We are very proud to introduce Lauren H. Kerstein as a guest blogger for AutismSpot.com and SensorySpot.com! Ms. Kerstein is a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in working with children, adolescents, adults and families, and is the author of My Sensory Book: Working Together to Explore Sensory Issues and the Big Feelings They Can Cause: A Workbook for Parents, Professionals, and Children. (See full biography below.) Ms. Kerstein comes to us with a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the areas of sensory processing and sensory processing disorders.
Fifteen Practical Sensory Strategies
Lauren Heller Kerstein, LCSW
Many children struggle with sensory challenges. Some receive a diagnosis of Sensory Integration Disorder or Sensory Processing Disorder while others have never been formally diagnosed. It can be quite helpful to put interventions in place for children who are struggling in order to help them function throughout their day regardless of whether or not they have been formally diagnosed. One such helpful intervention is called a “sensory diet” which was introduced Patricia Wilbarger, M.Ed, OTR, FAOTA (1991). A “sensory diet” isn’t about a fad diet but rather about adding activities throughout the day that can support a child’s sensory system and ability to regulate his/her body. We, as adults, put things in place all of the time throughout our day to regulate our bodies automatically. We drink coffee, sip from bottles of water, chew gum, suck on mints, eat, eat some more, stretch and make extra trips to the bathroom. These are all ways in which we regulate our bodies. Our children need these strategies as well, but need a bit of assistance to implement them. It can typically be helpful to incorporate sensory strategies into your day approximately every two to three hours. The good news is that there are many strategies that are easy to use and implement at that frequency. The following are fifteen practical ways to assist your child with managing their sensory system that fit within the hectic lives we lead as parents:
1. Have mints and gum with you. These can provide input as well as assist a person who is sensitive to smells.
2. Put a hand towel in the bath or shower instead of a wash cloth. A wet hand towel can be heavy and provide proprioceptive input.
3. Have your child help transfer the wet laundry from the washing machine to the dryer. Again, wet laundry is a nice, natural way to get input.
4. Assign your child the task of removing the jug of milk or juice from the refrigerator each morning. This can provide some “heavy work” in a quick, easy way.
5. Give your younger children access to sand and buckets they can fill and lift.
6. Provide access to play doh.
7. Take family walks each day for about 10 minutes or so.
8. Drop everything and do wall push-ups 1-2 times per day. Make it fun and do it together.
9. Have your child help you water the outside plants. Heavy watering cans provide wonderful input.
10. Give lots and lots of hugs if your child likes them or have a cool high five “hug” you do throughout the day.
11. Create a box of “fidgets” and keep it in a prominent location in your house. Your child can play with those fidgets to get input.
12. Provide crunchy or chewy snacks. Input into our jaw can be very powerful.
13. Offer a quiet place for your child to go if he/she seems overstimulated. You can decide on this place together and give it a special name such as a “tree house”.
14. If your child enjoys his/her “tree house”, it would be helpful to establish a “tree house” everywhere you go. If you go to your child’s grandparents’ house, for example, you can look around the house together for a special “tree house” in case your child needs to take a break.
15. Carry an MP3 player with you or just headphones. Your child can put the headphones in his/her ears if he/she is distressed by sounds. If you have an MP3 player with you, your child can listen to that as a way to regulate his/her body.
It is very important to contact an Occupational Therapist for assistance if you suspect your child needs professional assistance.
Kerstein, L. (2008). My sensory book: Working together to explore sensory issues and the big feelings they can cause: A workbook for parents, professionals, and children. Shawnee Mission, KS: Autism Asperger Publishing Company.
Wilbarger, P., & Wilbarger, J.L. (1991). Sensory defensiveness in children aged 2-12. Santa
Barbara, CA: Avanti Educational Programs.
Lauren H. Kerstein is a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in working with children, adolescents, adults and families. After receiving Bachelors of Arts in both Education and Psychology at Washington University in St. Louis, Ms. Kerstein attended George Warren Brown School of Social Work and received a Masters in Social Work. Ms. Kerstein completed a post-masters fellowship at JFK Partners, the University Affiliated Program at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. The fellowship included intensive training and practical experience with children, adults and families with Autism Spectrum Disorders as well as other disabilities. Ms. Kerstein received multi-disciplinary training by psychologists, psychiatrists, occupational therapists, speech/language pathologists, developmental pediatricians, neuropsychologists, and social workers at JFK Partners. Ms. Kerstein currently has a private practice working with children, adolescents, adults and families, specializing in Asperger’s Syndrome, High Functioning Autism and PDD NOS, anxiety, depression, divorce, behavioral issues, birth to three home visits and school consultations. Ms. Kerstein is an Adjunct Professor with The University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work.
Ms. Kerstein is the author of My Sensory Book: Working Together to Explore Sensory Issues and the Big Feelings They Can Cause: A Workbook for Parents, Professionals, and Children. My Sensory Book is a comprehensive, practical tool for assisting individuals with developing a better understanding of their sensory systems and the impact sensory experiences can have on their emotions. Ms. Kerstein is also the author of a chapter regarding siblings and the autism spectrum, as well as a textbook about Asperger’s syndrome.
