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9_09 Publications\Handouts\Sensory Handouts
Sensory Processing in Young Children: Part 2 StrategiesandActivitiesForClassrooms andIndividuals
STRATEGIES●Ourbodiesarelikeenginesandcanstaytuneduptorunmoreefficientlywithongoingdosesof“fuel.”●Understandingmodulation.●Youcanhelpachildtolistenandtransitioneasierusingabottom-up(body)versustop-down(brain)system.
ACTIVITIES●Understandingthesameactivitycanbeeithercalmingoralerting.●Alistofactivitiestohelpcalmthenervoussystem.
OUR BODIES ARE LIKE ENGINES
Ourbodiesneed“fuel’(food)tokeepour“engine”runningevenlyandefficiently.Therecommendationistoeatsmallmealseverycouplehourstokeepenergyandbloodsugarlevelsonanevenkeel,keepingusfromafeelingofbeingrevveduporidling.Ifwewaittoolongandfeelstarved,firstwefeelverylowenergyandthenwearesoravenousweeatwaytoomuch,toofast,andstilldonotfindourselvesinanoptimalstate.
Wecanapplythesameprincipletoournervoussystemwhichregulatesouralertnesslevel.Ifournervoussystemseemstoalwaysbeinarevvedup“survival”state(whichistypicalwithchildrenwithinefficientsensoryprocessingsystems),wecanfeedthebrainlittledosesofcalmingactivitiesthroughouttheday.Keepingthenervoussysteminacalmstatewillhelpchildreninteractappropriatelywithtypicaldailyevents.Calmingapproaches(ortechniques)willhelpyourchildacceptoradjust,tothenormalevents,transitionsand“bumps”whichoccureveryday.
Beinginahighstateofarousalislinkedwiththeflightorfightsystem.Thinkaboutatimeyouwerefearful(i.e.youthinkyouhearsomeonetryingtobreakintoyourhouse).Yourmusclesbecometense,allyoursenses(vision,hearingandtouch)areonhyperalertandyourbreathingisfaster.Youmaybecometooarousedorfrightenedtobeabletolisten,function,orplan.Achildcanexperiencetheclassroomenvironmentasasimilarscaryplaceelicitingthesamehighstateofarousalofthenervoussystem.
Calmingactivitiesbringthebodydowntoamorerelaxedstateratherthanbeinginasurvivalmode.
Quality Child Care Collaborative
ByTerreWitte,OTR/L
UNDERSTANDING MODULATION Goodsensoryprocessingmeansournervoussystemmodulates,orregulates,oursensesastheyarebombardedwithenvironmentalsensorystimuli.“Goodsensoryprocessing,”allowsournervoussystemtomaintainsomeharmonywithinourbodies..Modulationiskeepinghomeostasis(abalance)betweenalltheconstantsensoryinformationwereceiveeveryminutefrominternalbodilyandexternalenvironmentalcues. Withgoodsensoryprocessingournervoussystemfiltersimportantandunimportantinformationfrommomenttomoment.Thishelpsusstayinafairlyharmoniousstatetofunctioninthisstimulatingworld. Asadults,weuseavarietyofstrategiestocalmournervoussystemandstateofarousaltopromoteasenseofwellbeing.Whenwefeeloverwhelmed,scaredorhypedupweusestrategieswehaveacquiredovertimebytrialanderror:drinkingahotdrink,exercising,deepbreathing,goingtoaquietcorner,ormunchingonsomething.Theseactivitiescanhelpuscalmourselves.However,ifweneedtoheightenourattention,suchasatameeting,wemaydrinkcoffee,bounceourlegsupanddownorchewonapencil.
Whenachildisunabletomodulatesensationsshecanappearoveraroused,underarousedorhaveafluctuatingarousallevel.Shehasnothadenoughexperiencestoknowhowtodevelopcalming,oralertingstrategies.Fortunately,therearetechniqueswhichcanhelpachildcopewhentheyareexperiencingdifficultiesduetoaninefficientsensorysystem.Thisarticlewillreviewstrategiestohelpchildrenwithsensitivesensorysystemsbecomecalmerandreadytoexperienceandlearnaboutthemselves,othersandtheworld.
USING A BOTTOM UP (BODY) VERSUS TOP-DOWN (BRAIN) STRATEGY
Whencommunicatingwithachild,weoftenrelyonlyonverballanguage.Weaskchildrenquestionsortellthemtodosomethingwithoutnecessarilyhavingphysicalcontactwiththem.Addingphysicaltouchormovementscanincreaseachild’sattentionandcalmthenervoussystem.
Ifachildishavingtroublefollowingdirections,hastroubletransitioningeasily,orisupsetwhensomethingisoutofroutine,hearingaraisedvoice,orbeingsingledoutcancontributetohisdistress.Thesesituationsmayheightenhisalreadyarousednervoussystem.Hemaywellheartherequests,butthepartofhisbrainthatcontrolshisbody’sreactionsisnotabletorespondappropriatelywhenheisinanover-arousedstate.
Deeppressuretothesystem(body)canassistthechildtoreorganizeandcalmdownenoughwherehecanachieveamorefocusedandrelaxedstatetoallowforaneasiertransition.Placingyourhandonachild’sheadoryourhandsontheirshoulderswhilesimultaneouslytalkingwiththechildisaneasilydonedeeppressuretechnique.Youcanalsoaccomplishthiswithoutphysicallytouchingthechildbyhandinghimalargeheavybookorsomeotherweighteditemtocarryacrosstheroom.
Astrategyistohaveallthechildrenhopormarchovertothenexttaskwhichisoftenhelpfultoeveryonethegroup.Stronginput,suchashoppingorstomping,whendoneeveryonetotwohours,isoptimum.
Onceyouunderstandwhat“heavywork”is,i.e.activitiesthatgivestronginputintothejointsandmuscles,youcangetverycreativewithinyour
routinesandenvironmenttopluginheavyworkthroughoutyourday.
THE SAME ACTIVITY CAN BE EITHER CALMING OR ALERTING
Therearedifferentqualitiesthatcanmakeasensation,oractivity,eithercalmingoralertingdependingonhowit’sdone.Herearesomeexamplesofactivities:
●Vestibular(movement)inputcanbecalming.Acommonwaytocalmbabiesistobundlethemupandholdthemtightlywhileslowlyrockingtheminarhythmicallinearfashion.●Or,movementcanbealerting.Thinkaboutbeingonarollercoaster.Themovementismoreerratic.Itstartsslowlythenbecomesfaster,thenslowandjerky.Thewildrideofarollercoasteriscertainlyalerting.●Tactile(touch)inputcanbecalming.Firmpressuresuchasmassageisrelaxingwhengivenslowlywithlongstrokes,strokingaverysoft,warm,fuzzymaterialorholdingahotwaterbottle(warmth)forasoothingeffect.●Or,touchcanbealerting.Lighttouchsuchasticklesoraflyonyourarm,anunexpectedtouchfrombehind,touchingsandpaperoranicecube(cold)isstartlingtothesystem.●Auditory(listening)canbecalmingsuchassoft,slowrhythmicalmusic,asoftvoicesinging,hearingastory(likeatbedtime)orwatergentlylapping.●Or,listeningcanbealerting.Fastloudmusic,highpitchedsounds,excitingstorieswithdifferentpitchedvoices,callingbackandforthgames.
Thenexttwocategories,odorsandtastes,haveveryindividualpreferencesforusall.Theyincorporatestrong,emotionalcomponentsandpriorexperiences,suchasyourfather’scologne.Keepthisinmindwhenconsideringthesestrategies.
●Olfactory(odor).Someodorscanbecalming;lavender,cookiesorbreadbaking,smellingroses.Otherodorsarehighlyalteringsuchaspeppermint,skunkorlemon.●Taste.Foodcanbecalmingifcrunchyisinvolvedgivingastrongproprioceptiveexperience.Smoothandwarmcanbesoothing,andcoldfood,suchasicecream,canbealerting.Sourandhotflavors,suchassalsa,arealertingaswell.●Additionally,thetextureoffoodhasanimpact.
Weknowthatfastanderraticmovementsalertthebrainwhilesmoothrhythmicmovementiscalming,andthisideaappliestoallaspectsofthesensorysystem.Itisimportanttorememberthateverychildisuniqueandwhatworksforonemaynotworkforanother.
Onesysteminparticular,theproprioceptivesystem,canusuallycalmthenervoussystemnomatterhowyouprovidetheinput.Heavywork,proprioceptiveinput(stronginputintoyourmusclesandjoints)isalwaysmorelikelytocalmthesysteminbothadultsandchildrenoverothertypesofsensation.Thisinputcanbeeffectivewhendoneforajustminuteortwoeveryoneortwohoursthroughouttheday,ratherthanlongerperiodsoftime.
PROPRIOCEPTIVE INPUT IDEAS
●Squeezingsomethinginthehand.Offersmallobjectskeptinapocket,onabeltoronanecklace,whichcanbereadilyavailabletothechild.● Jumpingupanddownormarchinginplace,goingupanddownstairsanumberoftimes.●Dancingormarchingtomusic.●Oralinputorbitingonaspecialchewingfidget.●Eatingcrunchyorchewyitemslikepretzels,bagels,jerky,orcarrots.
●Pushingorpullingalsogivesinputintothissystem.●Achildcanpullherownhandsapart,pushonawallorpullanotherchildinawagon,movefurniture,carryheavybooks,oropenheavydoors.●Bouncingonsmallballsorrollingovertheballonyourtummy.●Placinglargebeanbagsonyourheadorcarryingthemtocircletime.● Layingonascooterboardandpushingyourselfaroundwithyourarms.●Holdingavibratingtoysometimeshelps.●Brushingwithawashclothorsmallsoftbrushandbrushonarms,backsandlegsusingdeeppressure.●Beatingrhythmicallyondrums,orhavethechilduseherhandsonherkneestobeatoutrhythms
BREATHING ACTIVITIES
Whenweareinahighalertstateweoftenholdourbreath.Thiscontributestostayinginthattensestate.Areallygreatwaytoaddincalminginputisbydeepbreathing,blowingorsucking.Suckingtocalmbeginsinutero.
Activitieswhicharetypicallycalming(ratherthanalerting)onaconsistentbasisare:●Blowingonwhistles,bubbles,pingpongballsorfeathersacrosstables.●Practiceblowingupballoons.●Suckingonastrawtodrinkthickenedfoodssuchasthinnedapplesauceormilkshake,orsuckingonalollipop.
SUMMARY
Overstimulatedchildrenmaybedisruptivetoagroup.Alternately,anunderarousedchildmayeasilygetlostinthecrowdandnot“makingtrouble”.Eitherway,whenthesensorysystemhasjusttherightamountofarousal,qualitylearningcantakeplace.Whenachildcanexperiencehowitfeelstofocusandlearn,shewillalsoexperiencethefeelingoffittinginwithherclassmates,animportantsteptowardpositiveselfesteem.Childrenwithinefficientsensoryprocessingsystemscanhavedifficultywithmodulatingtheirbehavior.Theymayseekstrong(andcalming)sensoryinputinordertocalmdowntheirnervoussystemiftheyfeeloverwhelmed.
Itcanbepuzzlingtoobserveanunderarousedchildtryingtostayalertandawake,usingthesamestrategiesastheoverstimulatedchildtoselfcalm.Manyofthesechildrenoftenappearunabletostaystilland“arebouncingoffthewalls”whichcanleadtodisciplinaryaction.Ortheymaybetheoneswhohavedifficultytransitioningtodifferentactivities.Changingfromoneactivitytoanotherrequiresaratherflexibleandfluidsensorysystem.
Somechildrenmaypresentmoreassensoryavoiders.Thesechildrenmayseemverywellbehavedandbesittingquietlyontheoutskirtsofthegroup.
Somechildrenmayevenbeacombinationofallthebehaviorsmentionedabove.Ifachildishavingadifficulttimefunctioningintheclassroomsomeofthisinformationmaybehelpful.Somechildrenmaybenefitfromtheactivitiesandothersmayneedmoreindividualattendingandassistancewithareferraltothelocalschooldistrict.
TerryeWitte,OTR/LJoyBonds-Baird,M.S.,CCC-SLPQualityChildCareCollaborativeSacramentoCountyOfficeofEducation