SENSORY SYSTEMS: TACTILE

SENSORY SYSTEMS: TACTILE

This is our sense of touch.  It is our largest sensory system and it plays a vital role in human behavior, both physical and mental.  Tactile information goes just about everywhere in the brain.  It’s connections to the limbic system make it very important for bonding and developing relationships with others. Children who are hyperresponsive to touch may be very picky about clothing, food, being touched by others, and getting dirty. Children who are hyporesponsive may seek out excessive touch and have a high pain threshold.  Offering a variety of tactile activities is very important for all children.  Good tactile activities include making letters/shapes out of cooked spaghetti, playing in bins with a variety of textures like sand/rice/beans/birdseed, playing in shaving cream, and playing with playdough.  Also include your child in cooking, especially when they can mix food with their hands such as cookie dough, meatloaf, and rubbing oil on vegetables.  Do not force touch if your child is fearful of it.  Let them watch you first and gradually introduce the idea/activity.  Deep pressure into the hands prior to the tactile activities (wheelbarrow walking and animal walks) can be helpful.

SENSORY SYSTEMS: VESTIBULAR

SENSORY SYTEMS: VESTIBULAR

The vestibular system is our sense of movement and gravity.  This system is important because it is a unifying system which forms the basic relationship of a person to the physical world.  Because gravity is our anchor, all other types of information are processed in reference to basic vestibular information.  Good vestibular processing is key to developing hand dominance, bilateral coordination, balance, and complex motor planning. It supports reading fluency and enables us to sequence components of actions, thoughts, and speech.  Vestibular information also helps us to understand right side up, upside down, left, right, horizontal and vertical which helps us manage both two- and three-dimensional space.  Providing a variety of movement activities helps to develop this system.  Good activities include swinging, log rolling, somersaults, and spinning as tolerated by your child.  If your child seems sensitive to these activities, introduce gently and follow with jumping or other proprioceptive activities.

SENSORY SYSTEMS: PROPRIOCEPTION

SENSORY SYSTEMS: PROPRIOCEPTION

Proprioception is one of our senses that we tend to be less educated about.  It is our sense of where our body is in space, including joint position.  It is mostly processed in unconscious areas of our brain, so we don’t often think about it.  We don’t consciously process that we raised our foot up 7 inches and forward 5 inches when we are climbing steps, we just do it.  

We have many joints in our hands, so proprioception is important for fine motor development and control.  Because the information is processed in the lower parts of our brain, it also heavily influences other processes going on there.  It impacts things like self-regulation of behavior and attention.  If there is an issue, it generally lies with under registration of proprioception which results in issues in one or all the above areas.  Helping a child find the “just right” amount of this input is very important.   

Fun ways to provide proprioception would include animal walks, wheelbarrow walks, playing tug-o-war, jumping, hopscotch, playing with weighted objects, and using weighted blankets.  Remember, proprioception can easily part of family chores and discipline.  Have the child carry out garbage, carry in groceries, polish furniture and appliances, and carry laundry baskets.

TEAL PUMPKIN: ALLERGY FRIENDLY GIVEAWAY IDEAS

         

• TEAL PUMPKIN GIVEAWAY IDEAS
• 
  
• Glow sticks, bracelets, or necklaces
• Pencils, pens, crayons or markers
• Bubbles
• Halloween erasers or pencil toppers
• Mini Slinkies, Paddle Balls or Rubix Cubes
• Whistles, kazoos, or noisemakers
• Bouncy balls
• Finger puppets or novelty toys
• Coins
• Spider rings
• Vampire fangs
• Mini notepads or pens
• Playing cards or Dice
• Bookmarks, Stickers, Stencils
• Sticky Hands
• 
  

SENSORY SYSTEMS: BILATERAL COORDINATION

SENSORY SYSTEMS: BILATERAL COORDINATION

Good bilateral coordination is important for age appropriate participation in daily living activities and peer play.  Bilateral coordination involves our ability to use our extremities both symmetrically and reciprocally, on same side or opposing sides, and to cross the midline.  Bilateral coordination is grounded in vestibular processing. The vestibular mechanism is located in our ear. When our head registers movement and gravity it allows us to respond with appropriate body movements, balance, and posture. Activities that support bilateral coordination include jumping, skipping, swimming, riding a bike, jumping rope, and catching a ball.  Some fine motor bilateral coordination activities would be knife/fork use, cutting with scissors, tying shoe, and buttoning. If bilateral coordination activities are difficult for your child, try starting with vestibular activities and follow with bilateral coordination activities.  Remember, the job of a child is to move and play. Find fun and interesting ways to help them accomplish this.