Your senses, including taste and touch, help you interpret the world around you. Think about the last time you touched a soft blanket or enjoyed the taste of fresh coffee. Think about a time when you were startled by a loud noise or accidentally set your hand in something sticky. Any sensory input can feel overwhelming for children with sensory processing disorder (SPD). The pediatric therapists at Hogg Therapy can help your child to feel more in control of their sensory experiences.

The Senses

Most people can tell you the five senses - sight, touch, taste, smell, hearing - but did you know there are three other types of senses? Familiarizing yourself with all eight sensory systems can help you to use therapeutic techniques at home.

• Proprioception: The ability to sense your body’s motion and actions. It provides information about how your body is moving and occupying space.
• Vestibular: Helps to maintain balance, coordination, and eye movements
• Interoception: The way you feel about what’s happening in your body. Some examples include hot or cold, sick or well, hungry or full.

Sensory Integration Therapy

Sensory integration (SI) therapy helps your child build a tolerance to unpreferred sensory input through regulated exposure to various sensory experiences and learning to use their senses together. Our therapists allow your children to explore preferred and nonpreferred stimuli in a safe and fun environment. The goal is to help your child develop appropriate coping skills to handle these stimuli when they experience them in real-world situations.

Examples of SI Therapy:

• Exploring sensory bins filled with different textures using hands
• Drinking cold water
• Eating crunchy or chewy food
• Jumping on a mini trampoline

Sensory Diet

A sensory diet is a plan created by our occupational therapists that is specifically tailored to your child’s sensory needs. The goal of a sensory diet is to help prevent sensory overload in your child, but the diet can also be used as a recovery method for when your child is feeling overwhelmed. Practicing activities in a sensory diet can help your child to feel more in control of their environment which can reduce negative reactions and anxiety. A crucial component to any pediatric therapy for sensory processing disorder is consistency and routine. You may find that your child responds best to a sensory diet when the activities are performed at the same time each day. Other children succeed when they have sensory diet items available to them at all times.

Examples of sensory diet items:

• Having access to fidget toys
• A time each hour when your child can go for a walk
• Using noise cancelling headphones

Occupational Therapy for Sensory Processing Disorder

While occupational therapists are at the center of SI therapy and a sensory diet, sometimes traditional occupational therapy is necessary to help children with sensory processing disorder. Occupational therapy can give your child the boost in skills and self-esteem they need to build fine motor skills, such as holding a pencil or zipping a jacket. Overcoming adverse reactions to specific sights, sounds, and textures can also help your child to become more independent. Learning to properly wash their hands, for example, can help a child to overcome an intolerance of wet hands or the feeling of slippery soap.

Therapy for Sensory Processing Disorder Near Richmond and Berea, KY

The therapists here at Hogg Therapy can help your family navigate their differences, including individuals on the Autism spectrum and those with Down Syndrome. Give us a call to complete a quick phone screening or check out our interactive screening tool. We have locations in Richmond and Berea, KY, and are happy to serve the areas of Winchester, Irvine, McKee, Annville, Mount Vernon, Brodhead, Richmond, Berea, Livingston, and Lexington, KY.