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Occupational Therapy in the Home Sensory Activities

Staying calm and regulated

  • Create a calm and alert poster

Identify calming and alerting activities. We all have internal levels of arousal (otherwise known as levels of alertness). You can think of these as a scale of 0-10, with 0 being very sleepy or even asleep (perhaps how you feel last thing at night or first thing in the morning) and 10 would be really hyperactive, having lots of energy and being unable to sit down and concentrate. We all vary along this scale throughout the day but the ‘just right’ ideal level of arousal is 5, when we are alert and able to attend and concentrate to the things around us.

Creating an individual poster for a child or young person can help them and you to gain greater awareness of levels of alertness and what they ‘look like’ when they are feeling calm, alert and over-alert. There is a basic template with some activity ideas at the end of this advice sheet but there are lots of creative ideas online. Some people have used specific characters or animals to illustrate their poster to make it more personal.

Sensorimotor activities
Encourage your child to engage in a variety of sensorimotor activities throughout the day, these types of activities involve the following three sensory systems in particular:

  • ? Proprioception, tactile and vestibular.

You may start to identify which types of activities are stimulating for your child and which activities help them to become calm and regulated.

Proprioception: this is known as the ‘modulator’ of our nervous system and can help to calm and regulate the nervous system Carrying out any heavy work or activity that activates the muscles and joints, provides proprioceptive input including:

  • Jumping
  • Animal walks
  • Weight lifting
  • Yoga
  • Running, shuttle runs are a good idea in small spaces this can be done in the living room, hallway, garden or on the drive.
  • Crawling (through objects in an obstacle course for example)
  • Push-ups or planks
  • Pulling activities
  • Gardening
  • Baking
  • Bouncing on or playing catch with a large therapy/ exercise ball
  • Hoovering (if noise is tolerated)
  • Sweeping, washing the car/ windows etc.

Oral Motor Activities
This relates to activities which develop muscle tone around the mouth. These activities can also be calming for the child who has difficulty regulating their behavioural responses. Some children may chew items and objects when they are seeking proprioceptive input. These activities can also be useful prior to eating a meal if a child has difficulty tolerating textures for example.

  • Blowing Activities

1. Using whistles of varying shapes to make sounds
2. Blowing through party blowers that unwind as the child blows them up
3. Playing on hands and knees, or kneeling by a table top, blow balloons back and forth with a partner
4. Blowing cotton reels across the floor to a finishing point
5. Blowing shell boats across a table top ‘pond’
6. Blowing ping pong balls around an obstacle course or tray
7. With a straw blowing blobs of paint across paper to form patterns
8. With a straw blowing into water with a small quantity of washing up liquid in, to froth the water into bubbles. N.B. Watch that blowing does not become sucking by mistake
9. Use a straw and a rolled up piece of paper to play ‘blow football’ across the table
10. Any small games which involve blowing that can be purchased commercially

  • Sucking Activities

1. Using straws to drink with. Thinner straws are harder as are thicker drinks like milkshakes
2. Using a straw transfer large dried peas or chocolate buttons from one plate to another in a given time. Decrease the time. Use heavier items.
3. Using a straw, lift paper fish from a ‘pool’ into a ‘net’. Start with thin paper.
Upgrade by: Increasing the number of fish in a given time
Make the fishes from thicker paper
Use two different colours and ask for only one colour to be caught
Mix the ‘weight’ of fish to be caught

  • Other Games

1. Rhymes and stories which involve mouth movements to pucker the lips or blow as in blowing a candle out, etc.
2. Chewing and sucking on food and sweets. Crunchy foods e.g. carrots and apples provide the child with proprioceptive input which is calming and helps them develop awareness of movement and body position.
3. Making faces in the mirror – copying or playing ‘Simon says

Tactile play
Incorporate some tactile activities into your daily routine. You can also use some of them to encourage writing (shapes and letter formation) or spelling practice. If the child finds any of these experiences uncomfortable, stop and try something else:

  • Guidelines for providing tactile experiences

1. A quiet and enclosed area is most beneficial
2. Where possible the child should play with arms and legs bare to increase the tactile experience, but only if tolerated
4. Children often find touch much more acceptable when applied to their arms and legs rather than their faces or other body areas.
5. Deep touch pressure applied by the parent is more beneficial than light pressure.

  • Sand play - dry sand then add water to wet the sand. Draw pictures / write words in the sand
  • Water play (in a bowl or padding pool - use different sized containers to pour / measure / play). Add bubbles!
  • Paint on a plate or a smooth, flat surface - use your finger to make shapes / letters or pictures. Press paper onto the wet paint to make a picture
  • Use shaving foam, yoghurt or 'squirty' cream on a smooth surface to form shapes and letters (ensure child does not lick hands or put in their mouth if using shaving foam)
  • Use large paintbrushes and plain water to paint on outside walls or patios
  • Use chalk to draw on paths, drives, patios or walls
  • Use cooked pasta / spaghetti to hide objects in - encourage the child to feel for them without looking and guess what they have found.
  • Use dried beans, rice or lentils in a bowl or box to hide objects in
  • Mix cornflour and water and place small plastic toys into it for your child to play with
  • Use cooked spaghetti to make letters and spell out words
  • Use clay, plasticine or play dough to make models. You can even make your own playdough with flour, salt, vegetable oil and food colouring (N.B.food colouring may stain) https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/playdough-recipe
  • Use your finger to 'draw' letters on your child's back or arm and see if they can guess what letter you are drawing
  • Pop or walk on jiffy bag liners or bubble wrap.
  • Draw on textured surfaces, e.g. tree bark, coin rubbing, corrugated card.
  • Pretend to 'make pizza' on your child's back by getting them to lie on the floor, then pretending to knead and roll out the dough by pressing and rubbing their back, then adding different toppings (spread on tomato sauce, sprinkle on cheese etc.). Ask the child what toppings to add and pretend to put them on to. Use different pressure and touch for each topping. If the child is uncomfortable with any of them, do not continue but try something else. For children who are sensitive to touch, firm touch tends to be more comfortable than light touch.
  • Apply a variety of materials e.g. talcum powder, shaving foam, baby lotion etc. to the child's arms and legs. Get them to rub it off of their skin using different textures e.g. shower buff, furry material, plastic spatula, nail brush, cotton wool, towel.

Vestibular system
Vestibular activities include any activity that moves the head in different planes e.g. head positioned forward, downwards, tipped back, turning from side to side, head tilted forward etc. Vestibular input improves the muscles ability to work and improves balance/ coordination. Vestibular activities can be stimulating for the under-responsive child and particularly when combined with proprioceptive activities can be calming for the over-responsive or sensory seeking child. Some vestibular activities include:

  • Wheelbarrow walking
  • Working over an exercise ball in prone (on tummy) and rocking back and forth slowly (your child could complete a puzzle or jigsaw in this position)
  • Gentle rocking in a rocking chair
  • Riding on a rocking horse
  • Forward/backward rolls
  • Bouncing on a space hopper etc.
  • Playing games/songs that have a vestibular element e.g. row, row, row your boat, I’m a dingle dangle scarecrow (lying down and jumping up), head, shoulders, knees and toes etc.
  • Hanging upside down on a climbing frame in the garden
  • Running in and out of cones or in a figure of 8 shape, change direction – make into an obstacle course
  • Balance activities – balance beams, stand on half inflated beach ball, balance items on head whilst walking
  • ‘Simon says’ games with actions that change position e.g., touching the floor, leaning back to see what is behind etc.
  • Log rolling – lie on the floor and roll across the room – repeat in opposite direction
  • Encouraging marching, stomping and walking on uneven surfaces to improve balance and coordination (this can be included in an obstacle course).
  • You should always follow vestibular work with proprioceptive activities (see section above) to minimise any adverse reactions. Stop the activity if your child looks pale, complains of a headache or is nauseous. The activities above also involve the proprioceptive system so should not cause any adverse reactions.


Other sensorimotor activity ideas

  • Create a ‘sensory path’ in the garden or house using chalk or tape to map out your course, this could include sections of the sensory path to hop, skip, jump up/down, spin, hopscotch, do animal walks. There are lots of ideas online and parents have been sharing their creations (Sensory Stuck at Home on Facebook has some ideas).
  • Build an obstacle course in the garden or house, include everyday objects and furniture to climb over, under, around and through, low balance beams, trampoline, bouncing and hopping, objects to squeeze through. You don’t need to have specialist equipment, just use what items you have in your home or garden, you could even use items with different textures to add a tactile element.
  • Gardening: this provides lots of proprioceptive input digging into the soil, weight bearing on hands and knees. The smell and feel of the soil (gardening gloves should be worn or wash your hands really well when finished), fresh air and sunshine, listening to the birds and sounds around you can help us to feel grounded and connected.

Online movement activities

    • PE with Joe Wicks YouTube
    • The Learning Station YouTube
    • Andy’s Wild Workouts CBeebies
    • Cosmic Kids Yoga YouTube
    • Go Noodle https://www.gonoodle.com/

Quiet time

Encourage your child to have some quiet and relaxation time throughout the day. A change of routine can increase anxieties and worries as well as the current situation. Try to limit the amount of time your child access the news throughout the day and try to avoid them listening to the news last thing at night as this can raise levels of anxiety.

Ideas for quiet activities

  • Make a den with sheets in the corner of a room or bedroom and use large cushions, beanbags or pillows to create an area that the child or young person can squeeze into and use this as a quiet safe space
  • Listen to calming or relaxation music
  • Lie in the garden on a blanket if the weather is good and listen to all the sounds around you
  • Mindfulness colouring
  • https://www.twinkl.com/resource/t-c-1551-mindfulness-colouring-sheets-bumper-pack
  • Play board games as a family
  • Use playdough, Fimo, plasticine or moulding clay
  • Do some baking or make some bread
  • Complete the daily Lego challenge

Wellbeing and Autism Wheel
Wellbeing and Autism Wheel | Care and Support in Cornwall

There may be other difficulties that your child may be are experiencing at the moment such as poor sleep, eating and other sensory issues. Please refer to the Wellbeing and Autism Wheel cornwall.gov.uk.
In the ‘ways to help my child’ section there are useful resources on:

  • Sleep
  • Eating
  • Sensory, which explains all the different sensory systems and possible explanations, activities and ideas
  • Daily Living Skills such as bathing, dressing, tooth brushing and toileting

Helpful websites with ideas to keep children and young people entertained

  • The Inspired Treehouse- lots of fine and gross motor activities, sensory activities and other activity ideas and resources The Inspired Treehouse
  • The Imagination Tree- lots of sensory activity ideas, recipes for homemade playdough (even gluten free) and other creative ideas. https://theimaginationtree.com/

Calm and Alert activity ideas and basic template

To decrease arousal level/ levels of alertness

To help the child remain organised and calm

To increase sensory awareness and raise child’s levels of alertness

Examples:

  • Provide safe “womblike” space using blankets, pillows, beanbag chair or large cardboard box; can be under a table, or in a corner of a room away from the main activity, it should be used as a soothing place chosen by the child or directed by an adult as needed; allow child to access this place and encourage then to take time there to “slow down”.
  • Chewy or crunchy food can be organising for some children
  • Climb on garden climbing frame safely
  • Slow movements such as rocking in a rocking chair; rolling over a gym ball
  • Body squashing (see description in next section)
  • Deep pressure is calming; massage, firm hug etc.
  • Reduce lighting and noise in the room (ear plugs or small headphones, tapes of soft music, dim lights, sunglasses as needed).
  • Soft, rhythmical music
  • Deep pressure/ proprioceptive input- hugs; firm rubbing of back or hands/ feet; roll ball over child (body squashing); push against objects such as balls, walls etc.; wheelbarrow walking; dough, clay or Theraputty activities.
  • Blow bubbles or oral motor activities (blowing/ sucking etc.)

Examples:

  • Access to a chill out space when needed
  • Press ups (floor, wall or chair push ups), participate in pushing and pulling activities such as the proprioceptive activities
  • Rolling over therapy/ gym ball:

1. Child lies on chest and stomach over the ball with hands outstretched on the floor. Adult helper stands behind and holds onto child’s knees or ankles as needed.
2. Rock child back and forth so child’s palms touch the floor (keeping elbows straight) and then back again so feet are on the floor.
3. Encourage child to walk forwards and backwards keeping body and arms straight.
4. Complete puzzles; reach for objects, pop bubbles etc. while lying over the ball.

  • Ball squashing- to provide deep pressure for a calming and organising effect.

1. Child to lie on his front on a soft mat
2. Gently roll the therapy/ gym ball gently but firmly, starting at the child’s feet and finishing at the shoulders.
3. This should provide the feeling of a deep massage. However, if the child expresses any discomfort, stop immediately.

  • Lycra material for deep pressure- to provide deep pressure to increase sensory feedback and enable the child to regulate their sensory system, to provide a calm and organised affect to the body.

1. Let the child tightly wrap the Lycra material around themselves
2. Wrap the Lycra around the child’s shoulders and back. Ask the child to push back against the Lycra
3. Wrap the Lycra around the child and ask him to push against it with his hands
4. Sit opposite the child and wrap the Lycra around your back and the child’s back. Both gently push back against the Lycra, this can be incorporated into a turn taking game, rolling a weighted ball back and forth etc.
5. For Older children, having a piece of Lycra in their school bag can be a calming strategy for use throughout the day. They can use this discreetly in the changing rooms or designated quiet area.

  • Tactile Box: This can be filled with ‘fidget toys’ to help keep hands busy and to provide a child with a lot of sensory feedback, which can help some children feel calm.

1. Theraputty
2. Stress balls
3. Weighted balls
4. Vibrating toys (as long as these aren’t too distracting for other class members)
5. Small puzzles
6. Textured fabrics

Examples:

  • Provide tart, sour or spicy food.
  • Loud, fast and irregular rhythm to alert
  • Increase lighting
  • Morning PE activities- jog on the spot. Get the child to jog on the spot for 10 seconds, then increase this to a sprint, then increase the time. They could also jog around some cones.
  • Jumping Jack- jump from a crouched position with arms and legs out to the sides, then return to crouched position
  • Bouncing on therapy/ gym ball

With child in sitting position on the ball, support then on the hips if required.
1. Get the child to bounce up and down on the ball, incorporating some heavy pushing and pulling into the activity to avoid the child becoming over alert if they bounce too much.
2. Get the child to throw a ball into a target or throw/ catch a balloon.
3. Get child to reach for objects up, down and to the side whilst maintaining balance.
4. Gently rock child side to side on the ball, pushing off each foot as it leaves the ground.

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