Keeping Warm with a Winter Sensory Diet

It finally feels like winter today. I will miss the mild temperatures as I have never liked the cold. Even as a small child, while my brother & my friends were outside sledding, building snow forts & snowmen and having snowball fights, I would only last a short while before I began to feel cold & uncomfortable.

As an adult, even when 'bundled up' in the winter, I still get that cold feeling in my bones as soon as the temperature drops and the wind blows. I can't stand the feeling of cold air blowing into my face and eyes.

I also dislike ice skating, (but love roller skating) the feeling of cold air conditioning & fans blowing right on me in the summer, swimming in a cold pool, washing my hands and showering in cool water (as in when you have an old hot water heater and the 'hot' is not very hot at all) and I prefer not to have ice cream and other ice cold foods and beverages.

(And for as much as I love to create art, I also can't stand the feeling of finger paint, clay, glue, dirt, dough or any other sticky substance under my fingernails.)

Judging from this list, you may get the idea that I'm a Sensory Avoider.  If we knew when I was a child, what we know now, I might be called Tactile Defensive. (I almost wish I had, because then maybe there would have been an explanation for these 'quirks' instead of being called 'prissy', 'shy', 'moody' or 'weird'.)

The Tactile Sense is our sense of touch and is controlled by our largest organ, our skin. Input from skin receptors send messages to our brain about what we feel: touch, pressure, temperature, pain and even the movement of the hairs on our skin. A disruption in this or any other sensory processing or sensory integration is termed ‘Sensory Processing Disorder’.

While we all have a sensory preferences, it does not necessarily indicate a processing disorder. It is only a  disorder when it significantly impacts one or more areas of functioning.  Some common clues indicating a disruption or disorder of tactile processing can include:

• sensitivity to clothing textures, seams & labels
• reacts to dirty hands or feet
• itchy, tickly skin
• fidgets/wiggles
• dislikes hair being brushed/cut/washed
• prefers being covered up with clothes or prefers wearing no clothes where possible
• unusually sensitive to being too hot or too cold
• over reacts to pain
• reacts badly to being touched unexpectedly
• hates to stand in line
• reacts badly to being in a crowd or has a particularly wide personal space
• fails to register if too hot or too cold
• dresses inappropriately for the weather
• seems to crave and/ or avoid touch

My reaction to and avoidance of the cold was (and still is) mild compared to what some children with SPD experience. However, my own experience helps me to understand better and empathize more with others who have sensory challenges.

Last year, my daughter and her friends asked (and begged) me to help them build a snowman during the  "Snowmageddon 2010" Storms. Being 11, I knew there would not be many more years that she would ask me to play with her in the snow. For her sake, I did my best to confront and address my avoidance of the cold.

The first thing I did was move around a bit and had something warm to drink. (I had a cup of soup.)  Then I put on a hat, a scarf, earmuffs, fleece, gloves and an insulated coat (with the recommended layers underneath). After about 15 minutes, I still felt cold again. I went inside, warmed up tried again, sadly with the same result. (My daughter, being compassionate and understanding, forgave me anyway.)

In my search for ways to keep myself warm, inside & out this winter, I found some excellent tips for Winter "De-Sensitizing" here on the  Sensory Smarts  web page. I hope these will help you, your child and your students enjoy & keep warm and integrated during the upcoming winter months!

Read More Sensory Diet Tips  (on "Sensory Smarts")  here.

* What are some other ways you use to help children integrate senses and/or stay warm during the winter?

Please feel free to leave your tips and suggestions below!

To find more Sensory Games and Activities please visit:
BodyLogique.com



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Kids Learning On The Ball

In my Yoga-Based Sensory Integration workshops, one of the most common questions I get from teachers and paraprofessionals is how to improve attention spans & encourage engagement. I have offered & discussed many different sensory-based techniques & have had some great suggestions from workshop participants. Lately, I have been reading more about a strategy that I myself have used for several years: replacing desk chairs with exercise balls.

I had read about this years ago in a women's fitness magazine article & since I have replaced my own computer desk chair with a large exercise ball (also called Therapy Balls or Swiss Balls) I have noticed a decrease in shoulder pain (in my 'mouse' arm ) and a definite improvement in my posture. I also have found that I am much more focused & work more efficiently when I have to work at the desk for longer periods of time.

If you have not tried this, I encourage you to do it. Its almost impossible to slouch while sitting on this-you will roll right off of it! ( Be sure to select a ball that "fits" meaning that when you sit on it, your thigh is parallel with the floor and your feet will rest flat on the floor.)

I have come across several articles (see links below this article) on how a growing number of schools are using this simple technology for students. The results and feedback look positive, and I have noticed the difference for myself, however I would like to see more actual research on this for students, especially in the area of ASD, SPD, ADD & ADHD.

In general, the muscles that are constantly in use in order to sit correctly on the balls will also help improve posture, core strength & integrate the vestibular & proprioceptive senses. Brain integration improves as does alertness, along with a decrease visual & mental fatigue.

When you look at what schools spend on desks and chairs they are also cost-effective. The typical exercise balls cost $15 to $40, depending on the type and size. The balls are also quieter than chairs too, adding to the overall quality of the learning environment.

For one elementary school in Florida, the results have been encouraging. The balls were purchased with  funds from the PE department. The kids seem more attentive & like the balls better than chairs. The PE & classroom teacher are collecting data to see what the overall outcome is & effects are.


In another experiment in Michigan last year with college students who used exercise balls as chairs, the study indicated overwhelmingly a preference for ball chairs. The results were Published in the Chronicle of Kinesiology and Physical Education in Higher Education.  The study found that there was also at least a perception of  improved concentration and focus.

While some children with sensory challenges exhibited improved behaviors, others appeared to be distracted by the balls, indicating that, as with many interventions, this may not be helpful nor appropriate to all children. For some children with poor muscle tone, this may not be a recommended activity so closely supervise & please check with your OT, PT or other therapist/doctor before attempting with children who have diminished mobility or vestibular/proprioception challenges.

To schedule a Yoga Based Sensory Integration workshop for your parents group staff or organization, please contact: barbara@bodylogique.com

See a list of our current offerings here: Workshops/Professional Development

* More Fitness Ball Articles &  Information here:

Chicago Tribune

BayNews (Seminole Florida)

SPD Foundation

LIVESTRONG.com

WittFitt

The Ergonomenon


*For broken or dead links please contact : barbara@bodylogique.com







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Its ALL Sensory!

Peeling tomatoes-tactile & fine motor

Sensory integration is a dynamic and natural part of the human growth and maturation process that occurs during the early childhood years. Simply stated, it is the useful organization of sensations by the nervous system. It is a continual process of Mind and Body interacting with the environment, receiving and processing information & creating an appropriate response.


Early childhood experiences should provide fun, varied & frequent activities that support and nurture this vitally important growth process.

Children learn best by doing, and greatly benefit from daily activities such as dressing up, warm or scented play dough or clay, movement games and  sensory boxes. These choices provide a rich sensory 'diet' that calms the nervous system, improves brain development and integrates all the information processed by the senses. The more sensory-motor experiences young children have, the more easily they learn to function in daily life.

Children with autism, ADD, PDD and other processing disorders have difficulty in filtering, sorting out and responding to this information as it comes in through the 5 senses, especially during periods of high stress, discomfort, transitions or chaotic or extremely stimulating environments. Sensory Integration therapy involves a structured & simultaneous stimulation of several senses for the purpose of completing the same activity.

Why are S.I activities so important to a child’s development and learning? One reason is that they train the brain to properly digest & use the countless bits of information being received every moment so that an appropriate response or behavior can be formed. Generalization is when the child learns to apply the process of integration in other areas & occurs automatically from imitation & repetition. It is a vital element of the learning process as well as for cultivating self-esteem. As an activity becomes more familiar, it becomes centrally programmed in the nervous system & more automatic & then becomes sensory motor memory.

The variety of sensory integration activities is endless... literally  thousands of activities to stimulate & integrate every one of the senses! These activities do not have to be elaborate or require expensive equipment. One of my favorite simple sensory activities is cooking.

In addition to creating nourishing meals, encouraging healthy habits and spending quality family time together, closely supervised cooking can be a great social & integrative activity for all children and especially children with Sensory Processing Issues. Children learn self-care skills, can stir, mix or knead ingredients, (proprioceptive/tactile) measure ingredients (visual) and be exposed to different tastes & smells (gustation/olfactory). Following the steps of a simple recipe teaches order & focus and eating food that they helped prepare gives a sense of  meaningful accomplishment!

This weekend I made fresh pasta sauce with my daughter from tomatoes, bell peppers and basil that she helped pick from our garden. My son posted a recipe here on his blog (Fork & Spoon Operator.) that we followed to the letter. It was a multi sensory experience: washing the tomatoes, slicing them to peel the skin, hot/cold water baths, peeling, squeezing out the seeds, chopping & stirring...and the wonderful aroma of the fresh tomatoes, fresh bell pepper and the spices: fresh basil, black pepper, roasted garlic, cheese, oregano and onion, filling the entire house, and probably the neighborhood.

Lauren kept trying to dip bread in the pot to "taste" the tomatoes-(I pretended not to see her...). She was calm, happily focused and completely engaged in our activity.

We spent several hours in all, working, laughing and talking and cooking (and making a huge mess!) and then cleaning up. She even made garlic bread with freshly roasted garlic. I took this opportunity to tell her stories of my immigrant grandparents and the ways of the "old world". When we finally served dinner to everyone,  she also had a new appreciation for family, her ancestory, where our food actually comes from and the care with which it is prepared. 

Sensory integration activities are vital to providing and achieving the necessary challenges and subsequent skill development for children that supports:

• reaching developmental milestones
• cognitive & emotional development
• a sense of achievement/positive self-esteem
• learning readiness in mind & body
• positive social development through interactions with people & environment
• achievement of developmental milestones

Many of these sensory activities can be found in the child's most natural, familiar & first learning environment-at home.


For more information about movement programs for sensory integration please vist us at:

http://www.bodylogique.com/

For phenominal recipes and entertaining edgy commentary, be sure to follow "Fork & Spoon Operator"
(my oldest son's blog)

Mmm! Ice Cream for desert!

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