Sensory Activities for a Child with Autism

May 20, 2024

Unlock the power of sensory activities for a child with autism. Foster growth and engagement through tailored strategies.

Understanding Sensory Processing

Sensory processing refers to the way our brains receive and interpret information from our senses, including sight, smell, hearing, taste, touch, body awareness (proprioception), and movement (vestibular) senses. Some children, including those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), experience sensory processing difficulties, which can impact their daily lives and overall well-being.

Sensory Processing Difficulties

Sensory processing difficulties were first identified by occupational therapist A. Jean Ayres, Ph.D. in the 1970s. Ayres observed that certain individuals, including children and adults, struggle to process all the sensory information they receive. This can lead to challenges in effectively integrating and responding to sensory stimuli.

Children with sensory processing difficulties may have heightened sensitivity (hypersensitivity) or reduced sensitivity (hyposensitivity) to sensory input. For example, they may be easily overwhelmed by certain sounds, textures, or movements, or they may seek out intense sensory experiences to meet their sensory needs.

Impact on Children

Sensory processing difficulties can significantly impact children, affecting various aspects of their lives. Studies have shown that between 5% to 15% of school-aged children experience sensory processing issues. These difficulties can have a profound effect on their behavior, attention, learning, and social interactions.

In the classroom, children with sensory processing issues may struggle to focus, become easily overwhelmed, exhibit sensory-seeking or sensory-avoiding behaviors, and have difficulty regulating their emotions. These challenges can hinder their ability to fully participate in classroom activities and may lead to increased stress and frustration.

To create an inclusive learning environment, it is essential for educators to understand and accommodate the sensory needs of children. Classroom strategies, such as providing sensory support tools, creating personal learning spaces, and implementing sensory support boxes, can help children with sensory processing difficulties manage sensory overload.

In order to ensure that children with sensory processing difficulties receive appropriate support, educational institutions can develop customized education plans such as 504 plans and Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) in accordance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. These plans aim to create inclusive special education experiences for children with disabilities, including those with sensory issues.

Understanding sensory processing difficulties and their impact on children is the first step in implementing effective strategies and support systems. By creating inclusive environments and individualized education plans, educators can help children with sensory processing difficulties thrive and reach their full potential.

Classroom Strategies for Sensory Issues

To create an inclusive learning environment for children with sensory processing issues, educators can implement various classroom strategies. These strategies aim to support children with sensory difficulties and provide them with the necessary accommodations to thrive in an educational setting.

Creating Inclusive Environments

Creating an inclusive environment involves making adjustments to the classroom setup to accommodate the specific needs of children with sensory issues. Some strategies include:

Personal Learning Spaces: Providing designated personal spaces for children where they can feel secure and comfortable, such as using individual desks or creating a cozy corner with soft cushions and sensory supports.
Seating Support: Offering chairs with back support or alternative seating options like stability balls or sensory cushions to promote better posture and provide sensory feedback.
Sensory Support Tools: Incorporating sensory support tools like fidget toys, stress balls, or weighted blankets to help children regulate their sensory input and reduce distractions.
Sensory Support Boxes: Creating sensory support boxes filled with items that can assist children in managing sensory overload, such as noise-canceling headphones, stress balls, or textured objects.

Individualized Education Plans

To ensure that schools provide reasonable accommodations for children with sensory processing issues, individualized education plans (IEPs) are developed. These plans outline specific strategies and modifications tailored to the unique needs of each child. IEPs may include:

Accommodations: Providing accommodations such as preferential seating, access to sensory breaks, or modified assignments that address the child's sensory needs.
Sensory Breaks: Incorporating scheduled sensory breaks throughout the day, allowing children to engage in calming activities or movement-based exercises to help regulate their sensory input.
Visual Supports: Utilizing visual supports like visual schedules, visual timers, or social stories to enhance predictability and assist with transitions, reducing anxiety for children with sensory processing difficulties.
Specialized Instruction: Offering specialized instruction or therapy sessions, such as occupational therapy, to address specific sensory needs and develop skills for sensory integration.

By implementing these classroom strategies and personalized education plans, educators can create an inclusive and supportive learning environment for children with sensory issues. These strategies aim to promote their overall well-being, facilitate learning, and empower children to reach their full potential.

Sensory Activities for Children with Autism

Engaging in sensory activities can be highly beneficial for children with autism, as these activities can help them regulate their sensory system and promote calmness. The following sensory activities focus on emotional regulation, physical movement, and deep pressure, providing children with effective strategies to self-regulate and achieve a state of calmness.

Emotional Regulation Activities

Emotional regulation activities aim to help children with autism manage their emotions and promote self-calming. These activities can include:

Calming Sensory Bottles: Creating sensory bottles filled with glitter, water, and calming scents can provide a soothing visual and tactile experience for children. They can shake the bottles and observe the glitter gently falling, helping them focus and calm down.
Breathing Exercises: Teaching deep breathing exercises, such as belly breathing or straw breathing, can help children regulate their emotions and reduce anxiety. Encouraging them to take slow, deep breaths can promote relaxation and self-control.
Sensory Play with Playdough: Engaging in playdough activities allows children to knead, squeeze, and mold the dough, which can be therapeutic and calming. Adding different scents or textures to the playdough can further enhance the sensory experience.

Physical Movement Activities

Physical movement activities play a vital role in sensory integration for children with autism. These activities help stimulate the vestibular (balance) system and contribute to overall sensory regulation. Some examples include:

Jumping on a Trampoline: Jumping on a trampoline provides proprioceptive input and helps children with autism regulate their sensory system. It can be an excellent way to release energy and increase body awareness.
Swinging: Swinging back and forth on a swing can offer a soothing and regulating sensory experience. The rhythmic motion stimulates the vestibular system and promotes a sense of calmness.
Dancing or Yoga: Engaging in dance or yoga activities can help children with autism release tension, improve body awareness, and enhance coordination. These activities encourage physical movement while incorporating mindfulness and relaxation techniques.

Deep Pressure Activities

Deep pressure activities involve applying firm, evenly distributed pressure to the body, which can help relieve anxiety and regulate the sensory system. Some deep pressure activities for children with autism include:

Weighted Blankets or Vests: Using weighted blankets or vests provides a comforting deep pressure sensation, promoting relaxation and a sense of security. The added weight can help children feel grounded and calm.
Squeezing or Pushing Activities: Engaging in activities that involve squeezing stress balls, using resistance bands, or pushing against a wall can provide the deep pressure input that children with autism often seek. These activities can help relieve anxiety and promote self-regulation.
Climbing or Crawling: Creating safe spaces for climbing or crawling, such as using climbing frames or crawling tunnels, can provide children with the deep pressure input they need. These activities can be energizing and calming at the same time.

By incorporating emotional regulation activities, physical movement activities, and deep pressure activities into a child's routine, parents and educators can create a sensory-rich environment that supports self-regulation and promotes a sense of calmness. It's important to tailor these activities to meet the individual needs and preferences of each child, ensuring a positive and personalized sensory experience.

Oral Sensory Activities

Addressing Oral Sensory Needs

Children with autism may have specific oral sensory needs, such as biting, chewing, grinding teeth, or spitting. Engaging in appropriate oral sensory activities can help address these needs and provide sensory input that promotes regulation and comfort. Here are some activities that can be beneficial:

Chewy Tubes: Chewy tubes are specially designed oral motor devices that children can safely bite and chew on. These tubes provide the necessary oral sensory input and can help redirect biting or chewing behaviors towards more appropriate items [2].
Crunchy Foods: Offering crunchy foods like apples, carrots, or celery sticks can provide a satisfying sensory experience for children who seek oral input. The act of biting and chewing on these foods can help fulfill their oral sensory needs.
Vibrating Toothbrushes: Using a vibrating toothbrush can provide additional sensory input and stimulation for the mouth. The vibrations can help soothe and regulate the oral sensory system, reducing the need for other oral-seeking behaviors.
Blowing Bubbles: Blowing bubbles not only provides a fun sensory experience but also engages the oral muscles. This activity can help address oral sensory needs while promoting deep breathing and relaxation.

Addressing oral sensory needs through appropriate activities can help children with autism regulate their sensory systems and reduce the occurrence of challenging behaviors. It's important to tailor these activities to the individual preferences and sensitivities of each child, ensuring a positive and effective sensory experience. By providing the necessary oral sensory input, these activities can contribute to improved communication, flexibility, and understanding of others' behavior in children with autism.

In addition to addressing specific oral sensory needs, sensory activities for children with autism offer numerous benefits. Engaging in sensory play supports cognitive development, language acquisition, problem-solving skills, social interaction, emotional regulation, and both fine and gross motor skill development. These activities help build neural pathways, introduce children to different materials and objects, and foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of the senses. By incorporating sensory activities into their routine, children with autism can enhance their overall development and well-being.

Benefits of Sensory Play

Engaging in sensory play activities can have numerous benefits for children, especially those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These activities stimulate the senses and provide opportunities for children to explore and interact with their environment. Let's explore two key benefits of sensory play: cognitive development and enhancement of functional skills.

Cognitive Development

Sensory play activities can greatly contribute to a child's cognitive development. Through sensory experiences, children with ASD can improve their ability to process sensory information and develop a better understanding of the world around them. According to Hopebridge, sensory play can enhance creativity and problem-solving skills in children with ASD.

By engaging in sensory activities, children have the opportunity to explore different textures, sounds, sights, smells, and tastes. This multi-sensory stimulation can help them make connections, build cognitive associations, and develop knowledge about objects and materials in their surroundings. Through this process, children with ASD can improve their attention span, concentration, and memory.

Functional Skills Enhancement

Sensory play activities also play a crucial role in enhancing various functional skills in children with autism. These activities provide opportunities for children to work on fine motor skills, coordination, balance, and hand-eye coordination. According to Hopebridge, sensory play can contribute to the development of functional skills such as attention span and concentration.

Moreover, sensory play activities can help children with ASD regulate their responses to sensory information that might otherwise be distressing or overwhelming for them. By engaging in sensory play, they can learn to cope with reactions to touch, sound, scent, sight, movement, and taste. This can have a positive impact on their ability to navigate and participate in daily activities.

In addition, sensory play activities can promote the development of social and communication skills. By engaging in play with others, children with ASD can learn about relationship dynamics, problem-solving, and conflict resolution. These skills are essential for their overall development and future interactions.

By providing children with autism the opportunity to engage in sensory play, we can support their cognitive development and enhance their functional skills. Sensory play activities are not only enjoyable but also have significant benefits for children with ASD, aiding in their overall wellbeing and development.

Sensory Regulation Strategies

Sensory regulation strategies play a crucial role in helping children with autism manage their sensory processing difficulties and regulate their level of arousal or alertness to match their environment or situation. These strategies can assist in both increasing and decreasing arousal levels, depending on the individual's needs. Here, we will explore two important sensory regulation strategies: increasing and decreasing arousal, and tailoring strategies to meet individual needs.

Increasing and Decreasing Arousal

One of the key aspects of sensory regulation is the ability to increase or decrease arousal levels as needed. For some children with autism, increasing arousal can help them become more alert and engaged in their surroundings. Strategies that can be effective in increasing arousal include:

Movement: Engaging in physical activities such as jumping, swinging, or dancing can help stimulate the senses and increase arousal levels. It allows children to release excess energy and promote engagement.
Crunchy or Cold Foods: Providing crunchy or cold foods can offer sensory input that helps increase alertness. Snacks like carrots, apples, or frozen fruits can provide the desired sensory stimulation.

On the other hand, some children may benefit from strategies that help decrease arousal levels and promote a sense of calmness. These strategies include:

Slow Movement and Breathing Activities: Encouraging slow and deliberate movements, along with deep breathing exercises, can help promote relaxation and reduce feelings of anxiety or stress.
Yoga: Practicing yoga poses and gentle stretching can aid in calming the nervous system and promoting a sense of tranquility.
Creating a Small Den Space: Designating a small, cozy area where children can retreat to when they feel overwhelmed can provide a calming and safe environment. This space can be equipped with soft cushions, blankets, or soothing sensory items.

It's important to note that every individual is unique, and sensory regulation strategies should be tailored to meet their specific needs.

Tailoring Strategies

As mentioned earlier, there is no "one size fits all" approach when it comes to sensory regulation strategies. Each child with autism may have different sensory preferences and sensitivities. It's essential to tailor the strategies to suit their individual needs and create an environment that supports their sensory well-being. Some useful considerations for tailoring strategies include:

Sensory Profiles: Conducting sensory assessments or working with an occupational therapist can help identify a child's specific sensory preferences and sensitivities. This information can guide the selection of appropriate strategies.
Individualized Education Plans (IEPs): Collaborating with educators, therapists, and parents to incorporate sensory accommodations in a child's IEP can ensure that the strategies are integrated into their educational environment. This can include modifications to the classroom setup, use of sensory tools, or implementation of specific sensory activities.

By tailoring sensory regulation strategies, children with autism can experience improved comfort, reduced sensory overload, and enhanced engagement in daily activities. It is crucial to continuously reassess and adjust the strategies based on the child's evolving needs and preferences.

Understanding and implementing sensory regulation strategies can have a profound impact on the well-being and development of children with autism. By creating inclusive environments and individualized plans that incorporate these strategies, we can empower children with autism to thrive and reach their full potential.