The new year can be an exciting time, however for students with sensory integration or processing difficulties it can also be anxiety provoking as it brings its own challenges. Changes to routine, transitions or family timetables can result in some anxious behaviour, struggling to self regulate and appearing more dysregulated.
When recognising these behaviours one of the best ways to support your child or teen at home would be to provide lots of sensory based strategies. These can help to support their self regulation at home, making them feel calmer and more in control of their emotions.
‘Heavy work’ activities that provide lots of proprioceptive feedback can be calming, regulating and help to reduce their anxieties. The sense of proprioception: this is known as the ‘modulator’ of our nervous system and can help to calm and regulate the nervous system.
Activities that engage joints and muscles can provide the proprioceptive input that children and teens are seeking.
Here are some ideas for you to try at home:
- Jumping
- Animal walks
- Yoga
- Running
- Crawling
- 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.
Samantha Wade
Occupational Therapist, Deputy Head of Therapies.
