One of the ways that you can prevent and decrease your child’s challenging behavior is to address their sensory needs.

Here's the not-so-secret reminder about your child's sensory system....it has some differences. And those differences usually aren't addressed near enough as they need to be. 

If your child's sensory needs are not being met, they most likely aren't regulated. If their sensory system isn't regulated, they probably don't feel good. If they don't feel good, they can't show up and have a successful day. 

 We have to address your child’s sensory system and sensory needs every single day. This, to me, is considered a non-negotiable. We have to address it.

 This isn't going to be a one and done type of thing. You might need to build in 4+ sensory breaks into your child's day based on their needs. 

You also have to be intentional about setting these times up by having your child engage in movement and sensory activities that best meet their needs.  

I want you to picture a glass cup with water. This is going to represent your child’s sensory system. 

Imagine that there is a "feel good" level that your child's cup needs to be at in order to feel regulated. That's when your child feels good on the inside and out and is the most calm.

Now also imagine that there is a hole in the bottom of this cup that is constantly leaking water. So, your child is taking matters into his or her own hands and going to engage in activities to fill the cup back up to the "feel good" level. 

Picture every sensory behavior that your child engages in as a way for them to throw more water in this cup to get it to the line. 

OR we could be proactive with your child's schedule and build in sensory times to help them do this and teach your child how to self-regulate several times a day to manage their "feel good" level. 

 Here's how to teach your child to self-regulate and meet their sensory needs...⬇️

1

Know what activities are going to help your child feel self-regulated. You can talk to your child's occupational therapist about this if you aren't sure. 

Every child's needs are so different so it's hard to give a list or go to Google to find sensory activities. If you don't have an OT, this step might be trial and error until you find what works best.  

2

Make sure you schedule in time throughout the day to actually complete the sensory activities. Build sensory breaks into your child's visual schedule. 

You can reflect on your day and recognize what times of the day your child struggles with. Are they extra cranky in the afternoon around 3 PM? Is the morning always difficult? 

That's going to help you understand what times your child needs more regulation. Those are the times when you want to build in their sensory breaks. 

3

 Once the sensory breaks are built into your child's daily routine, add in choice making as well.

We want your child to eventually be independent with engaging in their sensory breaks and knowing how to self-regulate. You can start this process by letting them choose which sensory and movement activities they complete during their sensory break.

This is a great opportunity to use a visual support. You can make a choice board by putting 3-5 pictures of sensory activities on a card and letting your child choose which they would like to complete. 

This will help build independence and help support your child during this time if they are engaging in refusal behaviors. Giving some choice and control to your child is a powerful strategy. 

4

 You'll also want to work on creating a less stimulating environment for your child. Remember, your child's sensory needs are most likely very different from yours. It's hard to sometimes understand it if we don't experience it. 

Try to recognize if there is anything that is overstimulating and acting as a trigger for your child.

Remember that everything around your child stimulates their brain and they are sometimes consumed with processing that input. That  extra input makes it difficult to focus or concentrate on anything else. It might be all consuming. 

The lights in the bathroom might be too bright. The smell of a certain dish you make at dinnertime might be too strong and overwhelming. The clutter in the living room might be too much to process.  

Your child's sensory system has unique needs that have to be addressed. By following the 5 steps above, you will be on your way to supporting those needs and helping your child feel calm and regulated!