A sensory diet is something that can be personalized and used to help students remain focused and organized throughout the day. The same way an adult may need to jiggle a knee or chew gum to stay awake, soak in a hot tub to unwind; children need to engage in stabilizing, focusing activities too. Infants, young children, teens, and adults with mild to severe sensory issues can all benefit from a personalized sensory diet.
Each child has their own set of needs. If the child is very hyper/over stimulated they may need something more calming, where as a child who is very sluggish/too tired may need activities that are more arousing for them. A qualified occupational therapist can use their training and skills to come up with a personalize sensory diet for the child. When creating the sensory diet there are a few categories the OT will look at and provide activities for; proprioception, vesicular, tactile, auditory, visual, smell, and taste. It is then important that YOU as the parent or teacher make sure this is implemented throughout the day.
Proprioception: sensations from the joints, muscles, and connective tissues that lead to body awareness.
Examples: pushing, pulling, lifting. Jumping on a trampoline, animal walks, jumping jacks, throwing the weighted ball, rolling.
Vesicular: sense of movement, centered in the inner ear.
Example: spinning, swinging, hanging upside down, long lasting. Push-pull, wall push-ups, pillow sandwich, sit-n-spin, swing in a hammock or therapy swing.
Tactile: the sense that detects light touch, deep pressure, texture, temperature, vibration, and pain.
Examples: eating and drinking, playing with textures. Blowing bubbles, making a bubble pond, playing with finger paint or shaving cream, blowing coins off your desk with a straw, sandbox, sucking up through a straw to hold onto a coin or cotton ball.
Auditory: refers to both what we hear and how we listen, and is physiologically connected with the vestibular sense.
Examples: get outside and listen, listen to natural sounds recording, play a listening game, find calming and focusing music, encourage the child to play musical instruments, and create pleasant sounds. Allow the child to have control, encourage them to turn on a vacuum cleaner or pop balloons this way they will not have to anticipate the noise these things make and then can be aware of what will happen.
Visual: deals with all sight activities.
Examples: keep items brightly colored to encourage the child to go towards them. Use light up balls or noise makers to allow the child to focus on that item during an activity. Avoid excess visuals, hide clutters areas with bins or behind curtains. Seat the child in the front of the class so there is less distractions throughout the day. Be color-sensitive.
Smell: Olfactory input (sense of smell) comes through the nose and goes straight to the most primitive, emotional part of the brain.
Examples: allow the child to explore the smells of different things, have a scent break which is when you use smells (if they have a favorite) to calm the child, play finding the scent games.
Taste: Taste input is perceived by our tongue but how we interpret or experience it is strongly influenced by our sense of smell.
Examples: give strong-tasting food before introducing new ones, encourage the child to try new things, play a tasting game, involve the child in cooking and food preparation activities, play with food (give food items fun names ex: refer to broccoli as trees or meatballs as rocks).
How and when should you use a Sensory Diet?
*Use the diet during transitions or anytime you see your child getting frustrated with something.
*If they are experiencing some motor stereotypy, use this to release some energy and tension.
*Sensory Diet activities and exercises must be done in the order that the OT professional gives you.
*Allow the student to pick their exercises, but do not allow them to constantly choose the same ones.
Below is an example of a sensory diet plan
*If they are experiencing some motor stereotypy, use this to release some energy and tension.
*Sensory Diet activities and exercises must be done in the order that the OT professional gives you.
*Allow the student to pick their exercises, but do not allow them to constantly choose the same ones.
Below is an example of a sensory diet plan