mijo brands.
When he was at school he embarked on the ALERT (how does your engine run) programme and learned what he found energised him and what calmed him in times of over stimulation or distress. He was lucky to be somewhere with a full time Occupational Therapist who made it her business to explore this with each student. They were then each furnished with a bum back in which things such as therapy putty, stress balls, a small packet of raisins etc could be placed and used as needed and they were each given a code word which enabled them to leave a class and go outside to calm themselves as required. Such simple strategies which were absolutely lifesaving for him but also allowed for the smooth running of classrooms. People who fidget, bite their nails, twiddle with objects may be under aroused and those that avoid or run from situations may be over aroused. Some may find light touch physically painful (like severe sunburn), or deep touch unbearable. Some may find haircuts and teeth brushing extremely distressing.We all have different thresholds of tolerance and these can change over time.
Sensory needs do not go away as people grow older. Some may diminish in intensity, some may be reduced by exposure and some may always impact the day and the individual needs to be able to access what helps them when they become distressed. They may stim *, wear headphones. use a stress ball, listen to music, push against a wall, chew gum. There are hundreds of different strategies which may assist different individuals.
Sensory overload, is distressing and uncomfortable and anxiety provoking and is best avoided if at all [possible and it is for others to allow people to practice behaviours (within the parameters of acceptability) to enable that individual to remain calm and productive.
It is for parents to recognise the stressors, balloons popping at a party can be terrifying for some children, the many colourful displays that are in abundance in primary classrooms can be over stimulating and distracting, certain fabrics may feel like sandpaper against the skin, walking barefoot on some surfaces may be physically painful, looking someone in the eye may be extremely difficult, having different foodstuffs presented on one plate may induce nausea or the pungent smell of different food stuffs or different competing perfumes in the same small space simply overwhelming. A busy office may just be too much to bear whereas a quite corner in the same office may allow someone to be calm and productive.
There are things we can do to help. There are cushions for chairs,deep pressure lap blankets, twiddle pens, stress balls, movement, additional opportunity for breaks, study or work booths, swivel chairs, big ball seats (which improve proprioceptive** and vestibular input#.) The list is endless.
We need to let people explore different textures, positions and environments, so that they can learn their limits and be in control of how to balance them. In a classroom situation this to me is a basic kindness as well as necessary for learning. In an office or work place it is about allowing a person to be comfortable, productive and valued. Something that is important to each of us and something that is surely every persons right. So if you see a child wearing head phones, or coloured glasses, or an adult rocking or chewing or who refuses to enter the works canteen, they are not weird, they are simply individuals who have learned that some things are intolerable and have discovered a way to make them less so. The rest of us need to listen, to accept and to allow for those very reasonable adjustments which make the school or work day something that can be looked forward to rather than dreaded.
*Stimming is a repetitive body movement that self-stimulates one or more senses in a regulated manner. It is thought to give comforting/pleasurable feedback.
** Proprioception perception or awareness of the position and movement of the body.
# Vestibular The body's system of balance
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