 From the moment of birth children process the world through their senses. Through discovering taste, touch, sound, and movement, each child develops unique likes and dislikes. For some children, however, sensory processing can be painful or disorganizing. Raising a Sensory Smart Child, by Lindsey Biel, M.A., OTR/L, and Nancy Peske, is a resource-rich, practical handbook for parents and caregivers of children with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) as they work to help kids find their daily balance. What is sensory processing? “It is a neurological process of translating input from our bodies and environment into meaningful messages we can use,” says Biel. For children with SPD, everyday activities such as grooming or playtime, or common noises such as moving a chair on a linoleum kitchen floor can cause distress. “There is a difference between sensory preferences (liking the color red) and intolerance's ([being]bothered by certain fabrics - wool clothing). What we look for is when children are exhibiting out-of-proportion reactions to everyday routines." Biel’s work shows parents how arranging simple steps in the course of a day can help retrain the nervous system to work more adaptively for children with sensory integration dysfunction. In the handbook, the authors provide a Sensory Checklist to guide parents and teachers to identify the problem areas where a child may need support. “Put things down on paper. Make a list of your child’s strengths and [a] list of challenges. Among the areas of challenges, pick the top three areas, for example, ‘my son bites other children, is a picky eater, or is scared at the sound of the toilet flushing,’” explains Biel. Sleep time is a common problem area where children can benefit from sensory-smart interventions, “When I go into homes to assess what may be the problem with sleep time, I first look at the sensory aspects. If the child is tactile sensitive, I look at the bedding. Is the room is cool enough? I evaluate the lighting. I also look for what could be soothing to a child such as [using] a weighted blanket. We also don’t overlook medical aspects and behavioral aspects. If a parent works late, a child may need the time with a parent before being able to go to sleep.” The good news about sensory-smart interventions, says Biel, is that the effects are usually immediate and can help children to handle transitions throughout the day with less stress. While these tangible steps hold promise in helping children self-regulate, Biel is quick to note that children cannot be protected from every unpleasant sensory trigger, and that teaching coping is also critical. “Every parent needs to ask themselves, ‘When do I push my child and when do I protect them?’ For example, when attending a party, teach the child an exit strategy beforehand. If the child feels overstimulated, how can the child take a break and re-group?” she says. Biel also notes that acquiring sensory-smart intervention early helps child to self-advocate, “An older child, for example, can learn when to say, ‘I need water,’ or ‘I need to go for a walk’ or a nonverbal child can use a card system to communicate, ‘I need my lap pad.’” Biel makes an important distinction between difficult behavior and sensory overload. This assessment tool is a template for what Biel calls setting up a Sensory Diet, a schedule of activities that help a child regulate to sensory input. “A reactive child may need more calming input such as time on a therapy ball in the middle of the day; for a child who is lethargic, they may need more arousing input such as music,” says Biel.
Sleep time is a common problem area where children can benefit from sensory-smart interventions, “When I go into homes to assess what may be the problem with sleep time, I first look at the sensory aspects. If the child is tactile sensitive, I look at the bedding. Is the room is cool enough?
I evaluate the lighting. I also look for what could be soothing to a child such as [using] a weighted blanket. We also don’t overlook medical aspects and behavioral aspects. If a parent works late, a child may need the time with a parent before being able to go to sleep.” The good news about sensory-smartinterventions, says Biel, is that the effects are usually immediate and can help children to handle transitions throughout the day with less stress. While these tangible steps hold promise in helping children self-regulate, Biel is quick to note that children cannot be protected from every unpleasant sensory trigger, and that teaching coping is also critical. “Every parent needs to ask themselves, ‘When do I push my child and when do I protect them?’ For example, when attending a party, teach the child an exit strategy beforehand. If the child feels overstimulated, how can the child take a break and re-group?” she says. Biel also notes that acquiring sensory-smart intervention early helps child to self-advocate, “An older child, for example, can learn when to say, ‘I need water,’ or ‘I need to go for a walk’ or a nonverbal child can use a card system to communicate, ‘I need my lap pad.’” Biel makes an important distinction between difficult behavior and sensory overload. Developing an understanding of a child’s sensory diet, adds Biel, can help teachers in school settings recognize and manage what overwhelms the child and prevent the child from getting overloaded in the first place. This fall, parents will be preparing their children to return to school. Biel's website also offers a section with tips on how to advocate formally through an IEP and additional tips in a back-to-school web-cast series at Autism Hangout. What I appreciate most about Biel’s work is how it informs one to think more broadly about all children’s needs. Biel added, “If a child is front of the television all day, their visual system is only in use, and all the other systems are ignored. Children need to move. Limit the screen time and increase the sensory exploration time. Kids [need] to be out in nature, out in the playground. From a sensory standpoint – life is a multi-sensory experience.” Comments are closed.
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