Sensory Processing & Regulation

Sensory Profile 

• Looks at the individual quadrants, the sensory sections, and the behavioral sections (e.g.: conduct, social emotional, attention

  • • Behavioral section can elp with students who exhibit behaviors that could be caused by sensory challenges

• Descriptive Categories:

  • Just Like the Majority of Others

  • More (or Less) than Others

  • Much More (or Less) than Others

• Versions: 

  • Infant

  • Toddler

  • Child

  • Short (can be used as a screen for a whole class)

  • School Companion

  • Also a Spanish

  • Adult-Adolescent Self Questionnaire

Sensory Processing Measure

• Looks at Social Participation and Praxis (Planning and Ideas)

• Looks at the individual senses (Vision, Sound, Touch, Body Awareness, Balance and Motion)

  • Includes an Oral section that gets calculated into the Total Score with the other Senses

• Descriptive Categories:

  • Typical, Some Problems, and Definite Dysfunction

• Also includes separate forms for specials teachers (e.g. Art, recess, bus, music) to compare different sensory experience across the different school environments

• Can also compare scores from home to determine any differences across the two environments

• For children that are dysregulated:

  • First determine their arousal level

    • Low arousal - need to wake the body up 

      • Low muscle tone & activity

      • Flat affect

      • Limited socialization with others

    • High arousal

      • hyperactive

      • muscle tension & activity/responsiveness

      • glaring eyes

      • really loud when they speak

  • Match the child's regulation state to enhance participation

  • Once participating, provide strategies to increase/decrease arousal as appropriate

Up-regulate

• Vestibular

  • fast, direction changes, acceleration & deceleration, inversion

  • using scooter board or swing

  • **if a child cannot meet vestibular sensation, visual sensation can be the next best thing

  • if a child seeks vestibular input, they more likely will be seeking visually

• Proprioceptive

  • stretch, squeeze, move, crunchy snacks, ball seat or other seating

• Tactile

  • fidget tools, sensory bins, cold temps, exposed skin (barefoot, shorts, etc.)

  • watching water play can be helpful for seeking 

• Auditory

  • upbeat music, loud sounds

• Visual

  • spinning objects, crowded areas (e.g. hallways)

• Olfactory

  • peppermint, lemon

Down-regulate

Used for hyperactive kids to calm them down before sessions and/or before returning to class

• Vestibular

  • slow, steady, rhythmic movement, rocking

• Proprioceptive

  • push/pull, heavy work, squeeze, resistive sucking/chewing (sucking from a straw)

• Tactile

  • weighted materials, compression, massage, warm temps

• Auditory

  • repetitive, rhythmic music/sounds; white noise, silence, whispering

• Visual

  • sensory bottles, blow bubbles, pour sand, water, painting

• Olfactory

  • lavender

• Input from joints & muscles

• helps interpret weight, density, force, timing & speed

• sends info to the cerebellum

• tells us where our bodies are in space and in relation to each part

• works with vestibular, tactile, & visual systems

• Heavy work: any activity with pushing/pulling against body

  • sustained heavy work is better than short bursts of heavy work

  • Examples

    • swimming

    • vacuuming

    • carrying heavy objects

  • Can disguise heavy work into routines as door holders, pick up chairs at the end of the day, passing out chromebooks

• Deep Pressure: 

  • Examples

    • massage

    • log rolls

    • bean bag chairs

    • pressure under a ball

    • rubs hands together (prep for tactile sensitivity)

Effect of Proprioceptive Input

• can be calming & organizing but also alerting

• playground equipment

• gross motor games

• animal walks

• yoga & exercise

• heavy work activities (chores, hobbies, play)

Oral Input

• Calming

  • Chewy (fruit leather, dried fruit, licorice, bagels, gummy bears, gum)

  • Sweet (hard candies, fresh fruit, graham crackers)

  • Warm water or soup

• Alerting

  • Crunchy (carrots, pretzels, etc.)

  • Sour (lemons, pickles)

  • Salty

  • Cold water or popcycles

• Resistant oral activities:

  • Suck applesauce ( or smoothy or shake) thru a straw

  • Lollypops

  • Blow bubbles, whistles, straw games

• Equipment:

  • Vibrating toys (Z-vibe)

  • Massage (with textures like a washcloth)

Specific Sensory Techniques

• intervention methods that are controlled sensory input delivered in a structured way (e.g. certain schedule, sequence, protocol and/or time frame) 

• Typically focus on 1-2 sensory systems

• carried out by the OT, teacher, or aide - often in collaboration with or under the guidance of the OT & child's parent

  • Examples

    • Astronaut Program- therapeutic protocol that combines vestibular, auditory, and visual activities to improve sensory integration and organization.

    • Hug Machine- Deep pressure input to the body. Developed by Dr. Temple Grandin 

    • Therapeutic Listening-An intervention that pairs sound-based input with sensory integration activities, using specific sound patterns to influence the nervous system

    • Weighted Vests- Vests designed to deliver tactile and proprioceptive input through gentle, consistent pressure.

    • Wilbarger Protocol- A sensory technique involving brushing of the arms and legs with a surgical scrub brush in a prescribed direction and sequence, followed by joint compressions, typically administered every two hours.

Sensory Strategies

• weighted materials - deep pressure is often calming, grounding, & organizing

• fidget items

• scented oils, lotions

• music

• lights

• playing in various positions (flexible)

• *considering that items can be calming/alerting depending on the student & type of stimulus

• *track progress & response and modify as needed

Community Activities

• swimming

• dance/gymnastics/martial arts

• yoga

• team sports

• aerobic activities

Routines

• occupation-based interventions with strong sensory input (chores like vacuuming or carrying laundry basket)

• inside & outdoor play

• family routines

• maintaining routines/schedule

• highly structured routines & schedules --> helps with predictability

Co-regulation

• getting down on teh elevel of the child

• monitor own regulation & responses to the child

• mirroring the child's regulation & emotions

• modeling deep breaths, calm/slow voice

• utilizing therapeutic use of self

• using a child's voice or first person is helpful to give children words to their experience & then work from there to help them down - match them, then show how to regulate together