Sensory Strategies for Adults and Children

This blog post was written by Dr. Frank Del Rio, Psy.D., LPC, CART

Sensory hypersensitivity is common in children and adults with IDD (especially autism),  ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), and OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). Hypersensitivity occurs when any sensory stimuli interfere with environmental stability. Simply put, stimuli (sounds, sights, smells, texture, body awareness, movement, and balance) can cause sensory overload which can result in anxiety, fear, feeling overwhelmed, restlessness, irritability, or anger and may also trigger a fight, flight, or freeze response. The following are suggested strategies that may help both children and adults cope in situations where they experience sensory overload. Just as every person is unique, so are the strategies that work best for you. The strategies under “Anxiety/Feeling Overwhelmed” may also help across a range of sensory triggers. It is important to practice these strategies, plan them out and evaluate them in a calm, safe space. You can check and adapt each strategy to suit your needs.

Anxiety/Feeling Overwhelmed 

Strategy 

• Check-in - Let someone you trust know that you are feeling overwhelmed

• Breathing - Breathe in through your nose for (3) counts and out through your mouth for three counts. Young children can hold up five fingers and try to blow them out (like candles on a birthday cake)

• Counting/Tracing - Count silently to thirty. Trace up and down each finger on one hand six times

• Positive Self Talk  - Try positive self-talk statements such as – “I am safe, I can cope, this will be over/different soon”

• Change  - If you can, safely move away from the stimuli to a calm, quiet or safe place, with less sensory input. (i.e from a room to a hallway)

• Movement - Intense bursts of movement or exercise can increase both adrenalin and serotonin. If the environment allows, try jumping jacks, waving arms around or jogging on the spot. If you are self-conscious about this, looking at your watch can help normalise how this may look to others and help you blend in

• Hydrate - Hunger and dehydration affect feelings of wellbeing. Taking a drink of water while eating/snacking can be a highly effective strategy to cope with anxiety

• Safe Space - If you are at school, work, or other social place (i.e. day habilitation program), go to a safe space such as a breakout room, meeting room, first aid room, or library. Try and plan this in advance and notify a trusted teacher, staff member or lecturer. If you are going to a store or other community establishment,, try to predetermine a safe space you might be able to go to if you start feeling anxious (i.e. a corner of the store, a vacant hallway, near a bathroom, etc)

Visual Overstimulation

Strategy

• Check-in - Let someone you trust know that you are feeling overwhelmed

• Slow blinking - Blink slowly or close your eyes (for 3 seconds) every 5-20 seconds. This will provide short, sensory breaks if you are in a meeting, performance, or event and is rarely noticeable to others

• Up close singular focus  - Casually touch your hand to your forehead. This should partially obscure your vision. Focus on the color of your sleeve for 30 seconds, or longer if the situation allows. This provides a change of focus and simplification of focus

• Visualization - If you can, practice focusing on a section of the environment. Mentally put a picture frame around the scene and attempt to blank out the rest. This does take practice and guided meditation can help

• Redirection - Redirect your attention to a task, comfort item, or fidget by focusing on it. Do not hesitate to be creative and improvise. Rings, watch faces, buttons, pens, key rings, keys can all be effective. Redirection for 30-60 seconds is enough to provide a sensory break

Auditory Overstimulation

Strategy

• Check-in - Let someone you trust know that you are feeling overwhelmed

• Noise-canceling Headphones - Earbuds can help and are often a simple solution that works but may be uncomfortable. Sometimes earmuffs can be helpful. You can also try some over-the-ear headphones. These work great and are relatively inexpensive

• Ear Plugs - Try various products and see which ones help. Some earplugs made of silicone putty and foam earplugs, originally designed for swimming, may work really well

• Redirection - Redirect your attention to a task, comfort item, or fidget by focusing on it. This redirection of focus has proven to help block peripheral sound or reduce the impact of environmental noise

Olfactory (Smell) Overstimulation

Strategy

• Check-in - Let someone you trust know that you are feeling overwhelmed.

• Hold Your Breath - Practice holding your breath comfortably for 30 seconds. This can be enough to allow you to walk past a restaurant, department store perfume section, or pool which are known sensory trigger sources.

• Block Your Nose - A mask or scarf can function as a filter and reduce the impact of strong olfactory stimuli. You can use current hygiene etiquette and cover your nose with your inner elbow (which looks as though you are attempting to stop a sneeze).

• Mouth Breathing - Minimise sensory triggers by slowly breathing in and out using your mouth only. Combining this with using a mask or scarf as a filter can help

• Limit Exposure - Avoiding triggers is almost impossible. Have the expectation that you will encounter triggers, but that you can limit your exposure to them. Know that it is possible to cope and that the exposure should be over quickly. This will help to minimize a panic response

• Tolerable Palate Cleanser -  Try different sensory palette cleansers. Items such as coffee beans, lemon rind, vinegar, peppermint, and even your own skin can help to quickly override other strong scents. Consider taking an amount with you if you are going on public transport, to a busy market, shopping center or hospital.

Autism and Sensory Processing Disorder During the Holidays

This blog post was written by Dr. Frank Del Rio, Psy.D., LPC, CART

Everyone knows that the holidays can be rather chaotic in and of themselves. The coming and going of relatives, the seemingly eternal bustle of shopping and preparing for Christmas, and the perception that there is never enough time in a day to get everything done. For many people, despite the holidays being a time of good cheer and merriment, they are more often filled with stress and tight schedules to make sure that everything gets done in an orderly fashion – if it gets done in any fashion at all.

For those who have even weightier troubles, such as Autism or Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), Christmas time and the holidays in general can be an absolute nightmare. Daily schedules are all but abandoned as people attempt to coordinate plans for getting together, people are in and out with what appears to be no rhyme or reason, and a lot of what makes Christmas so stressful for people is navigating among everyone else in the outside world who are also trying to get their holidays absolutely perfect. For those with Autism and SPD, this can be especially hectic. So for those who are trying to coordinate a happy holiday as well as accommodate the needs of someone with Autism or SPD (and they are important to accommodate), here are a few holiday tips to consider. These tips are written towards children but are effective for adults with Autism or SPD as well.

1) First and foremost, don’t be afraid to acclimate Christmas to your child’s needs. If your child has specific eating habits or may very likely reject Christmas dinner somewhere else, you should feel encouraged to have a meal specifically catered to him or her. 

2) It is also a good idea to arrange the personal atmosphere that best suits your child’s needs. Noise canceling headphones are a good idea, or if your child uses an iPad or other electronic device to serve as distraction, it would be in your best interest to have it on hand if you are going out to visit family or friends.  Make sure to bring a weighted blanket and sensory tools as well. 

3) Should you feel the need to keep Christmas small for your child, do not hesitate. It is okay to limit visitors with time limits so as not to overwhelm your child, or even just to have Christmas with your immediate family to keep things simple. 

4) And while on the topic of simple, be mindful of things that impact the senses; try to keep aromas, noises or music, and lights as minimal as possible.

5) Try to avoid bringing your child to shop whenever possible; crowds of people in stores and malls can be disconcerting. If you are faced with the need to bring your child into public situations where he or she may feel less at ease, it is important to make them aware of these situations in advance. Reading social stories can be a good way to prepare your child for upcoming events so they will not feel as put upon as they might without warning. 

6) Visiting Santa can also be prearranged; some places accommodate children with sensory processing disorders, so scheduling visits in advance could work to everyone’s benefit.

7) Be aware of warning signs should your child start to feel uncomfortable as well, and don’t be ashamed of withdrawing from a situation for the benefit of your child. 

8) It may also be beneficial to stretch Christmas over a period of days. Normally, Christmas involves a lot of traveling, a lot of people, a lot of presents, and a lot to take in. Allowing a child to open a few presents a day as opposed to everything at one time could make the holidays pass more easily. So don’t be afraid to stretch the celebration from one or two intense days to several days of calmer festivities.

9) Finally, it is important to praise your child for good behavior and for coping with what might be stressful situations. 

10) Allow for periods of time where they can be expressive: running, jumping, twirling, whatever they may do and make sure to keep separate space for them to calm down should the need arise. 

Try as we might, there are almost always pockets of time when Christmas becomes overwhelming for all of us. Accommodating this need beforehand for your child could save them some unwanted reactions. But, most of all, make sure that Christmas suits your family entirely. It doesn’t need to be like everyone’s Christmas as long as you are enjoying yourselves and the time you have together. Have a fun, safe and Happy Holiday season!