Nurturing emotional resilience: supporting children through sensory meltdowns
How you respond to your child will largely depend on their age, their cognitive and language abilities (keeping in mind that during a meltdown we lose the ability to communicate effectively), their sensory preferences and even their diagnosis, if they have one. With that in mind, here are some general tips to help lessen a meltdown.
SENSORY-FRIENDLY TRAVEL TIPS
Whether or not you have family members with sensory sensitivities, we all have unique sensory preferences. By acknowledging and honoring these preferences, we can turn what might have been a struggle-filled vacation into a luxurious, harmonious experience. By considering sensory needs before, during, and after your getaway, we can navigate any challenges with grace, ensuring that the memories we create are nothing short of extraordinary.
Sensory Accommodations:
When I’m problem-solving to find sensory regulation activities for a child within an educational environment, I like to start with the end goal in mind. As a pediatric occupational therapist, I always start with a simple goal: to help each child be as independent and functional as possible. How we get to that goal can look very different, depending on the unique sensory system each child brings to the table.
The overarching truth surrounding sensory regulation is: Sensory regulation needs to match the situation and the environment.
Preventing restraint collapse (meltdowns)with after-school sensory-friendly routines
Restraint collapse is when a child has held themselves in check throughout their whole school day, navigating their sensory challenges, and then as soon as they are home in their safe space, they allow their dysregulation to show. Helping a child cope with this sensory overload after school is important to help them regroup and to give them strategies they can start to use during the school day, as well.