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For parents who are home-schooling their children or have temporarily switched to remote learning, it may not always be easy to support a child at home who has sensory needs. A child with sensory needs or a sensory processing disorder (SPD), may perceive the sensory environment (the sights, sounds, tastes, textures and smells around them) slightly different – either their brain overresponds to information coming from their sensory environment or it under-responds.

For example, if you swing a child whose brain is over-responding to incoming sensory stimuli, they may become afraid, seal their eyes shut or maybe even start crying. That is because their brain is interpreting the motion of swinging as too much stimulation. On the flip side, a child whose brain is under-responding to incoming sensory stimuli, may keep telling you to “swing me higher”, since their brain requires a lot more sensory input to perceive the sensation of movement.

When a child with SPD feels that their external environment does not meet their sensory needs, they will naturally seek out sensory experiences or on the contrary, avoid certain sensory experiences. By implementing sensory strategies in your home, you can help your child feel more calm and ready to learn by increasing or decreasing external sensory stimuli according to your child’s specific needs.

Since this is a detailed topic, I will be separating this post into two blog posts: one for sensory seekers and the other for sensory avoiders. The focus of this post will be for sensory seekers.

Sensory Seekers

Sensory seekers are our kids who may be under-responsive to sensory stimuli and hence seek out stronger sensory experiences. These children may prefer a lot of movement (vestibular input), deep/firm touch (proprioceptive input), various textures (tactile input) as well as various smells, sights and tastes. Keep in mind, a child who is sensory seeking, may not seek out all the above sensations. Every child has their own unique preferences so always cater to your child’s own sensory needs.

Sensory Strategies Before Starting their Lesson

If you find that your child has a hard time initiating their work or is struggling to stay in their seat, you can start off with a 5-10 minute sensory activity or exercise before initiating their schoolwork. Below are some sensory activities to engage in before initiating a lesson or in between lessons when your child starts to lose focus or is struggling to remain engaged.

Self-squeezes: Helping your child provide his or her own self with deep sensory input is helpful when they may not have other sensory items around. For example, you can have them squeeze their palms together, their fingertips together or even press their thumb into the palm of the opposite hand while moving it in a circular motion. You can also have them use the palms of their hands to give their arms firm squeezes.

Image Credit: sensory-processing.middletownautism.com

Animals walks: Engaging in animal walks is a great way for your child to feel deep pressure in their muscles, joints and ligaments without you having to spend a dime. Bear walks, crab crawls and slithering like a snake are all ways to feel pressure in the body. Turn it into a game and guess what animal your child is pretending to be!

Wheelbarrow walking: The kids’ favorite!

Wall push-ups: Wall push-ups are great because they can be done literally anywhere where there is a wall. Playfully tell your child to ‘push the wall but don’t tear it down!’ to encourage them to apply more pressure with their hands/arms and hence receive greater sensory input in their joints.

Chair Push-Ups: As your child is seated on a chair, have them place their hands (palms face down) underneath their thighs and tell them to push themselves up. ‘Let’s see how strong you are!’ Have your child hold the position for 3-5 seconds and then slowly lower themselves back down into the chair. Try this 5 times.

Jumping Jacks : An all-time favorite!

Heavy Work: Having your child carry and transfer heavier objects in the house is a great way for their joints and muscles to receive input. You can make it functional by having them carry their laundry basket (filled with clothes, of course) to the washing machine, carry groceries to and from the car or even carry dishes to the dining table. Pushing and pulling heavy objects is another great and easy way for your child with SPD to feel input in their joints. Have them push/pull tables, chairs or even a heavy door.

Body sock:  A sensory seeking child may also enjoy wearing a body sock which provides deep pressure throughout the joints with its resistive stretchy material.

Tunnel:  Having your child crawl through a tunnel is a great way to receive sensory input all throughout the body as they find themselves crawling or slithering their way out. Add more fun by placing a piece of puzzle on one end of the tunnel and have them complete it on the other end.

Trampoline: Jumping on a trampoline whether it is indoors or outdoors is a great way for your child to receive a lot of sensory input. A trampoline provides both movement as they jump as well as tactile feedback when they land and bounce back up.  

Pogo Stick: Another great way for your child to receive both movement and deep pressure is by having him/her jump up and down on a pogo stick. Your child may even engage in this activity indoors when the weather does not permit.  

Theraputty: Theraputty is not just great for hand strengthening but it also provides a lot of sensory input for our sensory seekers. Hide small beads or toys inside the putty and have your child find it. Or have them roll the putty out and make pancakes!

Fidgets:  It may be helpful to keep hand fidgets by your child’s desk for a quick sensory break from their work when need be.

Sensory Strategies to incorporate WHLE they work

Therabands: placing TheraBand around the front legs of your child’s chair enables them to feel constant tactile feedback with their feet/legs while engaging in tabletop activities. For additional input you can wrap a pool noodle over the theraband to allow your child to roll his or her feet over the noodle.  

Sandpaper: Some of our kids with SPD may be pressing down too hard on the paper with their pencil. This may be due to their need for sensory feedback while writing. Putting sandpaper below your child’s writing paper will provide sensory input due to its gritty texture. If this affects writing legibility, try placing a corkboard underneath the writing paper instead.

Weighted pencils: Adding small weights/bolts to your child’s writing utensil is also a great way to help them receive sensory input during writing activities.

Weighted lap pad or a weighted shoulder wrap: These are great strategies to help your child receive deep pressure/input while completing their work at a table or desk. You can even use these in various settings such as when your child is at the dinner table or even in the car.

Alternative Seating for Sensory Seekers: It may not always be easy for our sensory seekers to sit still in their chairs – and they may not always have to. Providing them with sensory input in their chairs will decrease the chances of them getting up to seek out the sensory input themselves. Below are some alternative seating methods to try with your child during their remote sessions. Keep in mind that for some kids, a movement chair may be a source of distraction while for others, it can help them focus. Similar to how many of us pace back and forth while stressed out or in deep thought, our sensory seekers may also require movement to focus and to relieve anxiety. You may have to test out different types of movement chairs before finding the right one for your child.

• Prone Sitting – when your child is engaging in schoolwork or just simply coloring a picture of a fire truck, have them lie on their stomach. This position will improve focus (refer to my blog for more ways to help your child focus during remote learning), while allowing your child to feel deep pressure throughout his/her body.
• Seat Cushion – a seat cushion is great to try first before purchasing a movement chair since it is low cost and portable, meaning you can literally take it anywhere – dining room table, a friend’s house, etc. The seat cushion provides movement in addition to tactile input due to its varying textured surface.
• Wobble stool – many kids prefer to sit on a wobble stool during tabletop activities, helping them receive movement as they work. The stool can also facilitate an upright posture. Supervision may be required for safety.
• Rocking chair – rocking chairs are great during story time and/or reading
• Scoop seat – this is great for floor seating
• Bean Bag – this is great for when your child needs a sensory break or even while they’re reading or listening to a story.

Oral-Sensory Input: Some sensory seeking children seek sensory input in and around their mouths which can be evident by them biting, mouthing, and licking items all the time. Not receiving appropriate oral sensory input may distract your child from focusing on their remote lesson. Below are some ways to provide oral sensory input during your child’s lesson or during his/her sensory breaks:

• Crunchy Snacks: Allowing your child to snack on some crunchy treats such as crackers or pretzels can provide the deep and calming sensory input in their mouths that they seek. But there are a ton of healthy alternatives as well – apples, carrots and celery are all great crunchy snacks for your child to bite into.
• Chewy Snacks: Some kids may even prefer a chewy snack as a means to receive oral sensory input. Gummy worms, sour patches and even dried fruits are all great options.
• Gum: If age appropriate, chewing gum may provide consistent sensory input in your child’s mouth as they work.
• Sipping through straw: When pausing from his/her schoolwork to take a sip of water or juice, have your child use a straw instead to promote more sensory feedback. Resistive sucking can provide a calming oral sensory experience.
• Chew Toys: You can keep chew toys or chew items at hand as your child engages in their remote lesson, allowing them to chew on his/her item when need be. This chew toy can be worn as a necklace or used as a pencil topper, depending on your child’s preferences. Similar to how many of us bite our pencils while thinking or while completing a crossword puzzle, a chew item may help your child focus and even calm down if they become anxious during their lesson.  

If you have any questions on specific sensory strategies to implement with your child at home or suggestions on what works with your child, leave it in the comment box below. I will be sure to respond!

See you in my next post!