May 19 , 2023
Sensory Suggestions for Parents
Your child may be experiencing anxiety, tension, excitement, apprehensive feelings, and other emotions as he or she returns to school. You may be experiencing the same emotions. Here are some sensory tips for youngsters going back to school.
- Prepare your child for the transition to a new school or classroom. Tour the classroom ahead of time and, if feasible, meet the teacher. Write a social tale about returning to school and include real photographs of the school classroom, the bus, your child's friends, and activities in which they will participate, such as recess, reading, and lunch.Inform the teacher of your child's special sensory demands (for example, Sam requires sensory breaks every 20-30 minutes that include jumping jacks, hefty lap weights, fidget toys, and bouncing on a therapy ball).
- Make sure to give your child a rest when they get home from school. Maybe they need a snack and some quiet time, or maybe they need to burn off some energy. Give them a suitable outlet for doing so. For relaxing heavy work, play outside, jump on the trampoline, set up an obstacle course in your living room with a tunnel, bean bag chair, hopping over toys, and carrying the laundry basket full of toys down the hall. Depending on their age, they may need to unwind with a good book or have a cat nap. You should not make immediate demands or ask them to perform homework after they return home from school.
- Making ensuring your child's sensory requirements are addressed is another broad sensory strategy. Give them deep pressure, massages, and opportunities to swing, leap, and climb if they are a sensory craver (they seek out a lot of feeling).Don't overburden them, and keep an eye out for signs of hyperactivity. If they are overly sensitive to sensory input (they avoid swings, don't want to touch anything sticky or gooey, are terrified of movement or contact, etc.), gradually introduce them to different sensory input. Allow them to slowly swing in your lap and experiment with different media such as cornstarch and water or moon sand. If they are unresponsive (hard to motivate, like couch potatoes), attempt to engage them in something they enjoy other than video games and television. Make them make something, build something, or take them outside to ride their bikes. Before implementing any of the above solutions, ALWAYS speak with your occupational therapist to determine your child's sensory processing disorder.
