There is more mainstream knowledge about the sensory needs of children than there used to be. Therapists are not the only ones who have awareness to notice the sensory seeking and avoiding behaviors of children. Many sensory tools are easy to get also; weighted blankets, hand fidgets, and chewable mouth fidgets are relatively easy to find now.
However, have you thought about your own sensory preferences and how those may affect your child’s or student’s behavior? Or how your child’s behaviors influence your sensory system?
What are your preferences?
When therapists, teachers, and parents consider the sensory needs of children, they often only focus on the child by providing some tools such as fidgets and weighted blankets (I’m guilty of this too!). However, we don’t always consider how the sensory input we like may be different from a child’s. We may need to work on how we react to sounds, smells, movement, and the things we see. Or we may need to change the environment to help a child.
For example, you may need constant background noise to keep yourself focused. Is the TV, podcast or radio constantly on? If your child has sensitivity to noise this may contribute to their difficulty focusing or managing their energy levels. Or maybe you prefer it to be quiet, but your child can focus better if there is some background noise when they do homework. Your preferences may not be the same; do not assume that your child has similar sensory needs.
Do you keep a scented plug in air freshener? While the smell may be pleasant, if a child is sensitive to it, even if they like the smell, then it may contribute to feelings of overwhelm.
As a personal example, I ask that my office be fragrance-free not only for my clients, but also for myself. I am sensitive to aromas and don’t accommodate to them (meaning, I don’t tend to get used to them so they are no longer noticed). As a result, I find them very distracting, even if I like the smell. As a result, I do not often introduce scented products to kids as a sensory strategy, though sometimes scents can be alerting or calming. In general this is not a common sensory strategy; however, it may be more helpful than people like me realize.
Classrooms often have the walls completely covered. Sometimes the content on the walls is regularly referenced by the children (such as word walls, number lines, etc.). Often, though, the wall clutter is not useful and can be overwhelming and contribute to sensory overload.
Often a sensory-sensitive child may become overwhelmed as this sensory input adds up in their system. It may not always be one clear trigger.
Do You Need Help Meeting or Understanding Your Sensory Needs?
You may find that your sensory system is overloaded by your child! This may affect how you respond to even typical behaviors in children. For instance, are you sensitive to the noises they make when they p, or their toy clutter? Is there something you can do to help your own sensory system when a child’s typical behaviors affect your sense of calm? Do you need support for your own sensory needs?
I encourage you to consider your own preferences and look at your environment to see if it may be affecting your child or if your child’s typical behaviors are influencing your sensory system.
If you would like a sensory checklist to help you realize your own preferences, I will be happy to share one (email me at alicia@apexot.com). Or, check out this training for adults one of our favorite self-regulation programs, the Alert Program.