Is it Sensory or Behavior? This is a question we get asked and ask ourselves all the time. This blog series will explore different answers for questions about common behaviors. Mason is very “touchy feely” with his peers. He is always bumping, grabbing, lifting and hugging them. Most of his friends are starting to get annoyed and the teachers find this behavior disturbing and unsafe. Is it sensory or behavior? Mason is not processing proprioceptive input efficiently so he is unsure where … [Read more...]
10 play-based heavy work ideas
What is heavy work? Heavy work is any activity that activates your muscles and typically involves pushing, pulling, squeezing, carrying and lifting. Why is heavy work recommended? Heavy work activities stimulate the proprioceptive system – a system that provides us with a general map of our body and knowledge of where our body parts are in relation to one another. If you close your eyes and move your arms above your head and behind your back – this is the sense that tells you where your arms … [Read more...]
Preparing sensory kids for spring break trips: 6 tips for a successful vacation
It's almost time for Spring Break! You hope to plan an experience for your family that will be fun and enjoyable for everyone. Perhaps you are unsure how your sensory kid will react in a new environment, especially when “kid friendly” places have so many unpredictable sensory experiences including new things to see, textures to feel, sounds to interpret, and movements to tolerate. Many children with Sensory Processing Disorder benefit from knowing what to expect in advance and having small … [Read more...]
How Motor Planning can be impacting your child’s social skills and what you can do about it
What is Motor Planning? Motor Planning is often described and understood as difficulty with planning and executing the coordination of motor tasks, such as riding a bike, pumping a swing and playing sports. Children with these challenges may be given the diagnosis of dyspraxia. How does Motor Planning impact social skills? Dyspraxia is not just about motor coordination or “clumsiness”. What is not talked about and understood are the behavioral and social implications of motor planning … [Read more...]
Why sensory meltdowns happen in the absence of sensory stimulation
Self-regulation is more than sensory regulation. Our sensory kids have several other things that fill them up with challenges all day – emotions, academic and cognitive tasks, physical activities, social interactions, language demands and the ebb and flow of hunger, thirst and tired and alert cycles. There are so many things filling our kids’ cups. So what happens when we add challenges in sensory processing to the mix? Sometimes it’s obvious – my son is sensitive to smell, sound and touch. … [Read more...]
Pokémon Go meets the sensory gym: Awaken the sensory systems
Through teamwork and creativity these Great Kids brought Pokémon Go to life placing stuffed animals around the room and using ball pit balls to “capture” them by throwing the balls and knocking them over. They further challenged themselves by attempting to do this from their swings. The vestibular system facilitates balance and coordination and is the foundation for all visual motor skills. The boys really activated this system being in constant motion on the swings moving in many different … [Read more...]
Improve postural control and spatial understanding with our ball pit obstacle course
We have lots of ball pits and we make lots of obstacle course adventures – today one of our Great Kids combined the two! The challenge is to move over the arch, under the wedge, through the parallel blocks and climb up the rectangles to get through the ball pit and out to the jump deck before the sharks and fish get you. While creating this course, we built strength, endurance, and balance by lifting and carrying the large blocks to place them in the just right place. Moving through the … [Read more...]
Improve motor, academic and social skills by being a ninja warrior?….Tell me more!
Be nimble like a ninja warrior and move from one floating island to the next without stepping into the hot lava, then scale around the volcano and jump through the tire wall! Creep quietly around the border to sneak up on the dragon. Keep moving over the boat to find the treasure chest and get the prize! This fun and challenging activity was created with one our Great Kids who is a Sensory Craver. He enjoys moving and touching so much that it is sometimes hard for him to focus and often … [Read more...]
“Oh no, it’s time for a haircut!” Some tips for survival for you and your sensational kid
Haircuts are challenging for kids with SPD for many reasons. There are many unfamiliar and uncomfortable sensations involved – the sound of the buzzer or scissors, the tug and release as well as brushing and washing tactile feeling, the vestibular rush of tipping the head backwards, and the disorienting positions experienced from the hairdresser’s chair moving up and down and spinning around. Who knew the sensory systems could be so bombarded by a typical routine experience!? How can we … [Read more...]
5 reasons to be thankful for our sensory kids
1. They share super powers Our sensory kids experience the world in a way that many of us do not and they invite us into these experiences. In other words, we engage in sensory experiences to try to understand why they might make our kids feel the way they do. We feel objects, clothes, materials. We stop and smell the aromas. We sit with them through movement experiences – riding swings and going down slides long after we would have typically stopped. Let’s be grateful for this pause … [Read more...]