Sensory difference

The following are some suggested activities and or strategies for various difficulties a child may show. They are grouped into five categories: sight, touch, smell and taste, movement and body sense, and sound.

Sight

Holds objects close to eyes

• Eye test to check for short-sightedness
• Help child to filter out irrelevant information and focus on what is important to them

Fascinated by tiny threads on carpet/small patterns

• Place large play mat/cloth on floor to discourage thread pulling and encourage task focus

Stares at fluorescent lighting

• Offer sensory environments as relaxing alternative

Likes to see toys spinning

• Incorporate spinning in play activities, gradually reducing spinning and increasing emphasis on toy function, eg rolling

Excited by flashing lights on toys

• Limit toys to use as motivators for short periods

Turns lights off and or avoids looking at print in books

• Increase natural colours in child's environment
• Keep artificial lights dimmed; increase natural light
• Reduce unnecessary visual information
• Create 'den' or designated area which is visually sympathetic for the child

Touch

Avoids holding hands with adults or children

• Use a no pressure approach and allow child to watch from a distance
• See if child will tolerate adult holding onto a sleeve
• Expose child to range of tactile experiences

Craves rough and tumble play

• Build more gentle play sequences into play
• Include a wind down period in this play and gradually increase time

Holds people tightly; leans on others

• Give firm handshakes or high fives throughout the day
• Play clapping and guess the object by feeling games
• Divert child to pressure toys eg squeezy balls, encourage to press down on a beach ball

Strips off clothing

Analyse what the issue is:

• Are tags rubbing? Remove if possible
• Stick to familiar acceptable clothes and gradually introduce new garments for short periods

A fitted vest/body stocking can sometimes help to comfort against irritating fabrics

Finds nappy change distressing

• Ensure mat is not cool - place towel underneath child when changing
• Determine if child needs firm or light touch and use single quick movements
• Team activity with familiar song or toy

Avoids messy play

• Incorporate familiar toys into messy play, eg car in paint tray
• Let child manipulate materials with long, then short handle tools
• Use Ziploc bags filled with messy materials for close exploration

Doesn't show distress when hurt

• Expose to variations of touch eg light and firm to help child to learn to identify different sensations

Smell and taste

Smells toys before playing

• Show alternative ways of identifying toys, eg by texture
• Use scratch and sniff books during play

Puts objects up nose

• Show child appropriate distance to hold objects when smelling them
• Allow to sniff different fragrances on large pieces of fabric

Eats non-food items

• Intervene and replace with small food item; use small box with seal to encourage child to eat edible items
• Direct to special box of chewable toys (teethers, rings) each time an inedible item is put in mouth

Chews and or mouths everything

• Possibly at stage of development where mouth exploration is dominant
• Provide with range of textured toys/objects to explore with hands

Bites people for no apparent reason

• Could be experiencing overload; approach child slowly from front, not touching child
• Child could wear a small rubber ring to divert to when he feels urge to bite

Eats specific foods only - dry, sloppy, etc

• Gentle taste tests; child is offered very small pieces of new food in between favourites
• Reward for any positive approach to new food such as smelling, touching or holding in mouth
• Exploratory play with various food materials, eg wet spaghetti, porridge oats

Refuses to sit at table to eat

• Adult to model sitting at table with child
• Decrease amount of time child is expected to sit at table; after short period of appropriate sitting, allow to move away to do favourite activity

Licks people and or objects

• Divert child to different ways of identifying people through sight and touch

Movement and body sense

Climbs to excess

• Give lots of opportunity to play on large play equipment
• Play running/catch games

Seeks rocking motion

• Engage in paired play eg row the boat, roly poly song
• Use of a large child sized gym ball to simulate rocking motion

Spins excessively

• Play games where spinning appropriate, eg ring a roses
• Read books that involve swirling actions, eg Bear Hunt

Constantly on the move

• Provide child with regular, frequent bursts of gross motor play
• Reduce time spent on sit down activities

Difficulty negotiating around obstacles

• Raise sight awareness of obstacles with regular reminders
• Put visual markers on fixed obstacles
• Play games involving moving around obstacles

No sense of danger when climbing

• Ensure safety by diverting climbing to appropriate play equipment and reinforcing 'no climbing here'

Difficulty with fine motor skills

• Provide fine motor play opportunities
• Encourage play with tactile manipulative toys, eg squishy balls

Sound

Distressed by loud, sudden noises eg balloon popping, child screaming

• Identifying noise through visual and verbal labelling can reassure, eg 'wow it's the balloon, look!'
• Encourage child to play with object or watch others play with it
• Create fun games, eg blowing up balloon and letting it go, releasing small squeaky bursts of air, etc

Becomes over excited from repetitive sounds

• Use sand timer to show that activity is going to finish
• Limit access to sound before it over-stimulates the child

Distressed by everyday noises eg hand dryer

• Encourage child to stay at distance but in same room, so they can see it but feel protected
• Visually identify sound source to ease anxiety
• Eventually encourage child to move near it...touch it...turn it on

Places hand over others mouth when they sing or talk

• Prepare the child by providing explanation if group are going to sing
• Try to ensure that one adult talks to child at once
• Use soft, calm voice; speak in short, simple sentences

Doesn't respond when spoken to

• Eliminate hearing difficulty
• Provide structured teaching in distraction free area for short periods
• Use child's name at start of any interaction
• Use animation in voice to help child pay attention
• Basic work on identity/name recognition using photographs and labelling tray, chair, etc to support with recognition