Sensory Activities

Sensory activities for autism can help improve a range of developmental issues including cognitive development, improved coordination, and increased concentration – just to name a few.

It stimulates the 5 senses i.e., touch, smell, sight, taste, and sound as well as is responsible for our sense of balance and keeps track of and controls the different parts of our bodies systems. It is essential for all kids to learn how their bodies work, and how to process and interpret the world around them. Sensory activities contribute to this by helpings kids to learn, build language, promote social interaction, and develop motor skills.

Benefits of sensory activities for autistic children 

Helps to engage with all of their senses in a particular activity and more neural pathways are actually created in the brain. Sensory activities can benefit all children, but are of particular help to those on the autism spectrum. 

Sensory play offers a natural (and fun) way for kids to discover, examine, and understand the world around them, which in turn helps develop their: 

• Language skills: Kids develop their vocabulary by describing the sensory play activity and discussing their experience of the activity. 

• Fine motor skills: Controlling small objects not only aids in hand-eye coordination, but it also helps in strengthening the muscles in a child’s body, which in turn helps to develop their fine motor skills.

• Gross motor skills: Encouraging kids to practice their running, jumping, and throwing skills through pretend sensory play is an excellent way to develop their gross motor skills by strengthening their large muscles through fun body movements. 

• Social skills: Participating in pretend play with peers doesn’t just build little imaginations. It also teaches important skills like sharing and taking turns. 

• Self-control: Sensory play helps the kids to use the senses, thus better empowering them to remember and recall information.

The nature of ASD is such that many children will be over or under reactive to sensory stimuli. The latest Diagnostic Standards Manual DSM-5 that came out in May 2013 finally recognized that sensory processing difficulties are a part of ASD. Some children will have a dual diagnosis of a Sensory Processing Disorder. For others it will just be part of their ASD. It is easier to change the environment than change the child. Simple changes in the environment can make a big difference to a child’s engagement and learning outcomes. You could spend all day asking a child to “sit still” on the mat or you could give them a “sensory mat” to sit on that helps them sit still.

Often sensory can be the underlying cause of so much distress and behaviour. Children can be hypersensitive (over sensitive) or hyposensitive (under sensitive) to touch, taste, smell, sound, sight, and/or movement. Occupational Therapists are normally the specialists who assess children’s sensory processing and implement programs to regulate their senses or address sensory needs. In my experience many children need sensory adaptions in the classroom. By regulating the amount and intensity of stimulation it helps to keep the nervous system calm, organized and focused. Children can be under-stimulated and sluggish one moment, and overwhelmed and anxious the next. Meeting sensory needs can include using sensory tools to regulate behaviour or adapting activities to reduce sensory stimulation. For example, some children can sit for longer periods with a sensory tool. While other children may need clothing adaptions.

10 Sensory Activities for everyone

1. Play dough: hide objects or little wobbly eyes in the dough and get the kids to find.

2. Put on shoes and socks; find big ones that are easy to put on at first.

3. Chinese Whispers: just start with one word.

4. Play with toys which have sounds, vibrate or light up.

5. Marble works.

6. Pop-up books.

7. Bean bag activities: throwing, catching, carrying etc.

8. Mirror activities: dress up, make faces.

9. Put out a range of textures on the ground: Sand, bubble wrap, carpet, foam pieces etc. Start with shoes on then take off shoes and socks! Or even crawl over.

USING SENSORY TOYS TO IMPROVE LEARNING AND BEHAVIOUR 

Children with an autism spectrum disorder often seek out sensory activities. For example, chewing, twirling, and fidgeting. They find specific sensory experiences calming. For example, rocking, flicking, visual patterns, or flapping. Holding an object in their hands can often enhance learning. For example, if given a sensory toy to hold at mat time a child can sit for longer, concentrate better, be less disruptive to peers, is calmer and has reduced anxiety levels. Sensory toys can also replace inappropriate behaviors.

Is there one MAGIC WAND to improve learning and behaviour? 

So many teachers and parents of children with ASD ask me this question. The simple answer is no because a combination of strategies is required. But if there was ONE idea that makes a big difference and is so easy to use it would be using what is called a fidget toy. The irony is that it is the strategy that is most resisted by educators. A small ‘fidget toy’ in the hand of the majority of children with ASD will provide drastic improvement in their learning and behaviour. I acknowledge that the idea that playing with a ‘toy’ improving concentration is the opposite experience for teachers and parents with non-ASD children. For children with ASD this strategy can be a MAGIC WAND. It calms them, reduces stress, and reduces distractions - therefore increasing learning readiness and promoting good behaviour. Many children with ASD seek movement to calm and process; by allowing the child to move their fingers using a “fidget toy” it actually increases learning. A good indicator of whether a child needs fidget toys is:

“WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU REMOVE THEM?” If you remove the toy and you see other behaviours emerge this indicates the child actually “seeks” this and “needs” it. For example the behaviours you will see could include:

1.Will they pick their fingers?

2.Will they chew their collar or hat string?

3.Will they start moving their legs or body?

4.Will they be easily distracted by other children?