Activities for sensory processing disorders (1906)

What is a sensory processing disorder?

Children with this disorder struggle to get sensory information to the brain. The brain does not respond as it should. This often leads to the body not responding as it should. Heavy work activities can help the brain process the sensory information.

The muscles and joints in our bodies have receptors. The receptors send information to the brain. It helps us move parts of our body without even thinking about it. This is called proprioceptive information.  

What activities can help my child?

Heavy work activities.  Have your child:

• Wear a weighted vest, wrist weights, ankle weights, or backpack. Remove vest/weights if your child is sitting and not actively moving.
• Reach or stretch overhead. 
• Do activities that require them to push, pull, slide, carry, lift, stack, un-stack, bend and stoop. 
• Stand at the table instead of sit. Children with sensory processing problems do better when standing or moving from place to place. Children have a hard time sitting in one position for a long time. 
• Add joint compression such as wall push-ups, or slow stretch into daily routine. Have your child do this when sitting, standing, walking or when getting upset.
• Add movement to games and play activities.  Have your child hop, skip, jump, climb, crawl, creep, scoot, march, stomp, clap, push, pull, carry, squeeze or tug. Examples include:
  – Do an obstacle course.  Use couch cushions, pillows and tables. Have your child walk, crawl, or climb through the course.
  – Play catch with a weighted ball.
  – Do hopping activities. Jump on a one-person trampoline with safety handle.
  – Play tug-o-war.
  – Go on scavenger hunts. Have your child lift up or crawl under objects to make it heavy work.
  – Go on nature walks. Have the walk include climbing, crossing uneven surfaces, hills.
  – Do puzzles. Scatter puzzle pieces around the room. Crawl or do animal walks to get each piece one by one.