 Have you ever seen a meerkat on look out? The sentry meerkat stands on its hind legs, often using its tail as support, or perch in a bush or tree, scanning for danger. Alert. Ready to react. They freeze in position, call out and retreat quickly. They can't do anything else when they have this role. It doesn't take much for the alarm bells to start ringing. While our sensory sensitive children are not exactly like sentinal meerkats, I'm reminded that they may react more quickly and more intensely than others to sensory information. Their internal "alarm bells" are ready to sound at any moment. They have a low neurological threshold, so it doesn't take much external stimuli to affect this person. We can use the image of a bucket to consider that this child's bucket is small and is filled quickly. There is a level of tolerance, however this is very narrow. The child may react passively and need help to cope with stimuli. They need help to perservere with activities and cope with demands placed on them.  Sensory CharacteristicshThese are some examples that may be seen in children who have sensory sensitivities. Not all children will have all characteristics. They may different levels of coping for different sensations. Parents, teachers, friends and family may have already made adjustments to help this child. Visual System: This child may be sensitive to visual stimuli such as indoor or outdoor (sun) light. They may stare intensely at objects of people. They may watch everyone when they move around the room. They may be aware of changing visual information. In the classroom; this may mean that the child is aware of all the visual information on the walls, hanging across the room, on the teacher's desk, on their own desks. They may be visually aware of other students; where they are sitting, who they haven't sat with before, when they go to the bathroom, etc. They may notice the birds in the playground. They may see when the principal has sat in their regular seat on the stage. It may be distracting or overwhelming for them as they try to organise this information in their minds. Auditory System: This child may be sensitive or respond negatively to loud sounds or environments. This may include loud items like vaccum cleaners, hair dryers, lawn mowers, blenders or places like classrooms, swimming pools and shopping centres. This may also include items or places that others do not find noisy. In the classroon, children may have difficulty with multiple people speaking at the same time. They may also be sensitive to one person speaking. This child may have difficulty with background noises like appliances (fans, heaters, clocks). This child may not be affected by the noises and sounds that they themselves make. They may say things repeatedly to organize and make sense of information. Tactile System: This child may be sensitive to touch (being touched or touching certain things) and this may result in aggressive or emotional reactions. This is usually a fight/flight/freeze response which is automatic rather than a planned action. Light touch pressure can be highly sensitive. At school, this child may have difficulty standing in line or sitting on the floor with other children. They may refuse physical help (Eg. a hand to hold when walking on uneven ground, or hand over hand assistance to hold scissors). They may strongly dislike messy activities such as painting. At home, this child may be sensitive to clothing tags and seams. They may have preferences with soft furnishings like bedsheets and blankets. They may dislike grooming activities such as hair washing and cutting nails. In the community, this child may have difficulty visiting professionals such as the hair dresser, dentist or doctor; with the anticipation of physical touch. Proprioceptive and Vestibular Systems: This child may appear to be hyperactive or easily distractible, as they are drawn to the latest stimuli that presents itself. They may also be cautious about various situations, unsure how they will cope with a change in body position. They may have poor balance and may fear trying new things. This child may have difficulty participating in playgrounds (swings, slides, balance bridges, etc) which have a variety of sensory input of varying intensities (many outside of the child's control). This child may be prone to car or air sickness. They may fear riding a bike or scooter. At school, this child may be constantly moving in the classroom to pay attention to things in their environment. They may prefer to watch sports or children on playground equipment. Oral Motor System: This child may be a picky eater and sensitive to textures, tastes, the colour or smell of food. They may be sensitive to the type of toothpaste that is used of whether someone helps them to brush their teeth. Please note that these are general descriptions and characteristics. A comprehensive assessment will provide individual information on sensory sensitivities, modulation and descrimination. There has also been a link between people with sensory processing difficulties (as described by Ayres and Dunn) and Sensitive Processing Sensitivities (genetically determined tempermental or personality trait). "Although temperamental SPS and the different sensory processing patterns and disorders are not the same, they do have a low sensory threshold in common and can thus provide preliminary insight into the association between high SPS and problems in daily functioning" (Boterberg and Warryen, 2016). Highly sensitive people have a deep central nervous response to physical, emotional, social and/or sensory stimuli. They can be highly empathetic, caring of others and taking on their problems as their own.  Sensory SupportsIn general, the child who exhibits a "sensor" sensory profile benefits from support from others (teachers, parents, therapists, friends) to provide sensory experiences to help a child to continue with a task and manage thresholds. The instinct is to remove sensory stimuli, however for this profile, the recommendation by Dunn is to increase discriminatory sensory input (rather than arousal input) to help organise patterns of information. This children may benefit from focusing attention on the task at hand or being in the moment. They may find predictability, repetition and routines helpful to plan and organise their brains. They may benefit from meditation and mindfulness. Therefore intervention planning may include:
Some examples of sensory supports may include: Visual System:
Auditory System:
Tactile System:
Proprioceptive and Vestibular Systems.
Oral Motor System:
 With exposure and support to tolerate sensory stimuli, these children may increase their ability to cope. This may be due to cognitive reasoning (eg. I don't like the feel of sand on my feet, however if I tolerate it then I can play with my family at the beach) or a decrease in sensitivity (eg. The sand doesn't hurt as much now because I have gone every day this week). For some people, they will remain sensitive to certain stimuli and accept that. These children may enjoy repetitive play or structured leisure activities. (For example, stacking and unstacking blocks, completing puzzles, knitting, jumping on the trampoline.) They may also enjoy rhymthic activities such as swimming, dancing or drumming. The "Sensor Sensory Profile" and the "Avoider Sensory Profile", share low neurological thresholds for tolerance. The main difference between these presentations is whether they actively regulate (usually avoiding) or if they are passive with their self-regulation. They may both REACT but does the memory of a perceived threat or demand, create increased avoidance behaviour? The "Sensor Sensory Profile" and the "Bystander Sensory Profile", both have passive responses however their neurological thresholds are different. The Sensor has a small bucket which fills easily and the Bystander has a large bucket that they need help to fill. Thank you to everyone has provided feedback on the "Bystander" profile that I shared recently. Thank you for your patience as I work through creating these visual resources to help explain sensory profiles. They will eventually be made available as a pdf, so please keep in contact as I develop these. Head back to the overview of Dunn's sensory profiles, take a closer look at the Bystander and stay connected for more.   Cindy is a registered occupational therapist practising in Sydney, Australia. She has two growing children who are a constant source of inspiration and learning. Cindy loves working creatively to help children to reach their potential, finding opportunities in everyday living and making learning fun. She is also addicted to making printables (even when they take a long time to complete). Cindy is the author of the Occupational Therapy blog Your Kids OT. Read more articles from Your Kids OT at https://www.yourkidsot.com/blog
Cindy is a contributing author of the Functional Skills for Kids Therapy Team. They have together published THE HANDWRITING BOOK, THE SCISSORS SKILLS BOOK and THE TOILETING BOOK. The information on this site is general in nature. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions. Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote recommended products. Your Kids OT receives a small commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details. YKOT shop: https://www.yourkidsot.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html Teachers Pay Teachers: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Your-Kids-Ot You Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZUz_5nYEOCkj32DiOCQo4Q/featured Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourkidsot Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourkidsot/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/yourkidsot/
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 We are not the only experts. Currently, I work with teachers from 9 schools and preschools. I was trying to count the number of schools that I've work at over my 26 year career and it is well over 30. I know that I have experience and expertise. It's not a case of false modesty. BUT... What I have learnt in my career, is that we are not the ONLY experts. Recommendations are easier to make than to implement. I've seen occupational therapists (and other allied health professionals) who are amazing advocates, amazing with children, making fantastic recommendations ... becoming disillusioned with working in schools, frustrated by a lack of carry over into the classroom or being asked by schools not to return. My secret to working with teachers should not be a surprise. I come from a place of respect. Respect for the work they do, respect for the experience they have (even if they are new graduates), respect for their limitations. Teachers deserve respect. They have a hard job! They face pressures of the curriculum, the classroom, parents and OTs; let alone teaching children who may not all want to be there to learn. As paediatric OTs we spend a lot of our energy connecting with our clients (our children) to provide client-centred practice. We also may work on rapport building with parents but do we have the same therapeutic relationship with teachers? Rapport comes from good communication (written, verbal, informal and formal). It comes from opportunities to develop the relationship even if it is a hello in the playground or borrowing a key! Rapport comes from empathy and connection. How can I help you? As I mentioned previously, recommendations are easier to make than to implement. When our recommendations are not implemented, we have to ask why. Are they unrealistic? Is it time? Has the teacher implemented these before? Does the teacher understand the reasons behind the recommendation? Is it practical to implement? How did we make the recommendation? When we ask the teacher ... "how can I help you"?, we are inviting collaboration, listening to their main concerns, listening to practical issues about implementation. We can ask, "what has worked for you"? "what hasn't?" Strategies to work with teachers:
"Push in".... I actually hate this expression. I know that it is widely used in some parts of the world to express a therapy style where OTs are in the classroom, providing support to the students. The term "push in" implies that we are not wanted, not needed, not valued. I hope we (OTs) are not "pushing in" but being "invited in". If we want to be valued as a profession, we need to value those whom we work with. If you are a teacher reading this blog, I would love to hear from you. How do you want occupational therapists to work with you?   Cindy is a registered occupational therapist practising in Sydney, Australia. She has two growing children who are a constant source of inspiration and learning. Cindy loves working creatively to help children to reach their potential, finding opportunities in everyday living and making learning fun. She is also addicted to making printables (even when they take a long time to complete). Cindy is the author of the Occupational Therapy blog Your Kids OT. Read more articles from Your Kids OT at https://www.yourkidsot.com/blog
Cindy is a contributing author of the Functional Skills for Kids Therapy Team. They have together published THE HANDWRITING BOOK, THE SCISSORS SKILLS BOOK and THE TOILETING BOOK. The information on this site is general in nature. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions. Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote recommended products. Your Kids OT receives a small commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details. YKOT shop: https://www.yourkidsot.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html Teachers Pay Teachers: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Your-Kids-Ot You Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZUz_5nYEOCkj32DiOCQo4Q/featured Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourkidsot Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourkidsot/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/yourkidsot/  "Wait what?" This is the phrase that I think of when I think of someone who exhibits a "bystander sensory profile". We are looking at how our central nervous system manages sensory information in the world we live in. In my last blog. I provided a general overview of how Winnie Dunn describes this in her assessment (Sensory Profile-2). Head back to my last blog post for this overview. Dunn describes the "bystander sensory profile" as having low registration. Others use the term "low arousal". The child (or person) has a high sensory threshold, passive self-regulation and may miss sensory cues. To put it into more simple language, let's think of the child's central nervous system being like a bucket. These children have a large bucket and it takes more sensory information/input for them to register the information. These means that are "hypo-sensitive" to input, so they don't notice it. They are passive with their self-regulation, which means they may need help as they are not aware or seek the information for themselves. To help this child to "fill their bucket", they need sensory input with more frequency, more intensity and longer duration than other children.  Bystander CharacteristicsIn the classroom, a child who may have a "bystander" sensory profile may demonstrate some of these characteristics. Visual System: This child may miss visual information such a facial expressions, words on the board, gestures or they may have trouble finding items. On the other hand, they may not be distracted by visual information in the classroom. This children may be seen wandering around the classroom, as they haven't noticed everyone else is already sitting on the floor. They may be looking in their pencil case for the eraser and don't notice that it is on the table. They may not see the visual schedule that tells them what is happening. They may not notice that the time on the clock so they ask to go to the bathroom two minutes before it is about to ring. They may not notice that the child who was asked to work with them has rolled their eyes, and they go sit with them easily. Auditory System: This child may not hear their name being called and may have difficulty listening to verbal instructions (especially if there are multiple steps). They may not be affected by environmental noises such as other people talking, clocks ticking, background music, etc. This child may be in the centre of the busy classroom and is undisturbed with the activity that is engrossing them. The teacher may have called their name multiple times and they don't notice until the child sitting next to them gives them a poke. The child may hear that they are to do a maths activity, however may miss the information to place the finished work on the teacher's desk. The child may not hear other students say "can I have a turn"? Tactile System: This child may not notice their own body signals such as cold or messy hands. They may seem to have a high pain tolerance. This recognition and response to body signals is also called interoception. On the other hand, this child may not notice other children bumping into them and can wear different textures without difficulty. This may be the child whom you notice on a really hot day is still wearing a jumper. They may come back from lunch with food over hands that they haven't washed. They may scratch themselves as they walk along the wall and not notice that they are bleeding. They may not mind joustling in a line of children waiting for the bus. Proprioceptive and Vestibular Systems: This child may be passive with movement and prefer sedentary activities. They may have low energy levels and act overly tired. They may also appear withdrawn or have poor balance. These children may have low muscle tone and poor core strength affecting their proprioceptive and vestibular systems. Movements may not affect them emotionally. These children may not notice when they are feeling unsteady and may fall over frequently. They may move slowly from the classroom to the locker room. They may not recognize that they feel dizzy spinning around until they fall over or vomit. They may notice when they bump/lean onto other people or furniture. Oral Motor System: This child may not recognize body signals such as a messy face or dribble. They may not notice if food is hot, icy, spicy or textured. This child may be disinterested in food. They neither avoid nor do they seek food. They may be slow to eat food and chew for a long time. Please note that these are general descriptions and characteristics. A comprehensive assessment will provide individual information on sensory sensitivities, modulation and descrimination.  Bystander Sensory SupportsIn general, a child who exhibits a "bystander sensory profile" benefits from increased sensory input with more frequency, more intensity and for a longer duration. They will need help to do this from other people (from their family, friends and teachers). Intervention Planning may include:
Some examples of sensory supports may include... Visual System:
Auditory System:
Tactile System:
Proprioceptive and Vestibular Systems:
Oral Motor System:
 The word "sensory" has been a buzz word for a while. It seems like it has grown from OTs sharing information to a much wider interest and audience. This is great but sometimes we can be overloaded with information. My attempt here is to provide information in a practical digestable way for everyone interested. I hope that this series of blog posts will be just that. I want to share the information in a way that you may not have seen before (my own infographics). My aim is to provide a practical approach to understanding how our children process sensory information, the impact that it can have and some supports that you may try immediately. In doing this series, I've removed some of the previous resources that I have published here at Your Kids OT. I will be reviewing and updating some resources to reflect this new way that I'm presenting "sensory" information! To be continued... Stay in touch to find out about the other three sensory profiles anad more!  Cindy is a registered occupational therapist practising in Sydney, Australia. She has two growing children who are a constant source of inspiration and learning. Cindy loves working creatively to help children to reach their potential, finding opportunities in everyday living and making learning fun. She is also addicted to making printables (even when they take a long time to complete). Cindy is the author of the Occupational Therapy blog Your Kids OT. Read more articles from Your Kids OT at https://www.yourkidsot.com/blog
Cindy is a contributing author of the Functional Skills for Kids Therapy Team. They have together published THE HANDWRITING BOOK, THE SCISSORS SKILLS BOOK and THE TOILETING BOOK. The information on this site is general in nature. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions. Affiliate links are used throughout this website to promote recommended products. Your Kids OT receives a small commission if any purchases are made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details. YKOT shop: https://www.yourkidsot.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html Teachers Pay Teachers: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Your-Kids-Ot You Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZUz_5nYEOCkj32DiOCQo4Q/featured Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yourkidsot Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourkidsot/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/yourkidsot/ |
AuthorHi, I'm Cindy and I am an Occupational Therapist. I enjoy working creatively with children to see them reach their potential. Read more about me here. 
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Disclaimer: The information on this site is general in nature and should be used for educational and entertainment purposes. The activities are safe for most children, however, you should consult an Occupational Therapist or health professional to address specific movement, sensory or other medical conditions. This blog does not replace formal therapeutic professional advice given by a health professional or medical practitioner. Reviews and endorsements of products will only be made based on my expertise and personal opinion; and deemed worthy of such endorsement. The opinions shared in sponsored content will always be my own and not that of the advertising company or brand. Content, advertising space or posts will be clearly identified if paid, affiliated or sponsored. Affiliate links may be found throughout this website in advertising. This means that if you follow through with a purchase from these links, Your Kids OT will receive a percentage of the sale. Your Kids OT undertakes to meet the requirements of the "Social Media Policy" as published by Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). Further information about this policy can be found here.
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AuthorHi, I'm Cindy and I am an Occupational Therapist. I enjoy working creatively with children to see them reach their potential. Read more about me here. 
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