A child with SPD has difficulty understanding and controlling the feelings their body and the environment produce. SPD affects children differently: some may be quickly overwhelmed by senses, but some are under-reactive. Apart from therapy and treatment, various practical actions can be taken, which lead children to develop self-help skills.
First, recognizing behaviors and patterns is a crucial step that clarifies further actions, as “it is highly important to understand how they emerge in the development…” (Kojovic et al., 2019). Problems with sensory processing frequently bring on attempts to obtain feedback from the surroundings through sensory-seeking activities. Due to difficulties interpreting and comprehending environmental input, sensory processing issues often result in sensory-seeking behaviors. The primary purpose of any solution is to “reduce sensory difficulties in daily life, increase children’s self-esteem and improve family dynamics and quality of life” (Galiana-Simal et al., 2020).
The leading solution that helps a child develop self-help skills is a sensory diet, which “is a planned and scheduled activity program that a therapist develops to meet the needs of a specific child’s nervous system” (Stock Kranowitz, 2005, pp. 332-353). Its goal is to support the development of the child’s improved regulation, focus, flexibility, and skill. There is a variety of achievable methods for a balanced sensory diet. Firstly, dimming the lights, wearing noise-canceling headphones, donning a cap, or donning sunglasses are a few environmental modifications that may help reduce overstimulation of the senses. Secondly, children who want sensory input find solace in vestibular movement and stimulation, such as jumping, rocking, or swinging. Thirdly, children who exhibit sensory-seeking behaviors might typically benefit from deep-pressure or tactile input. A space containing mats, pillows, bean bags, or mattresses that a kid can bounce onto securely can also help give them the sensory information they need in a secure setting.
Overall, a sensory diet gives access to appropriate, safe, and potentially enjoyable sensory-seeking behaviors. To address sensory processing issues at home, this is typically prescribed by an occupational therapist and comprises particular activities through a comprehensive program. It can frequently be made more accessible for a child to attend to a task or behave correctly by engaging in these activities before being asked to concentrate.
References
Galiana-Simal, A., Vela-Romero, M., Romero-Vela, V. M., Oliver-Tercero, N., García-Olmo, V., Benito-Castellanos, P. J., Muñoz-Martinez, V. & Beato-Fernandez, L. (2020). Sensory processing disorder: Key points of a frequent alteration in neurodevelopmental disorders, Cogent Medicine, 7(1).
Kojovic, N., Hadid, L. B., Franchini, M. & Schaer, M. (2019). Sensory Processing Issues and Their Association with Social Difficulties in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, J. Clin. Med., 8(10), Web.
Stock Kranowitz, C. (2005), The Out-of-Sync Child: Recognizing and coping with Sensory Processing Disorders.