Your Kids OT
  • HOME
    • Telehealth OT
    • Wheel Decide
    • YKOT You-Tube Library
    • Direct Therapy Services
  • Blog
    • Articles >
      • Activities of Daily Living
      • Technology for OT
      • Bilateral Coordination
      • Cognition and Concepts
      • Executive Functioning
      • Fine Motor Skills
      • Gross Motor Skills
      • Handwriting and Writing
      • Homemade >
        • Arts and Craft
        • Kids in the Kitchen
        • Christmas
      • Play
      • Sensory Modulation Skills
      • Social Emotional Learning and Regulation
      • Visual Perceptual Skills
  • Shop
  • About
    • Contact >
      • Contact
      • eNewsletter Subscription
  • HOME
    • Telehealth OT
    • Wheel Decide
    • YKOT You-Tube Library
    • Direct Therapy Services
  • Blog
    • Articles >
      • Activities of Daily Living
      • Technology for OT
      • Bilateral Coordination
      • Cognition and Concepts
      • Executive Functioning
      • Fine Motor Skills
      • Gross Motor Skills
      • Handwriting and Writing
      • Homemade >
        • Arts and Craft
        • Kids in the Kitchen
        • Christmas
      • Play
      • Sensory Modulation Skills
      • Social Emotional Learning and Regulation
      • Visual Perceptual Skills
  • Shop
  • About
    • Contact >
      • Contact
      • eNewsletter Subscription

MOTION SICKNESS... A SENSORY ISSUE! Sensory Triggers when travelling in a car!

10/7/2016

 
Picture
I recently "attended" a webinar by the world renown, Professor Winne Dunn on "Sensory Processing and the Impact on Everyday Life".  Professor Winnie Dunn is Professor and Chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy Education at the University of Kansas. She is known for her studies about sensory processing in everyday life and has published more than 100 research articles, book chapters and books.  Dr Dunn is also well known for being the author/creator of the Sensory Profile (assessment) for adults and children.

During the recent webinar, we looked at case studies of three children - a toddler who had difficulty at bath time and meal times, a 5 year old who would vomit in the car regularly and 3rd grader who was socially isolated.  Whilst every child is unique, the webinar prompted me to consider what are the sensory triggers for children when travelling in a car and what solutions can we offer families?

Travelling in a car can be an overwhelming sensory experience!  The trip may be five minutes or five hours, yet a child may suffer sensory overload and may react by becoming car sick, scream, kick, try to get out of the vehicle, head bang, cover their eyes or ears, push or hit other people in the vehicle,  change body positions, etc.  

Motion sickness is generally "thought to take place when there is a mismatch between the information that the brain receives from the inner ear balance mechanism (vestibular system) and what the eyes ‘see’" (Better Health Victoria).  You may not have considered motion sickness as a "sensory issue" however, it is clearly a response due to difficulty processing information from two sensory systems. 

Have you considered the sensory information your child is processing whilst travelling in a vehicle?

VISUAL: What can your child see during a car trip? 
  • Is your child looking forward, to the side or rear-facing (for newborns)? 
  • Does your child's eye level mean they can see outside of the window?
  • Is your child looking at a screen? DVD player, tablet, phone, game device?
  • Is your child reading, looking at map or other printed information?
  • Is your child wearing sunglasses?
  • Are your car windows tinted?

AUDITORY: What can your child hear during a car trip?
  • Do you have music playing the car? Is it loud or soft? Does it have lyrics or is it instrumental? Does your child sing along? 
  • Do you have audio books playing in the car? Are they engaging? Do they make your child have an emotional response (eg. cry, laugh, become scared)?
  • Do you have the radio on in the car? Are their several voices talking simultaneously? 
  • Do you have multiple children, people or pets making noise in the car?
  • If the windows are wound down, what noises from the environment can be heard? 
  • Are you travelling in a rural or urban environment? Does the road surface make a noise when driven over?

PROPRIOCEPTION: What can your child feel (touch pressure) during a car trip? 
  • Are the seats in the car leather or fabric?
  • What is the suspension like in the car and can you feel the "bumps" in the road?
  • Are you travelling in a rural or urban environment? Does the road surface change?
  • If the windows are wound down, is the wind affecting your child?
  • Does your child seem to "touch" everything in the car? Do they want to play with the window controls, locks, seat pockets, arm rests,  seat belts, head rests, air conditioning vents, lights, audio outputs, floor mats, thread in the upholstery, fabric of a booster seat/car seat? 
  • Does your child seem to avoid "touching" things in the car? Do they avoid touching the window or air conditioning vents? 
  • Does your child insist on turning off the air conditioning or turning it on full?
  • Does your child becoming irritated by the seat belt or harness across their body? 

VESTIBULAR: How is your child moving during a car trip?
  • Does your child move their head a lot during a trip between different areas of focus? (eg. looking sideways out of the window, looking the opposite way sideways to look at a sibling, looking downwards at a book, looking backward to look at a pet?)
  • Does your child sway/dance to music in their seats?
  • Does your child rock forward and backward?
  • Does your child kick the chair in front of them?
  • Does your child try to curl into a ball?
  • Does your child try to twist out of their seat belt of car restraint?

ORAL: What does your child do with their mouth during a car trip?
  • Does your child chew or suck on food? Is the food crunchy, soft, sour, sweet, salty, spicy?
  • Does your child drink? Is the liquid cold, hot, thick, thin, fizzy, plain, sweet, sour? Are they using a straw, sports bottle top, other?
  • Does your child mouthe inedible objects? Are they licking/sucking/chewing items such as a dummy, blanket, hair, seat belt, pencil, clothing, etc?
  • Does your child bite themselves or others?
  • Does your child blow with their mouths?  Are they blowing their hair, a tissue, a toy? 
  • Does your child whistle or sing?
  • Does your child play with their lips?
  • Does your child dribble or drool? Is this age-appropriate?

SMELLL: What does your child smell during a car trip?
  • Does anyone in the car wear perfume, deodorant, after-shave or strong smelling moisturizer?
  • Is there a baby in the car? Does the baby have talc powder? Have they soiled their nappy?
  • Does the car have an "air freshener"?
  • Has the car been recently vacuumed and cleaned? Were chemicals used during cleaning?
  • If the windows are wound down, what smells from the environment can be smelt? 
  • Is there food in the car (eg. takeaway, fast food, snacks, groceries, raw meat/seafood)?
  • Has anyone removed their shoes in the car?
  • Has it rained recently and is anything in the car wet?
  • Has anyone in the vehicle recently shampooed their hair?
  • Is there used sporting equipment in the car?
​
Picture
A child may have different reactions in different vehicles as they may be triggered by sensory stimuli in one vehicle which they do not experience in another vehicle.  Different children may respond to the same sensory information in different ways.  This means that siblings travelling in the same car may have completely different reactions to the environment that they are in .... which makes parenting even harder! 
​
These sensory considerations for travelling in a car may also be applicable to other vehicles such as buses, trains and boats. There will be a follow up article in the coming weeks with some sensory solutions for the car! Stay connected so you don't miss it! Find Your Kids OT on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and/or subscribe to receive blog posts via email!

Are you doing a road trip these holidays?
Have you considered the sensory triggers when travelling in a car? 



Picture
You may also like:
Picture
Picture
Picture

Your Kids OT © 2025, All Rights Reserved
ABN: 84803478584

AHPRA OT REGISTRATION # OCC 0001765196
www.yourkidsot.com


Comments are closed.

    Author

    Hi, 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.

    Picture
    Picture
    SEARCH THIS SITE

    RSS Feed

    Picture

    Archives

    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    May 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014

    Categories

    All
    Acessibility Notes
    Alphabet
    Ask An OT
    Bilateral-coordination
    Bilateral-coordination
    Christmas
    Concepts And Cognition
    Easter
    Evidence Based Practice
    Fine Motor
    Freebie
    Functional Skills For Kids
    Giveaway
    Gross Motor
    Guest Blogger
    Handwriting And Writing
    Homemade
    Interoception
    Kids In The Kitchen
    Lego-challengee27c5a2753
    Meme
    Organisation
    Other
    Ot Profession
    OT Resources
    Pencil Grasp
    Play
    Printable
    Regulation
    Reviews
    Rewards And Motivation
    School
    Scissor Skills
    Self Help Skills
    Sensory
    Social Skills
    Visual-perception
    Visual-perception
    Website Spotlight
    Welcome
    World Ot Day
    YKOT Shop
    Your Kids Therapy Ideas

    Popular Posts

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Visit Your Kids OT's profile on Pinterest.

Join the YKOT e-newsletter!

Subscribe to get our latest content by email and receive

the SHAPE ROADS PRINTABLE NOW!

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription and receive your free printable!

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit

Join our Mailing List!

Subscribe to get our latest content by email and receive

the SHAPE ROADS PRINTABLE NOW as a thankyou!

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription and receive your free printable!

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit
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.

Find me


Follow me

Visit Your Kids OT's profile on Pinterest.
Picture

About me

Author

Hi, 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.

Picture
Copyright © 2025 Your Kid OT