Sensory Diet Ideas for older kids (6+)

{DISCLAIMER: I am not offering medical advice, nor am I a professional. I am only a parent.}

What you need to begin:

• an occupational therapist
• a journal to keep track of interests, and activities
• a chart to sort triggers by communication, sensory, or anxiety. 

 There are many ways to implement a sensory diet, mostly it depends on where, who, and what its purpose is. Sometimes a sensory diet is used to improve an over- or under-sensitivity, sometimes its just to make transitions easier, and other times its to help with developmental growth differences, delays in sensory processing, or to aide in self-regulation.

Here's a great explanation of the 7 senses and how they may affect a person on the autism spectrum. In this post we are dealing with just 5, because olfactory and taste in our homeschooling environment is mostly home-ec! All of the equipment suggestions below are based on kids over 6 years old.

In most instances a sensory diet is a well-adapted form of recreation which can help an individual respond better to speech and language exercises, or other integrated social activities, so long as the activities provide the appropriate input and maintains the balance that the developing nervous system's needs.

Sense of Movement

•  for people who are actually identified as experiencing vestibular dysfunction [use this link]

Body Awareness

• for people who are actually identified as experiencing proprioceptive dysfunction [use this link]

Sense of Touch

• for people who are actually identified as experiencing tactile dysfunction [use this link]

Visual Input

•  for people who are actually identified as experiencing visual sensory processing disorder
  [use this link]

 Auditory

• for people who are actually identified as experiencing auditory sensory overload [use this link]