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What does sensory therapy look like? Well, the sensory gym looks a lot like a play area. Swings, slides, ball pits. zip lines, all of these are very much the norm. The idea is to re-train the brain and create new neurological pathways. In essence, to teach the brain to take in sensory information and handle it correctly. Most research shows that the brain is most elastic in the youngest of children so the sooner this work can begin, the better.
Sensory therapy is often led by an OT. Some OTs are SIPT certified, but most important is finding one who has experience with SPD.
Some images of sensory equipment:
Some activites your child might participate in:
- deep pressure
- pressure vests
- weighted belts
- "squishes" or hugs
- swinging
- sliding
- ziplines
- ball pits
- spinning
- messy art
- shaving cream play
- food/textures
- climbing
- motor planning
- listening therapy
- sensory tubs
All of these activities are a fun way of re-teaching the brain the correct way to respond to sensory stimulation. By creating new neural pathways, therapy helps the child with SPD respond in the right way to the things going on in their environment around them.
Specific tools your child can use and you can use as a parent will be taught as well. Accommodations, preparing for sensory events...this is not just education for your child but for you as well! It's important as a parent to be equally involved in your child's therapy. Many of the activities down in sensory therapy can be re-created or carried over to the home environment.
Look forward to more posts about SPD, and how to recognize it. For more information, feel free to stop by my blog: http://taderbaby.blogspot.com
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