By Amanda Franklin, Trauma Informed School Practitioner, Emotion Coach Practitioner Trainer, Registered Behaviour Technician (RBT)

Addressing sensory difficulties with effective behavioural strategies

Sensory processing difficulties were first identified by occupational therapist Dr. Ayres, In the 1970s. He introduced the idea that certain people’s brains can’t do what most people take for granted: process all the information coming in through the senses to provide a clear picture of what’s happening both internally and externally.

Sensory issues are personal and unique, they are also common in children affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and are included in the diagnostic criteria (DSM-5).  Sensory sensitivities may include:

• • sights
  • sounds
  • smells
  • tastes
  • touch
  • balance (vestibular)
  • awareness of body position and movement (proprioception)
  • awareness of internal body cues and sensations (interoception)

Autistic people can experience both hypersensitivity (over-responsiveness) and hyposensitivity (under-responsiveness) to a wide range of stimuli. Most have a combination of both.

Sensory issues can create many challenges in everyday situations like classrooms, playgrounds, shops, restaurants, and other community settings. Often sensory issues are linked to motor skill difficulties too, such as holding a pencil or climbing the stairs.

For a child that is over-sensitive, a trip to a supermarket can become an overwhelming experience resulting in sensory overload caused by the bright lights, loudness, and sudden movements of other people. Simple tasks like getting dressed can become a challenge for the child who thinks clothing feels too scratchy or itchy.

The child that is under-sensitive may have no recognition of personal space, could be unable to sit still and can spin without becoming dizzy!

Learn how sensory occupational therapy can help children with sensory difficulties in our blog post: 

• • What is sensory occupational health

Or, if you require personlised practical help and support, schedule an appointment with a sensory occupational therapist:

Stimming

Many autistic children use stimming as a form of sensory seeking to balance their sensory systems. Stimming behaviours can consist of tactile, visual, auditory, vocal, proprioceptive, olfactory and vestibular stimming.

Stimming or self-stimulating behaviour is the repetition of physical movements, sounds, words, moving objects, or other repetitive behaviours. This can include:

• • arm or hand-flapping
  • finger-flicking
  • rocking
  • jumping
  • spinning
  • twirling
  • pacing
  • head-banging and
  • complex body movements
  • repetitive or unusual noises

The use of repetitive movements can help individuals with autism stay calm and block out unwelcome sensory stimulation.

Sensory overload

At times however they may find self-regulation difficult, and this can result in sensory overload. Sensory overload due to difficulties processing sensory information in the environment or too much informational language can cause stress, anxiety and possibly physical pain.

This can result in a fight (screaming) or flight response (running) to escape the environment. Both responses are frightening and exhausting for the child and carer. A child with ASD may find it difficult to express their wants and needs and when experiencing an intense response to their current situation will temporarily lose control of their behaviour.

This loss of control or ‘meltdown’ could be expressed verbally or physically or in both ways:

Verbally:

• Shouting
• Screaming
• crying

Physically:

• kicking
• hitting
• biting

This behaviour should not be reprimanded as the child at the time has no other way to express their feelings of overwhelmedness. Other children with ASD may react to sensory overload by withdrawing from the situation and refusing to interact altogether this is known as a ‘shut down’. A child experiencing sensory overload that they are trying to express and calm down from can go into ‘shut down’ and may be completely silent and unable to communicate in any way. They could also be unable to move from where they are or they may withdraw to a quiet, dark space or lay down and be completely still.

A shut down could occur after a meltdown as a way to self-regulate. The child should be given space and time to recover from the sensory overload they have experienced.

Helping your child learn simple relaxation techniques may help reduce anxiety and stress levels. By engaging in specific breathing exercises, we can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps to induce relaxation and a state of calm.  Learn more about these exercises in our blog post: 

• • The benefits of breathing techniques

Modifications and strategies to help

There are various modifications, strategies and interventions that can be utilised to help support these sensory needs. Simple approaches such as using headphones and dimming lights can make environments much more comfortable.

ABA and Errorless Teaching principles can be used to introduce a child very slowly to an overwhelming environment in a controlled way which is similar to Sensory Integration Therapy. The child can learn coping skills for their anxiety and gradually increase their tolerance to overwhelming sensory experiences. Eventually the coping skills may become a regular response to the stimuli.

To further support either your own or your child’s sensory needs, book a session with one of our team:

A sensory diet is a list of sensory based activities that are planned throughout the day to help a child remain self-regulated and therefore calm and alert so that they can engage in other activities. This method can be used at home and school to support a child’s needs.  The following are interventions that could be used throughout the day to help a child obtain the sensory input they need and limit sensory overload:

• Movement breaks
• Fidget toys
• Headphones
• Weighted lap pads
• Balance ball chairs

Children that seek out rough play, jumping and crashing around may need proprioceptive system input. Activities that work against resistance may be helpful, for example:

• stomping
• marching
• jumping

Children that are constantly moving and find sitting still very difficult or appear to be lethargic or sluggish may need vestibular system input. Activities for these children can include:

• swinging
• rocking
• swaying
• bouncing

TACTILE – Tactile input for children that need to touch, and fidget could benefit from fidget toys and deep pressure stimulation from hands, massage, or weighted blankets.

AUDITORY – Autidory sensory experiences are sought by those children that are constantly humming, yelling, and making other noises. Toys that make noise, playing instruments or listening to music through headphones could all be useful auditory input.

VISUAL – Children that look at objects closely or seek out moving or spinning objects are seeking visual stimulation. Toys that light up or have moving parts caxn help here along with flashlight play.

OLFACTORY – Children that lick, smell, or chew objects (crayons, toys, pencils, shirt collars or cuffs) are seeking olfactory or oral sensory system stimulation. (Chewing may also provide proprioceptive input). Exploring smell through play can be a useful activity via chewy toys, chewy or crunchy snacks, scented pens, and essential oils.

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY – Occupational therapy can assist with exercises that help support fine motor skills such as handwriting or using scissors, or gross motor skills such as climbing or throwing and catching a ball.

• Discover how sensory occupational therapy can support neurodiverse conditions in our blog post:

• • What is sensory occupational therapy?

• Additionaly, if you require one to one support, schedule an appointment with our sensory occupational therapist:

SPEECH THERAPISTS – Speech therapists can help with sensitivity reducing and sensory stimulating activities to improve speech, swallowing and related muscle movements.

FEEDING THERAPY – Feeding therapy is used to introduce children to tastes and textures of food to limit aversions. This can also assist those with under and over sensitivity that affects chewing and swallowing.

• If you require assistance regarding eating disorders or fussy eating, book an appointment with one of our registered nutritionists:

While some children with sensory processing difficulties need more sensory input there are others that are hypersensitive to certain types of sensory input and may require less input. As with any intervention, tiny steps should be taken when introducing children to potentially overwhelming sensory experiences ensuring the wellbeing of the child is central to the intervention.

Examine the potential benefits of play-based trauma therapy sessions in addressing sensory challenges, and take a closer look at the essence of trauma therapy and the individuals who could benefit from it:  

• • What is Trauma Therapy?

Disclaimer:  The views and opinions expressed in this blog post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any professional organization or guidelines. The information provided is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your therapist or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition.