When someone has sensory issues, one of the main steps people take in their treatment is using a series of exercises and experiences.
Behavior
Sensory diet
When someone has sensory issues, one of the main steps people take in their treatment is using a series of exercises and experiences.
This is where using a sensory diet plays an integral role in ensuring that people with sensory issues make the most of their lives. Find out more about what a sensory diet is, the benefits of a sensory diet, and how to use a sensory diet in the most effective way possible.
Education resources
What is a sensory diet?
Despite its name, a sensory diet has nothing to do with what somebody eats. Instead, it refers to a series of physical activities tailored to a person’s particular sensory needs. People with sensory issues such as sensory processing disorder have issues in different ways, which means that an occupational therapist creating a bespoke sensory diet for them is an ideal step in improving their quality of life. The overall goal of a sensory diet is to reduce the extent to which someone gets overwhelmed by certain sensations and help them interact with more complex sensations as time goes on. A sensory diet typically comes in the form of a document that lays out the experience for the person with sensory issues to complete, with some details on how these exercises are beneficial. Think of a sensory diet as being the opposite of sensory overload.
The benefits of a sensory diet
There are several benefits of using a sensory diet in improving someone’s ongoing sensory processing issues. Some of these benefits include:
Increasing tolerance
One of the main benefits of using a sensory diet is that people gain a higher tolerance to situations. By increasing this tolerance, people with sensory issues can interact with things they otherwise would not, increasing their quality of life. In addition, greater tolerance to unique sensations opens up a range of career paths that would otherwise be unavailable.
Easing transitions
By having a sensory diet, transitioning from one activity to another is far simpler. This transition involves interacting with new items and sensations, something that those with sensory issues normally struggle with. Completing a sensory diet means that the person is more used to changing sensations and touching lots of objects, which makes transitioning between activities far simpler in day-to-day life.
Raising attention span
People that use a sensory diet have a higher attention span and are more alert to the world around them. Without a sensory diet, people with sensory issues pay more attention to the textures, sounds, and sights in their environment. A sensory diet means that these become standard for the individual, reducing their attention to the space around them and increasing their focus on their activities.
Reducing sensory avoidance
Sensory avoidance is a term that refers to when someone with sensory issues completely avoids a sensation. This includes certain tastes, sounds, or sights and risks seriously affecting a patient’s quality of life. With a sensory diet, people with sensory issues are more willing to engage with new feelings and sensations, helping them to make the most of the world around them.
How to use a sensory diet
There are several aspects of implementing a sensory diet into someone’s life, whether as a child or an adult. Some of the steps in this process include the following:
- Working closely with your child therapy team when developing the diet.
- Focusing on creating a daily routine rather than a sporadic one.
- Report any concerns that you have about your child’s development.
- Adapt the sensory diet to your patient’s specific personal needs over time.
- Talk to your child and better understand what they enjoy.
By following these steps and working with an occupational therapist, you increase your chances of developing a sensory diet that works for their needs and leads to positive outcomes in the long term.
What does a sensory diet look like?
There are several aspects to a sensory diet, each of which provides a unique insight and prepares the patient to interact more with the world around them. Some of the main aspects of a sensory diet include:
Specific exercises
A core aspect of sensory diets is the specific exercises that the child or adult with sensory issues completes. By discussing particular exercises, such as jumping jacks or burpees, an occupational therapist targets development and leaves little space for confusion (for example, if the therapist were to suggest ‘exercising simply’). Where possible, an occupational therapist provides a breakdown of what the exercise entails, such as a burpee being a push-up into a jump. This is especially useful for more complex exercises that people complete later in their development.
Exercise durations
Occupational therapists discuss the specific durations of each exercise with their patients. Different patients can complete their exercises for different amounts of time, and keeping a high fitness level is especially important in people with sensory issues. For example, someone with sensory issues suffering from an injury could avoid that exercise for an extended period. By carefully planning the amount of time that someone does the exercise and the number of repetitions they do daily, therapists reduce the risk of injury while maximizing exposure to these physical sensations.
Development plans
Some sensory diets include development plans. While many diets focus on the current state of affairs, preparing for the future is ideal for transitioning naturally into dealing with more sensory issues. For example, a therapist could say that if the current sensory diet isn’t offering a significant amount of inspiration, more exercises could be added to the routine and done for a longer period. The main benefit of adding a development plan is that it maps out a path to resolving sensory issues rather than taking it step-by-step and improvising the next stages of the process.
