Top 5 Favorite Sensory Processing Resources Blog post #53

This wasn’t a journey I signed up for or would have chosen on my own. However empowering children with sensory processing differences and coming alongside other families and educators who are also walking this same journey has become a personal passion project.

Current research states 1 out of every 6 children experiences a sensory processing challenge. That means out of a classroom of 24 students, at least 4 of the children would benefit from a sensory diet of activities. Even if only one child in our classrooms experiences sensory challenges, it’s worth every moment of time we invest in learning more about how we can help our children create stronger pathways in their brains to experience their everyday lives.

Seeing the world through our sensational child’s eyes has changed me deep down into the core of who I am. When we help connect the sensory pathways in our children’s central nervous systems, then the beautiful thing that results is we get to watch our children truly experience joy. Instead of feeling uncomfortable in their own bodies, we see them begin to experience peace and joy in their everyday lives.

When brainstorming possible solutions to help our children thrive, we can benefit from a list of resources to consider. This is the list of resources I wish someone would have shared with me as soon as we received the diagnosis in November of 2021. Now that we have been living this sensory processing informed life for the past year and a half, I want to share my top 5 resources and strategies that have been most helpful to begin this journey. My hope in posting this is that it will be a blessing to you or someone you know who is walking a similar path.

1. Rating Scale to see if your loved one might have some sensory processing challenges
   • Short Sensory Profile by Dr. Winnie Dunn
     • Check out this resource if… you wonder if your child may have sensory challenges and want to better understand which areas are strengths and areas to improve. This type of scale was super helpful for me to explore ahead of time to be better prepared for meeting with the pediatrician, child psychologist, and occupational therapists. Every child is different, so it helps to know how to communicate your child’s needs, so the professionals can best support your child to help him or her thrive.
     • *Side note: with many sensory processing resources, you might also see the diagnosis of autism. Current research states children who have autism also have sensory processing challenges. However not all children who have sensory processing challenges have autism. Sensory Processing challenges also frequently occur with children who have characteristics of giftedness, ADD, and ADHD. This is why it’s important to learn as much as you can about your unique child, so you can help your child find the resources to help him or her thrive.
2. Book for Parents:
   • Sensational Kids, Sensational Families: Hope for Sensory Processing Differences by Rebecca Duvall Scott and Hannah Ragan
     • Check out this book if… you are looking for experiences of a Mom who has lived this journey with her child along with her son’s Occupational Therapist (OTs are the main professionals who can best serve children with sensory processing challenges). I also appreciated the faith based background and growth mindset Rebecca has when approaching sensory processing challenges. This book was like a healing balm on my weary soul. She helped me get through the waiting game of receiving the diagnosis at the beginning of November 2021, but not being able to start treatment until the end of February 2022. I also recommend the audio book version of the book. As you listen to her voice, you will feel like she is a friend sitting right next to you describing each part of her family’s journey.
3. One Page Tip Sheet:
   • Resource from Understood.org
     • Check out this resource if… you would like to get a quick snapshot of what Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is. This could also be helpful to share with family members, caregivers, teachers, coaches, or church staff who interact with children who have sensory processing differences. The more proactive we can be to help us better understand our children, the more we can set them up to thrive. This website is also like a treasure chest of many other helpful resources to continue to explore what it looks like from your child’s perspective and tools to support you as a parent and/or educator.
4. Helping Children with Emotional Meltdowns
   • Zones of Regulation Handouts
     • Check this out if… you are looking for a clear way to help children understand how their emotions impact their bodies and ways to help them self-regulate their bodies. Sometimes kids need the language to express specifically how they are feeling to help them communicate what their bodies need to settle down. Before beginning this journey, I didn’t realize the connection between emotional regulation and sensory processing challenges.
5. Helping Children Feel More in Control with a Visual Schedule
   • Conscious Discipline’s Visual Schedule Resource
     • Check this out if… your child has a hard time transitioning from one activity to the next. This resource helps children visually anticipate upcoming activities. Many children benefit from offering a choice activity after your child completes three activities that you need for him or her to complete. Knowing that they will have the opportunity to choose what they want to do helps with self-control and regulating their big emotions. This also helps when children as just beginning their sensory processing diets, because when their sensory inputs make them feel out of control, it helps to empower them to feel like they have some control over their lives.

There are many other resources and experts that could be shared in this list, but overall, these five resources have been most helpful as we started our sensory processing journey. I hope this is a blessing for you and your children and/or students. Although this hasn’t been an easy road, I am grateful for all of the ways our sensational child has taught me more in the last year and a half. Watching him begin to thrive is one of the greatest blessings in my life.