Sensory Diet
A sensory diet is a personalized program of sensory activities that is designed to meet the specific needs of an individual. A sensory diet is often used to help individuals with sensory processing difficulties, including those with autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and sensory processing disorder (SPD).
The goal of a sensory diet is to provide a structured and predictable sequence of sensory experiences throughout the day, in order to support the individual’s ability to regulate their sensory systems and respond appropriately to their environment. A sensory diet typically includes a combination of activities that engage the various senses, such as touch, vision, hearing, smell, and proprioception (the sense of the body’s position in space).
Examples of activities included in a sensory diet can include:
- Heavy work activities, such as carrying heavy objects, pushing or pulling, and jumping.
- Proprioceptive input activities, such as crawling, bear walks, and activities that apply pressure to the joints.
- Vestibular input activities, such as swinging, spinning, and jumping.
- Fine motor activities, such as using tweezers or tongs to pick up small objects.
- Calm and relaxing activities, such as deep pressure massage or meditation.
A sensory diet is customized to meet the individual’s specific needs and can be adjusted over time as the individual’s needs change. An occupational therapist specializing in sensory integration can help design a sensory diet that is appropriate for an individual’s needs.
Sample ‘sensory diet’ Activities:
PLEASE: Always Consult a Pediatric Occupational Therapist to Customize your child’s specific Sensory Diet.
Vestibular Sensory Diet:
The vestibular system is a sensory system located in the inner ear that provides information about movement and helps maintain balance and stability. A vestibular sensory diet is a personalized program of sensory activities that is designed to provide the individual with vestibular input, in order to support the regulation of their vestibular system.
Examples of vestibular input activities that may be included in a vestibular sensory diet include:
- Swinging: Swinging in a variety of directions, such as forward and backward, side to side, and circular, can provide vestibular input.
- Spinning: Activities such as spinning on a spinning board or in a circle can provide intense vestibular input.
- Bouncing: Bouncing on a therapy ball, trampoline, or other equipment can provide vestibular input.
- Rolling: Rolling down a mat, rolling over a therapy ball, or rolling along a balance beam can provide vestibular input.
- Rocking: Rocking back and forth in a rocking chair or on a therapy ball can provide vestibular input.
These activities can help individuals with vestibular difficulties improve their vestibular processing and enhance their ability to regulate their vestibular system. However, it’s important to remember that every individual is unique and may need different vestibular experiences to help with their specific needs. An occupational therapist specializing in sensory integration can help design a vestibular sensory diet that is appropriate for an individual’s needs.
Visual Sensory Diet:
The visual system is a sensory system that processes information from the eyes and helps us see and understand our surroundings. A visual sensory diet is a personalized program of sensory activities that is designed to provide the individual with visual input, in order to support the regulation of their visual system.
Examples of visual input activities that may be included in a visual sensory diet include:
- Eye tracking: Following a moving object with the eyes, such as a pendulum or a toy on a string, can help improve eye tracking abilities.
- Visual scanning: Scanning a visual scene, such as a book or a picture, can help improve visual attention and scanning abilities.
- Visual closure: Completing a picture or finding an object in a cluttered scene can help improve visual closure abilities.
- Visual memory: Remembering and recalling information from a visual scene can help improve visual memory abilities.
- Visual figure-ground: Distinguishing a figure from the background, such as finding an object in a busy scene, can help improve figure-ground discrimination abilities.
These activities can help individuals with visual processing difficulties improve their visual processing and enhance their ability to regulate their visual system. However, it’s important to remember that every individual is unique and may need different visual experiences to help with their specific needs. An occupational therapist specializing in sensory integration can help design a visual sensory diet that is appropriate for an individual’s needs.
Tactile Sensory Diet:
The tactile system is a sensory system that processes information from the skin and helps us feel touch and pressure. A tactile sensory diet is a personalized program of sensory activities that is designed to provide the individual with tactile input, in order to support the regulation of their tactile system.
Examples of tactile input activities that may be included in a tactile sensory diet include:
- Heavy work activities: Engaging in heavy work activities, such as carrying heavy objects, pushing or pulling, and jumping, can provide deep pressure input to the skin.
- Textured activities: Touching or manipulating different textures, such as sandpaper, feathers, or different types of fabrics, can provide varied tactile input to the skin.
- Vibrating activities: Using vibrating toys or tools, such as a vibrating cushion or a vibrating ball, can provide vibratory input to the skin.
- Squeezing activities: Squeezing a therapy ball or other type of resistance equipment can provide input to the skin and muscles.
- Brushing activities: Brushing the skin with a soft brush, such as a therapeutic brush, can provide light touch input to the skin.
These activities can help individuals with tactile processing difficulties improve their tactile processing and enhance their ability to regulate their tactile system. However, it’s important to remember that every individual is unique and may need different tactile experiences to help with their specific needs. An occupational therapist specializing in sensory integration can help design a tactile sensory diet that is appropriate for an individual’s needs.
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