Sensory Processing Awareness Month

October is Sensory Processing Awareness Month. Sensory processing is how the brain  receives and uses input from the senses – the familiar five, plus a few more. (See “Eight Senses” below.) Children with sensory processing differences may experience sights,  sounds, scents, tastes, or textures more or less intensely than others. A child might  withdraw, become overwhelmed, or seek constant movement, and these are often the  body’s way of coping. For caregivers, this can be hard to read. For the child experiencing  sensory dysregulation, having their sensory needs misunderstood or ignored can leave  them feeling unsafe. 

Understanding how to support children with sensory processing differences (SPD) is an  essential part of providing the nurturing therapeutic childcare at the heart of Jeremiah’s  Place’s mission. Fortunately, a cohort of five doctoral students from Pitt’s Occupational  Therapy program recently created a Sensory Support Toolkit for JP and trained staff in its  

use. 

Grace Preede, OTD, OTR/L and Sarah Schreiber, OTD, OTR/L were two of the Pitt doctoral  students. They and their team relied on their coursework, clinical experience and  academic research in developing the Sensory Support Toolkit as their capstone project.  “We did a needs assessment and surveyed the staff about their sensory-related needs,” Dr.  Schreiber recalls. The result was the Sensory Support Toolkit – a binder rich in information and materials – plus a program of detailed and individualized staff development. 

“Every day we were there, we were helping staff identify sensory patterns and identifying what kids needed,” Dr. Preede remembers. For example, a child might cry or become  withdrawn during transitions – moving from one activity to another. The child may be feeling dysregulated due to sensory processing differences. In scenario-based training and in  practice, the OT students guided the childcare staff through how to tell what the child  needed and what to do to help.  

Dr. Schriber describes some possible strategies around transitions: 

A caregiver can use visual support, showing picture cards, and offering an explanation,  “Now we’re in the gym. Next, we’ll go to lunch.” 

A caregiver can offer a choice, “Next, we’re going to the nap area. Would you like to dino walk there or frog-hop?” 

Beyond the Sensory Support Toolkit, the OT students consulted on the design of the sensory room in the new emergency childcare facility that will soon be opening on S.  Trenton Avenue in Wilkinsburg. The new site will include a room with a sensory swing.  “Different swings do different things,” explains Dr. Preede. Some swings provide comforting

pressure; some engage the core muscles. “For kids who need more input, swinging is a  good one, because it provides a lot of movement, really fast.” 

Dr. Preede recounts her Jeremiah’s Place experience with fondness. “Being able to take one  lesson and do it a little bit differently with each kid so that they’re getting the best out of it  was kind of like my favorite thing to do. I mean, all the kids are amazing, so sweet.” 

Dr. Schreiber’s favorite thing about her time at Jeremiah’s Place is, “How much the staff  care and treat each and every child like family. It was a wonderful collaborative  experience.” 

Eight Senses:  

In addition to the five senses – sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch – occupational  therapists study three additional senses involved in sensory processing, the internal  senses: vestibular, proprioception, and interoception. 

Vestibular – Balance. The vestibular system is in the inner ear. If you feel dizzy, that’s  information from your vestibular system.  

Proprioception – Knowing where our body parts are, being able to tell how our arms and  legs are positioned, how our muscles and joints feel. If you can tell, without looking, where  your feet are, that’s proprioception.  

Interoception – Our inner sense of alertness or arousal, how our internal organs, muscles  and skin feel. This is especially relevant to how we experience emotions. If you feel yourself blush; if you feel a pit in your stomach, that’s interoception.