Sensory Processing Disorder Parent Support

How To Help a Child with Sensory Processing Differences

Children with sensory differences ... painting the world beautiful.

How To Help a Child with Sensory Processing Differences

Jeanette Loftus

Sensory processing disorder can affect a child's life and make a lot of different activities challenging for them. It can be heartbreaking to see your child struggle with sensory issues but there are ways to help your child and support them.

Helping your child with sensory differences means that you are going to have to educate yourself as much as you can about the sensory processing disorder. You need to understand what sensory processing is, how it affects your child and what are your child's sensory triggers.

This knowledge will help you be more patient and understanding towards your child's struggles. It will also enable you to advocate for your child and help others understand their sensory needs too.

Every child who has sensory differences struggles with different sensory triggers that cause them to have sensory overload. These sensory triggers could be loud anything like noises or bright lights. It is important to learn your child's sensory triggers and try to minimize them as much as possible. If your child is sensitive to loud noises than you will want to get them some noise-canceling headphones to use to avoid loud noises.

Creating a sensory-friendly environment at home can significantly help your child with sensory differences. This involves making small changes to your child's surroundings, such as reducing clutter, using dimmer lights, and avoiding strong smells. You can also create a designated sensory space for your child, where they can go to calm down and feel comfortable. This space can include items like a weighted blanket, fidget toys and a sensory swing.

There are a lot of different tools and techniques available that can help your child with sensory differences regulate their sensory input. These tools can help your child feel more grounded and focused in overwhelming situations.

Sensory play is an excellent way to help children with sensory differences explore and regulate their senses in a safe and fun environment. It involves activities that stimulate the senses, such as playing with sand, water, or kinetic sand. You can also create sensory bins with different textures and objects for your child to explore. Sensory play not only helps with sensory processing but also promotes creativity and imagination.

It is important to be patient and understanding when helping a child with sensory differences. Your child may have difficulty communicating their needs and may have meltdowns or exhibit challenging behaviors. It is to remain very important calm and patient, as getting upset or frustrated will only escalate the situation.

Try to understand your child's perspective and validate their feelings. This will help them feel heard and supported.
If your child's sensory differences are significantly impacting their life then it may be beneficial to see an occupational therapist trained in sensory integration who can work with your child to develop strategies to manage their sensory issues.

Children with sensory differences need our understanding, patience, and support. By educating ourselves, identifying triggers, creating a sensory-friendly environment, and using sensory tools and techniques, we can help our children cope with their sensory differences better.