress and helps release toxins built up in the body (giving your child water afterward is a great combo to help flush those toxins out). Also, I think a child's nerve endings a even more sensitive than ours cause I can barely press on my kiddos' skin and they start jumping around like little beans. So, I think tickling can be thrown into this category as well. Tip: getting the siblings involved is something to be treasured and a great service project.
There is so much sensory stimuli that I child manages throughout the day. They're hearing directions and sounds of other children, they're asked to try knew foods and wash their hands...add in tv or other screens and its no wonder they fall apart so quickly. So, for my sensory seeker, its a must that I prepare opportunities for him to meet that need. While exploring sand, dried beans, play dough, shaving cream, mud etc.; our little guy is focused and calm. After much practice in appropriate exploration with these items; his body relaxes with sensory activities. Experiences that allow him to touch, smell and taste, etc. are all things that can create the "reset" he may need. Tip: Food makes kids happy and helps balance out their blood-sugar levels. So, snacks and eating are totally in this category too!!!
Outdoors:
Going outside and taking a walk is also a simple way to change scenes. Sometimes all that is needed to modify a behavior is going outside. So, we'll take walks hand-in-hand. If we're too tired, the stroller or bike trailer is a great option. Tip: give them a basket to collect their natural treasures and you've increased the learning opportunity even more.
This task can be included in the sensory experiences you provide for your child or it can be in a whole category by itself. I have to be honest, in a household with four children we are far from baths everyday. Making shower time happen just for me is a workout. Add my kids into that, and we have a full on marathon I'm working towards. BUT allowing a sensory seeking child to just sit in warm water with a few toys, is so calming. Bonus, you can love on your kids better when they're actually clean. Tip: In the summer months, we turn water play into bath time outside.
Rocking:
We use our rocking chair for our eight, four and three-yr-old. There is no denying, that rocking carries with it a sense of calm and security. Maybe it goes back to the womb when we were nestled in so close and rocked to the rhythm of our mother's movements? Its for this reason, that I still hold onto our rocking chair. Our kids are getting older but the benefits of rocking far outweigh the space this chair takes up. It also serves as a great space for reconnection after a "stormy" period. It sends the message that "you are safe here and I still (and always will) love you even when bad choices have been made. Minutes before writing this I actually rocked my four year old and he quickly snuggled into bed and fell asleep at 11:30am!!! Often times a child's behavior is expressing a need but they don't know or cannot express what that need is. In this case, our son was exhausted and this rocking motion was predictable and created the external calm that he needed to meet his internal need of rest. If my ten year old wasn't almost as big as me; I would rock him too. Tip: we rotate the rocking chair between the kids' bedrooms. That way all the kids have the opportunity for rocking before bedtime. It is also a perfect chance to shower prayers and God's promises over your child. Whether silently or out loud, this practice changes a mom's heart.
Sensory Sack:
Our awesome Auntie gave a sensory sack to our little guy for Christmas this year. This piece of stretchy fabric opens up like a sleeping bag, buttons around the top and hugs around your child. This item alone deserves an entire blog post but for the sake of time I'll summarize some benefits here:
1) It hugs a child while also giving them they're personal space. When my kids are upset, they are not always open to receiving a hug or cuddle time. They need time and space away from their adult. When they're ready, I gladly gather them into my arms because positive sensory input from a loving adult cannot be replaced by things. Always make time for hugs. Its the perfect sensory therapy for most kids.
2) It creates counter-pressure. This "hugging" presses in on the child and creates a perfect amount of stimulation needed to calm a tired or over-active child. As an adult, I fall asleep faster when I have a heavy blanket across my chest. This sack creates that same sensation. My son will wear his during rest time, during free-play or while watching TV. It often creates giggles but it also positively engages the limbic system in the brain that regulates emotions!! The other three kids have used it too and ALL benefit from it...whether to just relieve stress or get their giggles out.
3) Redirection. If the child is willing to spend time in the sack, it can be the perfect amount of redirection to move him out of his "fight or flight" response (tantrum, yelling, frustration). When a child is in this state, we cannot rationalize with them. HOWEVER, if we can support them in finding a way to regulate these emotions, we will can guide them to appropriate behavior and actually talk with them about what happened. Tip: For more on the whole brain approach to discipline check out this book: No Drama Discipline
You can find various sensory sacks on Amazon like this one here: Sensory Sack
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