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Mindfulness for Children

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the practice of being present and fully engaged in the moment, free from distractions, judgment, and aware of our thoughts and feelings. Participating in mindfulness helps us become more aware of sensory input from the environment around us and how our body feels.

Why teach children mindfulness? 

Practicing mindfulness with children can provide them with the strategies they need to help control their emotions, slow down, calm themselves and focus. Through mindfulness, children may develop greater awareness of their emotional, body and sensory experiences. Mindfulness can be a powerful tool in helping manage anxiety and impulsivity, and can improve listening, creativity and respect for self and others.

Mindfulness activities, when practiced together, can strengthen the relationship between an adult and child.

Activities that support mindfulness with children

Infants and toddlers

  • Sing songs, lullabies and nursery rhymes throughout the day to your baby.  
  • Massage your baby gently before a nap or 45 minutes after a feeding. Start at your baby’s stomach and work your way to their head, neck, shoulders, legs and feet.
  • Eye gaze with your baby while saying “I am” affirmations. For example, “I am safe”, “I am confident”, “I am loved”, “I am calm”, “I am beautiful”.

Young children

  • Practice focused breathing using your child’s favourite stuffed toys as visual aids. In a relaxed position on the floor, place a toy on your abdomen and on your child’s abdomen. Take three deep breaths, breathing in and out through your nose, while saying ‘blow’ or ‘smell’ to help the child understand the actions. Show your child how the toy rises and falls as they take the breaths. Practice ‘blowing’ bubbles, pinwheels or ‘smelling’ food at other times to familiarize your child with focused breathing.  
  • Talk about sensory experiences with your child. Draw your child’s attention to what you and your child see, hear, smell, taste and touch in simple words. For example, when baking cookies, ask your child to ‘smell the cookies’.
  • Yoga incorporated into your child’s daily routine can be enjoyable and relaxing. Teach simple yoga poses such as downward dog, rag doll, and mountain pose (select the yoga poses that match your child’s ability).
  • Go on mindful walks and during the walk, talk about what you see, hear, smell and feel while in the natural environment. For example, if you pick up a smooth stone and you both feel it and talk about its smoothness and shape, you are focusing your attention to the present moment.
  • Yoga balloon. Sit on the floor with your child. Cross your legs and keep your back straight. Place the palms of your hands together at the centre of your chest.  Breathe in slowly and deeply through your nose, raising your arms above your head in the shape of a big balloon. Breathe out slowly through your mouth and bring your arms back down so that your palms are together again at the centre of your chest.

School age children

  • Guided meditation videos are helpful when learning calming techniques, such as body scanning and muscle relaxation. Many videos are available for you to source on the internet based on your child’s ability. 
  • Listen to bell activity uses a bell, chime, triangle or an app that imitates the sound of a bell to focus your child’s attention on a single source of sensory input. Ring the bell in a slow, quiet, rhythmic way and ask your child to focus on the sound and keep their eyes closed until they no longer hear the sound. 
  • Heartbeat exercises can help your child with body awareness. Start by engaging in an activity that increases heart rate, such as jumping jacks, jumping on the spot, or running. After completing the exercise, sit together with your eyes closed and hands placed on your heart. Encourage your child to notice their heartbeat and how the rate slows down as they rest. 
  • Mind in a jar activity can help your child to focus and be calm. You will need a jar with a tight lid, water and glitter.  Explain that the jar represents your child’s head, the water their mind and the glitter their thoughts, worries, and memories. Shake the jar and tell your child this is how your mind (water) is when you are thinking or worrying about several things. Set the jar down and watch how the glitter settles and the water becomes clear. Talk about how, while their thoughts are calm and quiet at the bottom of the jar, their mind is clear and they are focused. 
  • Use the acronym STOP to teach your child the core components of mindfulness: Stop what your are doing, press the pause button on your thoughts and actions, Take a few deep breaths to centre yourself and bring yourself fully into the present moment, Observe what is going on with your body, emotions and mind, and Proceed with whatever you were doing, making a conscious, intentional choice to incorporate what you just learned.  
  • Positive affirmation is anything good you say or think about yourself. Teach your child to describe themselves in positive ways using ‘I’ statements, such as “I am smart”, “I am focused”, “I am strong”, and “I am proud of myself.” You can make a dice game by pasting positive affirmation ‘fill in the blank’ statements, such as, “I am good at…” on a square box or large die. Take turns rolling the die and complete the sentence.
  • Gratitude statements are thoughts about things for which you are grateful. Throughout the day you and your child can talk about what you are grateful for. For example, “I’m grateful for the time I spend at the park with my brother.”
  • Mindful journaling helps your child reflect on their thoughts, feelings and experiences.  You can help by using mindfulness journaling prompts, such as, “I remember when I used balloon breath to feel better when I couldn’t ride my bike”. 

Remember

Caregivers, family members and early learning professionals share a role in helping children find ways to be present and aware of their thoughts and feelings. Working together as a team to establish common goals will have the greatest impact on your child’s development and well-being.

Remember that practicing mindfulness your self is equally important. When you understand and use mindfulness techniques, your child will learn from you.

“In today’s rush, we all think too much—seek too much—want too much—and forget about the joy of just being.”- Eckhart Tolle

References and web resource links

Ackerman, C. E., (2020). 25 Fun Mindfulness Activities for Children and Teens, Retrieved July 17, 2020 from: https://positivepsychology.com/mindfulness-for-children-kids-activities/

Clemmer, C., (2020). Ease Your Anxious Child: 6 Simple Mindfulness Exercises to Try Today, Retrieved July 17, 2020 from: https://www.mother.ly/child/ease-your-anxious-child-6-simple-mindfulness-exercises-to-try-today

Halloran, J., (2016). Simple Ways to Introduce Mindfulness and Meditation to Children, Retrieve July 17, 2020 from: https://copingskillsforkids.com/blog/simple-ways-to-introduce-mindfulness-and-meditation-to-children

Landis, J., (2020). Simple Activities to Help Toddlers Develop Mindfulness, Retrieved July 17, 2020 from: http://www.momentsaday.com/help-toddlers-develop-mindfulness/

Lyness, D., Reviewer, (2017). Mindfulness Exercises, Retrieved July 17, 2020 from: https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/mindful-exercises.html

Marcin, A., (2020). Teaching Your Child Mindfulness, Retrieved July 17, 2020 from: https://www.healthline.com/health/childrens-health/mindfulness-for-kids#infants

Newman, M., (2020). Mindfulness Practices Help Regulate You and Your Baby, Retrieved July 17, 2020 from: https://www.lamaze.org/Giving-Birth-with-Confidence/GBWC-Post/mindfulness-practices-help-regulate-you-and-your-baby-1

Rogers, S., (2017). A Mindfulness Practice for Preschoolers that Connects Preschoolers to Nature, Retrieved July 17, 2020 from: https://www.mindful.org/mindfulness-practice-preschoolers-connects-kids-nature/

Scaccia, A., (2018). Your Guide to Baby Massage, Retrieved July 17, 2020 from: https://www.healthline.com/health/parenting/baby-massage

Brought to you by Every Child Belongs

Children’s Grief and Loss

Feelings of grief may be caused by a traumatic event such as death, illness, or divorce. Experiences of discrimination due to racism, ableism, classism, and other stereotypes or biases can also create grief and loss responses in children.  These types of experiences can be direct or indirect. As an adult, it is our role to provide a supportive and empathetic response to help children cope with grief.

Signs of grief and loss in children

It is important to recognize the signs and potential causes of grief and loss experienced by a child and take steps to help them cope.

Children may:

  • experience grief and loss differently than adults
  • experience fluctuating grief; it may seem to come and go
  • understand and cope with grief in different ways as they develop
  • experience the loss multiple times as they mature

Children use a variety of ways to communicate how they feel as they try to understand and cope.  Children’s understanding of an experience that creates a sense of grief will also vary depending on the child’s age, developmental level, and the support they receive.

It is not uncommon for children to express their grief through: 

  • Using language and making comments that seem out of context
  • Lack of an emotional response or display of extreme emotions
  • Sensitivity, irritability or being easily frustrated
  • Changes in well-established skills and routines (e.g., eating, toileting)
  • Nightmares or sleep problems
  • Recurrent physical symptoms such as headaches or stomach aches for reasons other than medical
  • Sudden and marked decrease in appetite
  • Difficulty calming when upset
  • Over-dependence on parent/main caregiver, unusual separation anxiety, or seeking additional attention and/or comfort
  • Inability to concentrate or finish common tasks
  • Lack of interest in activities that were previously considered enjoyable
  • Withdrawing or showing little interest in social interactions with others
  • Unexpected or unfounded fears

Working through feelings of grief and loss together

You may also be experiencing grief and loss at the same time. Recognizing your feelings and taking steps to manage your own wellness is equally important as helping your child. 

Your child may ask the same questions repeatedly to make sense of difficult information.  This is because children cannot reflect on their own thoughts and emotions like adults and may need information repeated to them several times.  When supporting your child:

  • Give them the attention they need in the moment
  • Offer affection and reassurance that they are loved and cared for
  • Use simple, concrete words and descriptions (i.e., “dead” or “died” instead of “loss” or “passed away”) to talk about what you and your child are experiencing
  • Help then recognize, label and talk about emotions.  Let them know that grief typically involves a range of emotions, including anger, guilt, and frustration, and that all their feelings are valid and accepted
  • Make sure they have access to play materials such as puppets, dolls or action figures to express their feelings or engage in role-playing games
  • Read books about grief and loss or make a personal story to support coping with the experience
  • Help them to write in a journal or draw a picture about their experience
  • Use natural opportunities to discuss experiences. For example, when you see a dead bug or plant, give factual and brief information such as “The ladybug is not alive anymore, it died.  When a living thing dies, they do not feel anything anymore.”
  • Respond using a soothing voice and gestures to comfort them 
  • Include your child in your family and cultural practices during the grieving process
  • Offer a favourite toy or activity to help comfort your child. Spend some time with them in that activity
  • Allow flexibility in your routine. If your child is upset, give them extra time to regulate their feelings 

Answering your child’s questions

Your child may make up their own narrative about what is happening if they are not provided with simple and clear information.  For example, the term “sick” when used to describe terminal cancer might cause confusion, and a child may be worried that all sicknesses result in death.  Use concrete words and avoid confusing phrases when talking about the situation or event that has triggered the grief. For example, statements like “he passed away” or “we lost the dog” are unclear and could be misinterpreted by the child.

Consider the following:

  • Ask for clarification if you are unsure of what your child is saying or asking
  • Ensure you have your child’s attention before you speak directly to them
  • Consider their level of understanding and their temperament
  • Only give as much information as is necessary
  • Children may ask the same questions often to make sense of difficult information and may need information about the situation repeated several times.
  • It’s okay to say you do not know and will try to find the answer

Definitions

Grief is the response to loss that includes thoughts, behaviours, emotions and physiological changes.  If the loss is permanent, the grief will also be permanent; but it changes as a person adapts to the loss.

Acute grief may occur in the early period after a loss. Strong feelings of yearning, longing and/or sorrow are typical. 

Integrated grief is a lasting form of grief in which loss-related thoughts, feelings and behaviours are integrated into a person’s ongoing functioning; the grief may have a place in the person’s life without dominating it.

Complicated grief is a persistent form of intense grief in which negative thoughts and behaviours and/or preoccupation are present.

Adapting to loss entails accepting the reality of the loss, including its finality, consequences and changed relationships; adapting means seeing the future as holding possibilities.

Collective grief is felt by a group. For example, this could be experienced by a whole community as with a global pandemic.

Children’s literature

  • Brown & Brown. (1996). When Dinosaurs Die:  A Guide to Understanding Death.   New York, NY:  Little, Brown & Company.
  • Thomas, J., & Dale, U. J. (2012). What does dead mean? – a book for young children to help explain death and. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
  • Mellonie, Bryan & Robert Ingpen. (1983). Lifetimes:  The beautiful way to explain death to children.  Toronto, ON:  Bantam Books.
  • Munsch, Robert. (2003). Lighthouse – A Story of Remembrance.  Vancouver, BC:  North Winds Press.
  • DiSalvo, DyAnne. (1999). A Dog Like Jack.  New York, NY:  Holiday House.
  • Heegaard, Marge. (1991). When Something Terrible Happens.  Salt Lake City, UT:  Woodland Press.
  • Palmer, Pat. (2004). “I wish I could hold your hand…” – A Child’s Guide to Grief and Loss.  Oakland, CA:  Impact Publishers, Inc.
  • Thomas, Pat. (2001). I Miss You.  New York, NY:  Barron’s Educational Series.
  • Silverman, Janis. (1999). Help Me Say Goodbye:  Activities for Helping Kids When a Special Person Dies.  Toronto, ON:  Fairview Press.

Websites and resource links

References

Elizz.com, (2020). Tips of grief and loss. Retrieved June 29, 2020 from: https://elizz.com/caregiver-resources/types-of-grief-and-loss/

KidsGrief.ca. (2020) (5AD).  Talking to kids about death and dying. Retrieved on June 29, 2020 from https://kidsgrief.ca/

Kubler-Ross, E. (2014). On Death and Dying: What the Dying Have to Teach Doctors, Nurses, Clergy and Their Own Families. Scribner.

Canadian Virtual Hospice. (2020). Featured Content. (n.d.). Retrieved June 4, 2020, https://www.virtualhospice.ca

Librach, S. L., & Obrien, H. (2011). Supporting Children’s Grief within an Adult and Pediatric Palliative Care Program. The Journal of Supportive Oncology, 9(4), 136–140. doi: 10.1016/j.suponc.2011.04.003

The Centre for Complicated Grief. (2020). Key Definitions. Retrieved on June 2020 from: https://complicatedgrief.columbia.edu/professionals/complicated-grief-professionals/overview/

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COVID-19: Supporting Children’s Play through Stressful Times

Play has an important role in childhood as it supports early learning. When children experience challenging situations, the source of their stress is often reflected in their play as they try to make sense of their world. When adults support and set the stage for play, children have opportunities to investigate, explore, test, invent and learn within a safe and responsive environment.

Play provides children with an opportunity to:

  • Build relationships and a sense of self in relation to others
  • Work through stress, anxiety and frustration
  • Boost self-esteem
  • Improve emotional flexibility and resilience
  • Increase intelligence/supporting abstract thinking and problem-solving
  • Practice self-regulation
  • Practice independence and making choices

Set up the environment

  • Have a variety of activities and play materials available to your child promote independence and choice. Consider offering two options if many choices become overwhelming. 
  • Offer creative art materials or building toys that can be used for open-ended play. This type of play may help your child use their imagination and build a sense of competency and accomplishment in creating something.
  • Incorporate music or song and dance/body movement that your child enjoys into the play. 
  • Consider incorporating the natural environment into the space, reflecting a connection to the land.
  • Include family and cultural materials and practices, ones that will help your child find a way to ground their identity within their play.

Respond to children’s play 

  • Recognize that your child’s reality may be different from what you have experienced. Their play and how they response to a situation is telling you something. 
    • Watch how your child is playing.
    • Listen to their comments and questions. 
    • Label and validate their feelings.
    • Ask questions to gain an understanding. 
  • Model calming strategies while playing together: deep breaths, draw a picture, take a walk, get a drink of water, take about feelings. 
  • Label your own feelings “I feel sad…”, “I feel happy…” 
  • Talk about the future “I wonder…”, “Can you imagine…”
  • Tell stories and listen to the stories your child shares in their play.
  • Stress can limit a child’s ability to problem solve. Be available to help your child work through challenges. 
  • Respond to the underlying needs of your child based on what you observe. Ask yourself the following questions:
    • What is happening?
    • Why is it happening?
    • What are they trying to tell me through their actions?
    • What changes can I make to help them?
    • What new skills do they need to learn?
  • It’s important to include family and cultural practices throughout the day, ones that will help your child find a way to ground themselves within their identity.

Respond to children’s questions and comments

Asking questions and making comments during play is another way for children to process new experiences, stressors or situations. At times children may remark on something that is uncomfortable for you to hear or you may feel you don’t know how to respond, this is natural.  When responding to these questions or comments:

  • Acknowledge that you have heard the child and pause (silently count to ten) to give yourself time to choose your words
  • Provide developmentally appropriate responses to questions
  • Keep the answers simple and factual
  • If you do not know the answer, respond in a way that allows you to investigate together. 
    • “That’s a great question. Let’s find out together.”
  • Reassure your child that they are safe and cared for by responding in a supportive way. Try to remain calm if you are feeling uncomfortable, as children are perceptive and can sense your emotions.
    • Try a breathing exercise when you feel your anxiety starting to grow. Share this with your child, i.e., “Let’s take five big breaths. Count them with me. 5-4-3-2-1. Does that feel better?”
  • Recognize and label emotions to help your child make meaning of their experiences. Use pictures to help them identify how they feel.
    • For example, “Abdullahi can’t play right now. Tell me how you feel? Show me which one.”

Remember

Play fosters creativity, imagination, resiliency and problem solving skills among many other benefits.  By playing with your child and supporting their play with other children, you are helping them build relationships and creating a safe space to explore their feelings.

References

Charbonneau, M., Crooker, R. & Slider, P. et. al. (2015). 1 2 3 Care:  A Trauma-Sensitive Toolkit for Caregivers of Children.  Retrieved from https://srhd.org/media/documents/1-2-3-Care-Toolkit_LowResolution.pdf.

McVittie, J. (2015). Resilience. Retrieved from https://srhd.org/media/documents/resilience1.pdf

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Four Patterns of Sensory Processing

All children are unique and it is likely you will encounter children with different sensory processing challenges at the same time. 

There are tip sheets on each of the seven senses:  smell, taste, touch, vision, hearing, vestibular, and proprioceptive.  Each sheet provides detailed information for programming on those individual senses.  When developing any programming for a child, it is common to identify if the child is sensitive to stimuli within a particular sense.  Below is a chart to help you understand an individual child’s needs.

There are the four patterns of sensory processing: low registration, sensation seeking, sensory sensitive and sensation avoiding. 

Low registration: A child with low registration does not recognize or process all of the incoming sensory information, and they do not compensate by trying to gain more sensory input to meet their needs. They may seem uninterested, and inattentive to their surroundings.  

Sensation seeking: A child classified as sensation seeking does not recognize or process all of the incoming sensory information, but contrary to low registration, they actively try to gain this sensory input to meet their needs. They may be hyperactive, touch others often or engage in unsafe activities like jumping from heights. 

Sensory sensitive: A child classified as sensory sensitive feels overwhelmed by sensory information, but they do not actively try to avoid the overstimulation, instead they may just display frustration. They may be easily distracted, and irritable, cautious, and uncomfortable in loud or bright environments. 

Sensation avoiding: A child that is sensation avoiding feels overwhelmed by sensory information and will actively avoid the stimulation. They may run away from loud, busy environments, cover their ears when overstimulated by noise, or wear gloves to avoid touching certain materials such as paint. 

Here are some general strategies you can use to manage a large number of children with different sensory processing challenges: 

  • Whenever possible try to minimize the sensory stimuli in a room. For example, avoid fluorescent lighting and loud noises. Although some children may require extra input, it is easier to give them this input individually in alternate ways that do not involve disturbing the hypersensitive individuals in the room.  For e.g., for children that require additional visual input, provide visually stimulating items such as a lava lamp.  For children who require extra auditory input, provide sound-producing toys, such as a shaker.
  • Have a designated area in the classroom that children can go to and calm their nervous system if they become overwhelmed. This strategy is useful with most children that are hypersensitive to any of the seven senses. 
  • Give children options. Provide children materials such as a fidget spinner or exercise ball to use if they are seeking this type of input. 
  • Communicate with the child’s caregivers to learn about the child’s likes and dislikes and strategies that work at home that can be easily transferred to the classroom environment.

Reference:

Dunn, Winnie (2007), Dunn’s Four Quadrant Model of Sensory Processing.

Sensory and Beyond

The Seven Senses

If you asked someone to think about their senses, most people would name the following five: vision, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. Often what is less familiar are the other two senses: vestibular and proprioception.

The vestibular system is part of the sensory system that controls the sense of balance and spatial orientation for the purpose of coordinating movement with balance. Examples include maintaining balance while learning to walk, holding objects, and turning pages of a book.

Proprioception refers to the sense of the position of parts of the body, relative to other neighbouring parts of the body.  Focuses on the body’s cognitive awareness of movement. Examples of proprioception include stepping off a curb without looking at your feet and knowing how much pressure to apply when pressing an elevator button. 

Hearing

Sensory processing for hearing, also known as auditory processing, is the way our brains process the things that we hear. Read more »

Touch

Sensory processing for touch, also known as tactile processing, is the way that our brain processes information about our environment through messages from our skin. Read more »

Smell

Our sense of smell is extremely important in everyday life. It can impact our memories and emotions. Read more »

Vision

Sensory processing for the visual system uses light, colour, shape and movement to detect information through our eyes and then the brain interprets that information. Read more »

Taste

Sensory processing for taste, also known as oral sensation processing, is the way that our brain processes information from our mouth and taste buds. Read more »

Proprioception

Proprioception is a sense that tells us about the position of our body parts in relation to each other, other individuals and the environment. Read more »

Vestibular

The vestibular system (inner ear balance mechanism) helps us maintain awareness of positioning of our bodies when for example we are walking, running or riding in a vehicle. Read more »

Understanding the Sensory System and Sensory Processing

Sensory processing is the way our brain accepts, interprets and organizes information from our seven senses to create a response. No two people will react exactly the same way; everyone has their own unique response to sensory stimuli. Read more »

In Conclusion

All children are unique and it is likely you will encounter children with different sensory processing challenges at the same time. When developing any programming for a child, it is common to identify if the child is sensitive to stimuli within a particular sense.  Read more »

Smell

Our sense of smell is extremely important in everyday life. It can impact our memories and emotions. Our brain’s ability to process the smells in our environment through receptors in our nose is called olfactory processing. There are individual differences in sensory processing; some children can be hypersensitive to smells and be bothered by subtle smells in the environment. On the contrary, some children can be hyposensitive to smells and not seem to notice smells in the environment that other people easily sense, such as strong brewing coffee or a skunk. 

There are the four patterns of sensory processing: low registration, sensation seeking, sensory sensitive and sensation avoiding. 

Low registration: A child with low registration does not recognize or process all of the incoming sensory information, and they do not compensate by trying to gain more sensory input to meet their needs. They may seem uninterested, and inattentive to their surroundings.  

Sensation seeking: A child classified as sensation seeking does not recognize or process all of the incoming sensory information, but contrary to low registration, they actively try to gain this sensory input to meet their needs. They may be hyperactive, touch others often or engage in unsafe activities like jumping from heights. 

Sensory sensitive: A child classified as sensory sensitive feels overwhelmed by sensory information, but they do not actively try to avoid the overstimulation, instead they may just display frustration. They may be easily distracted, and irritable, cautious, and uncomfortable in loud or bright environments. 

Sensation avoiding: A child that is sensation avoiding feels overwhelmed by sensory information and will actively avoid the stimulation. They may run away from loud, busy environments, cover their ears when overstimulated by noise, or wear gloves to avoid touching certain materials such as paint. 

Hyposensitivity

A child who has low registration for smell, or is sensation seeking may require extra olfactory input (smells) in order to process their environment. 

If a child has a low registration pattern for olfactory processing for smell they may: 

  • Be unaware of very strong or unpleasant smells that others notice, such as the smell of exhaust fumes.
  • Be unable to label or recognize certain smells.
  • Be unaware of the smell of smoke from a fire or other dangerous smells in the environment.
  • Be unaware of smells others may enjoy, such as the smell of freshly baked bread. As a result, they may not have a strong preference for the foods that many others may like. 

If a child has a sensation seeking pattern for olfactory processing they may:

  • Explore a variety of non-food objects by smelling them. For example, they may smell various people, foods, markers, and toys to explore them. They may also want to smell odors that others would perceive as unpleasant, such as the smell of soured milk or gasoline. 
  • Play with feces, due to the strong scent. 
  • Crave and actively seek out particular smells, both of food and non-food items. For example, they may be very drawn to a particular flower at the park or the smell of bubble bath. 
  • Enjoy eating foods with strong scents such as oranges, garlic, or pickles. 

Case example:

Sarah is a very curious 8-year-old-girl. Her teachers notice that she frequently hovers over the garbage cans in the classroom and playground to smell the contents. When redirected from this behaviour, she will seek out other objects to smell, including classmates. She is having trouble making friends at school because of this, and her parents are very concerned. 

Sarah has a sensation seeking pattern for olfactory processing. She continuously seeks out very strong scents to meet her needs. 

Strategies to assist a child with hyposensitivity for olfactory sensory processing:

  • Provide the child with strong scents such as peppermint, citrus, perfume/cologne or use scented laundry detergent. These scents can provide the child with the required amount of stimulation to increase their alertness. You can teach them to use these scents to gain stimulation, as opposed to people or inappropriate objects such as feces. 
  • Play games such as “guess that scent.” Try using scented candles, essential oils, or different types of foods and without showing the child have them guess the scent. 
  • Create a routine for washing hands, bathing, and cleaning if the child is unaware of their own scent. 
  • Provide the child with scented playdough or scented markers. 
  • Teach older children strategies to compensate for their hyposensitivity. For example, if they are unable to tell if food has gone bad due to their sensory processing differences, teach them to read expiry dates. 

Hypersensitivity 

Children who are sensory sensitive or sensory avoiding to smells may be considered picky or selective eaters due to a dislike of certain food scents. 

If a child has a sensory sensitive pattern for olfactory processing they may: 

  • Become anxious while in rooms recently cleaned with cleaning products, or with air fresheners. 
  • Dislike the scent of laundry detergent on their clothing.
  • Gag when presented with certain foods or other scents.
  • Be anxious about their own scent, particularly if they perceive they “smell bad.” They may want to bathe numerous times a day to remove this smell from their bodies. 
  • Become distracted in school because of the smells in the environment. 

If a child has a sensory avoiding pattern for olfactory processing they may: 

  • Be a very selective or picky eater, refusing to eat certain foods based on scent. They may refuse to eat certain foods even if they are extremely hungry.  
  • Run away from or avoid shared lunch spaces due to the dislike of other lunch smells. 
  • Plug their nose when in the presence of particular smells, such as the smell of a flower, perfume/cologne, another child, or food item.
  • Refuse to use public bathrooms due to the scent.
  • Refuse to go to a particular place, such as a friend’s house because of the smell. 

Case example:

Sebastian is a 5-year-old-boy. Sebastian’s parents are concerned as he will often come home from school with his pants soiled. His teachers have shared that he refuses to use the washroom in the classroom. After discussing with Sebastian, you discover he refuses to use the washroom because of the smell of the air fresheners and products used to clean it. 

From the case, you can see that Sebastian has a sensory avoiding pattern for olfactory processing. He has hypersensitivity towards the scent of the washroom and copes by avoiding this non-preferred scent. He avoids it daily and ends up with soiled clothing. 

Strategies to assist a child with hypersensitivity for olfactory sensory processing:

  • In some cases, you can try to desensitize a child to a particular scent by slowly increasing their exposure to the scent. However, be aware that the child may not wish to proceed with desensitization if they become uncomfortable and have a negative emotional response. 
  • Use fragrance free cleaning products including laundry detergent. 
  • Avoid wearing perfume or cologne or using strongly scented personal care products if you are near the child on a regular basis.
  • In class, seat the child away from triggering scents such as the garbage bin. You can seat them next to the window if they are tolerant of the smell outside. This ventilation can help them to cope. 
  • Provide the child with a preferred scent, such as an essential oil to use throughout the day if they feel overwhelmed by other scents. 

Proprioceptive Sense

Proprioception is a sense that tells us about the position of our body parts in relation to each other, other individuals and the environment. Proprioception also communicates information about how our body parts are moving. For example, how much force our muscles need to use for different activities, such as holding a paper cup as opposed to a plastic cup. 

Sensory processing for proprioception is the way our brains process information from our muscles and joints about the position of our bodies in space. Each child receives and processes proprioceptive information in different ways. Some children are hyposensitive and need constant input to feel where their body is in space or in relation to others. On the contrary, some children are hypersensitive to proprioception and may become overwhelmed. If a child has difficulties with receiving or processing this information, they may have trouble with body awareness or planning their body movements.

There are the four patterns of sensory processing: low registration, sensation seeking, sensory sensitive and sensation avoiding. 

Low registration: A child with low registration does not recognize or process all of the incoming sensory information, and they do not compensate by trying to gain more sensory input to meet their needs. They may seem uninterested, and inattentive to their surroundings.  

Sensation seeking: A child classified as sensation seeking does not recognize or process all of the incoming sensory information, but contrary to low registration, they actively try to gain this sensory input to meet their needs. They may be hyperactive, touch others often or engage in unsafe activities like jumping from heights. 

Sensory sensitive: A child classified as sensory sensitive feels overwhelmed by sensory information, but they do not actively try to avoid the overstimulation, instead they may just display frustration. They may be easily distracted, and irritable, cautious, and uncomfortable in loud or bright environments. 

Sensation avoiding: A child that is sensation avoiding feels overwhelmed by sensory information and will actively avoid the stimulation. They may run away from loud, busy environments, cover their ears when overstimulated by noise, or wear gloves to avoid touching certain materials such as paint. 

Hyposensitivity 

A child who has low registration or is sensation seeking for proprioception may require input to their muscles and joints to feel calm and to understand where their bodies are in space. 

If a child has a low registration pattern for proprioception they may: 

  • Have difficulty navigating rooms and avoiding objects when moving around.
  • Appear floppy and have difficulty with balance. They may have difficulties sitting upright in a chair or on the floor and keeping their head upright. The child may lean against people, furniture and walls for support.
  • Stumble and fall more than other children their age.
  • Have difficulty with some activities that require balance. For example, riding a bike.
  • Have difficulty with activities that require a change in body positioning. For example, playing sports.
  • Sit in a “W” stance on the floor.
  • Hold onto items with a weak grasp and drop objects easily. For example, they may be unable to hold a marker tight enough to use it and they may often drop their toys.
  • Have a limited sense of personal space. They may unknowingly stand too close to other individuals or objects.

If a child has a sensation seeking pattern for proprioception they may:

  • Push or play roughly with other children or objects. For example, they may purposely bump or run into people or objects such as walls, tables and doorframes.
  • Press too hard on paper when writing which may result in tears or holes in the paper. 
  • Bang or hit their body parts. For example, they may hit their head with their hands, bang their hands together or bang their head on a wall.
  • Prefer tight clothing. Tight clothing can give a large amount of proprioceptive input.
  • Constantly be in motion. For example, they may constantly flap their hands and fidget and not be able to sit still. This may impact their ability to focus in class, as they may constantly be trying to gain proprioceptive input through movement instead of listening. 
  • Prefer to run, jump or stomp instead of walking. They may walk very loudly, by stomping their feet on the ground.
  • Walk on their tip toes.

Case example:

Ameer is a 5-year-old boy. You notice that Ameer gets tired very easily while standing or sitting for long periods of time. He tends to lean on tables and walls to support himself. Ameer’s friends enjoy playing games such as hopscotch and soccer. Ameer has trouble kicking a ball and balancing on one foot and consequently does not participate in these games with his friends. You try to practice some kicking and balancing skills with him at home, but you find that he just doesn’t know what to do with his body and often falls. 

Ameer has a low registration pattern for proprioceptive input. He has trouble supporting his weight while sitting and standing. He also has trouble with activities that use balance such as standing on one foot or kicking a ball.  

For children who are hyposensitive to proprioceptive information, try to provide them with activities that use their muscles and joints to calm the child and increase their responsiveness to sensory input.

Strategies to assist a child with hyposensitivity for proprioception:

  • Incorporate activities that put weight on the muscles and joints such as crawling or push-ups. For example, games where the child needs to copy different walks such as a crab or wheelbarrow walks.
  • Incorporate activities where the child does heavy lifting. For example, at cleanup time, you can ask the child to pick up a stack of books or bins of toys.
  • Provide activities that use a lot of energy, such as running or jumping on a trampoline. Create obstacle courses for the child or have them bounce on an exercise ball. 
  • Place a piece of TheraBand (large, stretchy elastic) on the legs of their chair and allow for them to kick the band while sitting. 
  • Position furniture around the edge of the room to minimize the risk of falling and make navigation simpler.
  • Provide the child with non-slip shoes to prevent falls. 
  • Use deep pressure by giving the child hugs or a weighted/heavy blanket. This can be calming for children as it will give them their required proprioceptive input and calm their nervous system.
  • Use fine motor activities in their daily routine. For example, encourage them to draw, build, or play with a fidget spinner. 
  • Use an “arm’s length rule” or hula hoop to help judge personal space and reinforce them when necessary to maintain this practice. 

Hypersensitivity 

Children who are sensory sensitive or sensory avoiding for proprioception may be very sensitive to active movement and interacting with others. They may appear uncoordinated or be misjudged as lazy. 

If a child has a sensory sensitive pattern for proprioception they may: 

  • Hold their bodies in odd positions or appear lethargic (tired and slow movements). They may become tired easily after standing for long periods of time.
  • Appear stiff while walking or standing and walk with their legs wide apart.
  • Have difficulty moving small objects around in their hand such as buttons or shoelaces. They may have difficulty turning doorknobs or opening/closing containers.
  • Move their whole body, not just their head to look at something.
  • Appear uncoordinated in their movements. For example, while catching a ball.
  • Be hypersensitive to pain. For example, they may complain that their finger hurts after touching a pencil. 

If a child has a sensory avoiding pattern for proprioception they may: 

  • Avoid wearing tight clothing.
  • Avoid and refuse to participate in activities that require physical effort such as riding a bike, climbing or running.
  • Be extremely sensitive to touch and avoid situations where others may touch them. This is due to proprioceptive input received by touch. These children may strongly dislike hugs and other signs of affection. Tactile and proprioceptive processing are closely linked.

Case example:

Alice is a 4-year-old girl in kindergarten. You notice that Alice tends to remain in the same area and avoids participating in activities with the other children. She gets tired very easily, even while standing. She often refuses to participate in any activities that require significant amounts of energy. She is also very selective with clothing. When her parents dress her in tight clothing for the day, she complains that she feels uncomfortable and will often take her clothes off. Alice has a sensory avoiding pattern for proprioception. 

For children that are hypersensitive to proprioceptive stimuli, strategies can be used to help them build awareness of their movements and body positions. 

Strategies to assist a child with hypersensitivity for proprioceptive processing:

  • Use calming strategies frequently. For example, have them tightly squeeze an object such as playdough or a squeezy ball and then relax. 
  • Incorporate activities that focus on fine motor skills such as beading, stacking, colouring or building with Lego.
  • Slowly desensitize the child to varying body positions within their comfort zone. For example, you can practice animal walks with increasing difficulty. Start by walking like a bear and progress to walking like a crab on their hands and feet. This allows for the child to focus on their body movements in a controlled environment.
  • Incorporate yoga stretches to move the muscles and joints in a relaxing way.
  • Play games that increase body awareness, such as “Head and Shoulders” which can help to calm the nervous system and increase awareness of body parts. 
  • Provide the child with a quiet, calm area to go to if they feel overwhelmed. 

Understanding the Sensory System and Sensory Processing 

The Seven Senses

If you asked someone to think about their senses, most people would name the following five: vision, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. Often what is less familiar are the other two senses: vestibular and proprioception.

The vestibular system is part of the sensory system that controls the sense of balance and spatial orientation for the purpose of coordinating movement with balance. Examples include maintaining balance while learning to walk, holding objects, and turning pages of a book.

Proprioception refers to the sense of the position of parts of the body, relative to other neighbouring parts of the body.  Focuses on the body’s cognitive awareness of movement. Examples of proprioception include stepping off a curb without looking at your feet and knowing how much pressure to apply when pressing an elevator button. 

Sensory Processing

Sensory processing is the way our brain accepts, interprets and organizes information from our seven senses to create a response. No two people will react exactly the same way; everyone has their own unique response to sensory stimuli. 

Sensory processing is automatic for most individuals. However, sometimes children have trouble organizing and responding to information from the senses, which can lead to sensory processing challenges.

One common way of understanding sensory processing challenges is by using Dunn’s Four Quadrant Model of Sensory Processing. This model divides sensory processing into four patterns. These are: low registration, sensation seeking, sensory sensitive, and sensory avoiding. Sensory processing depends on the interaction between your child’s neurological threshold and their self-regulation strategies.

A Neurological threshold: Information coming to a child from the environment triggers activation of the children’s nervous system at a particular threshold.  This threshold indicates how intense the stimulation has to be for the child to notice it and falls on a continuum from low to high.  For example, children with low thresholds notice even low levels of input to the nervous system, while children with high thresholds require a greater level of input to notice the stimuli.  Children with high thresholds may miss information that others receive because they need more input to notice something. For a child with a high neurological threshold, a teacher may have to say the child’s name several times as well as touch them on the shoulder to get their attention. However, one type of sensory input may be enough for a child with a low threshold. 

Self-regulation strategies are the strategies a child uses to manage incoming sensory information. These range from active strategies to passive strategies. 

A child with active self-regulation strategies will act immediately in overwhelming situations to either avoid (e.g., run away), compensate for (e.g., cover their ears) or seek more sensory stimulation (e.g., hold toys in their hands). 

On the contrary, a child with passive self-regulation strategies might not react in an overwhelming situation. They typically do not respond, may shut down, or complain about the stimuli, but may become frustrated later in response to the stimulation which could be expressed as an outburst. 

An Occupational Therapist may use an assessment known as the Sensory Profile 2 to categorize a child’s sensory patterns. In this assessment, the Occupational Therapist will seek information from the parent, Early Childhood Educator and/or teacher who will be asked to report on the child’s everyday activity and their responses to sensory stimuli. The information will be summarized to help you understand which pattern the child identifies with for each sense. These categorizations are important because they can help you and Occupational Therapists create a plan to accommodate your child’s sensory needs. For e.g., a child may have low registration for touch, but be sensory sensitive for sound. 

Case Example: 

To better understand each of the four patterns of sensory processing, we will use Ayub as an example. Ayub is a 6-year old boy in Senior Kindergarten. 

Ayub loves playing at the playground, constantly jumping from high surfaces and running around. He enjoys climbing very high on the playground structure which makes his teachers and parents nervous. Further, while at the playground Ayub and his brother enjoy playing catch. Ayub’s brother gets frustrated with him as he often unknowingly throws the ball down to the ground rather than to his brother, and has trouble catching the ball. 

Ayub is uncomfortable in the lunchroom as he often finds other children’s food smells offensive. When he notices these smells, he tends to run out of the room and refuses to go back inside. Additionally, he is sensitive to the noises of other children at lunchtime and will become frustrated in loud environments. 

The Four Patterns of Sensory Processing

Ayub’s active movement behaviour at the playground may be classified as sensation seeking. He requires a lot of motion input and actively seeks out motion by climbing to high heights, jumping, and running. 

Ayub’s body awareness while playing catch may be classified as low registration. Ayub does not have awareness of his force on the ball or his arm and body positioning to catch the ball.  

Ayub’s sense of smell may be classified as sensation avoiding. He notices smells with a low threshold and avoids the situation by leaving the space. 

Finally, Ayub’s sense of hearing may be classified as sensory sensitive. Ayub has a low threshold for noises as he becomes easily bothered by the noises of other children, but he does not avoid the situation. Instead he passively becomes frustrated.

Now that you know about each pattern of sensory processing, it is important to understand how this relates to each sense individually, and what can be done to accommodate your child’s specific sensory needs. There are tip sheets in this module that detail information and strategies to support sensory processing for each of the seven senses.

Definitions of Occupational Therapy Terms

There are numerous terms used by Occupational Therapists in everyday practice. Below is a list of the most commonly used terms. 

Occupation – groups of activities and tasks of everyday life that are meaningful to the individual and include things that people need to do, want to do, or are expected to do.

Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) – a common term used by many professionals referring to the activities and tasks we do every day. 

ADLs can be divided into two main categories: Basic ADLs (bADL) and instrumental ADLs (iADL). BADLs include the routine activities we do every day. For example, brushing teeth, showering, toileting, and eating. IADLs are more complex, and involve activities that help us to be independent, including cleaning (toys, play area), preparing meals, and money management. 

Self-Care – everyday tasks and actions that a person does to take care of themselves and prepare for participation in daily activities (Kid Sense, 2020). 

Examples of self-care can include brushing teeth, getting dressed, toileting and eating.

Productivity – tasks and actions that a person does for the purpose of being productive.

Examples of activities of productivity include writing, colouring, cutting, attending school, going to work, and participation in community events.

Leisure – tasks and actions that a person does to enjoy life (Townsend & Polatajko, 2013).

Examples of leisure activities can include sports, arts and crafts, and play.

Baseline: A minimum or starting point to be used for comparison. 

Client-Centered – an approach to therapy which allows the client (for example, child, parents, Early Childhood Educator) to be actively involved in the therapy process by setting goals and developing a plan for intervention.

Occupational Performance – the ability to choose, organize, and perform meaningful occupations for self-care, productivity, and leisure in a way that one is satisfied with (Townsend & Polatajko, 2013).

Occupational Engagement – the act of participating in activities and occupations (Townsend & Polatajko, 2013).

Enabling Occupation – the ability to collaboratively support an individual to participate in meaningful occupations.

Fine Motor Skills– physical skills involving small muscle groups in the hands. For example, writing, colouring, and cutting. 

Gross Motor Skills – physical skills involving the entire body, large muscle groups and movements. For example, running, jumping, throwing a ball, and riding a bike.

Cognition – the ability to process information in the brain. It involves many different functions such as memory, perception, judgement, thinking, and problem-solving. 

Sensory Processing – the way our body and nervous system accepts and organizes information from our senses: sight, touch, smell, taste, hearing, body positioning (proprioception), and movement and balance (vestibular). 

Motor Planning – the brain’s ability to organize and plan purposeful movements. For example, the ability to plan the movements required to ride a bicycle. 

References

Kid Sense (2020). Self care skills. Retrieved from https://childdevelopment.com.au/areas-of-concern/self-care/self-care-skills/

Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists. (2016). What is occupational therapy?. Retrieved from https://caot.in1touch.org/site/aboutot/whatisot?nav=sidebar

Townsend, E.A. & Polatajko, H. J. (2013). Enabling Occupation II: Advancing an Occupational Therapy Vision for Health, Well-being & Justice through Occupation. Ottawa, ON: CAOT Publications ACE.

The Vestibular Sense

The vestibular system (inner ear balance mechanism) helps us maintain awareness of positioning of our bodies when for example we are walking, running or riding in a vehicle. This sense is linked to other systems such as vision (eye and the muscles and parts of the brain that work together to let us see). It helps children with many activities including learning to crawl, jumping up and down, writing, and following an object with their eyes. 

Each child receives and processes vestibular information differently. Some children are hyposensitive to vestibular input and need constant input such as swinging and jumping. On the contrary, some children are hypersensitive to vestibular input and dislike movement and balance activities. 

There are the four patterns of sensory processing: low registration, sensation seeking, sensory sensitive and sensation avoiding. 

Low registration: A child with low registration does not recognize or process all of the incoming sensory information, and they do not compensate by trying to gain more sensory input to meet their needs. They may seem uninterested, and inattentive to their surroundings.  

Sensation seeking: A child classified as sensation seeking does not recognize or process all of the incoming sensory information, but contrary to low registration, they actively try to gain this sensory input to meet their needs. They may be hyperactive, touch others often or engage in unsafe activities like jumping from heights. 

Sensory sensitive: A child classified as sensory sensitive feels overwhelmed by sensory information, but they do not actively try to avoid the overstimulation, instead they may just display frustration. They may be easily distracted, and irritable, cautious, and uncomfortable in loud or bright environments. 

Sensation avoiding: A child that is sensation avoiding feels overwhelmed by sensory information and will actively avoid the stimulation. They may run away from loud, busy environments, cover their ears when overstimulated by noise, or wear gloves to avoid touching certain materials such as paint. 

Hyposensitivity 

Children who have low registration or are sensation seeking may require extra vestibular input in order to process sensory information and their environment.

If a child has a low registration pattern for vestibular processing they may: 

  • Be described as clumsy, often falling over, tripping and losing their balance. They may have to look at the floor while walking.
  • Be able to spin in circles for a long time without becoming dizzy.
  • Have a poor awareness of safety such as running into objects without noticing. 
  • Be unable to follow moving objects, such as cars with their eyes. 

If a child has a sensation seeking pattern for vestibular processing they may:

  • Be described as a risk taker and fearless. They may jump from high heights and spin in circles fast on the swings at the park. 
  • Enjoy a large amount of bouncing, jumping and spinning without becoming nauseous or dizzy. They may be described as having too much energy. 
  • Enjoy thrill seeking activities, such as roller coasters. 
  • Rock back and forth while standing or sitting.
  • Love being upside down. For example, while on the monkey bars at the park.

Case example:

Marwan is a 5-year-old boy. His teacher at school has observed that he likes to climb on top of the desks in his classroom and jump off them. They worry about Marwan’s safety constantly in the classroom but can’t seem to stop this behaviour from occurring. Marwan’s teacher has expressed this concern to his parents, who claim he behaves similarly while at the playground. He likes to jump from the top of the slide down to the ground. He also enjoys being spun on the swing repeatedly. He never seems to become dizzy or nauseous after this. Marwan’s parents and teacher decide to work together collaboratively with Marwan to come up with a solution for this unsafe behaviour. 

Marwan has a sensation seeking pattern for vestibular processing. He requires a large amount of vestibular input and constantly seeks it out by jumping from high heights, engaging in unsafe activities and spinning. 

Strategies to assist a child with hyposensitivity for vestibular processing:

  • Have your child jump on a trampoline, or an air mattress.
  • Allow for your child to bounce on large exercise balls, with physical support from an adult at their waist or hands.
  • Play on the swings at the park.
  • Encourage your child to play spinning games using a desk chair that spins.
  • Incorporate rocking activities into your child’s daily routine. This can be done with the help of a rocking chair and can be very calming for children. As a game, you can try being a rocking horse for your child. You can get on your hands and knees, have your child sit on your back and rock back and forth. 
  • Teach your child to use playground equipment correctly. You can go down the slide with them or swing on the swings with them. 
  • Use songs to teach your child body awareness. You can make this fun by adding in dance moves that require energy. For example, teach your child the song “Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes.” 

Hypersensitivity 

A child classified as sensory sensitive or sensory avoiding may become easily overwhelmed by vestibular input and avoid this input.

If a child has a sensory sensitive pattern for vestibular processing they may: 

  • Dislike sleeping on a bed or cot above the ground due to a fear of falling off. 
  • Become frustrated and anxious while on a roller coaster or ride such as a merry-go-round.
  • Dislike many sports including soccer, basketball, and swimming. 
  • Be afraid of heights and having their feet off the floor.
  • Dislike being rocked.
  • Easily and frequently become motion sick or dizzy. This may happen in car rides, or at the park. 

If a child has a sensory avoiding pattern for vestibular processing they may: 

  • Avoid using the playground equipment at the park. Instead they may prefer to sit and play in the grass or sit on a bench. 
  • Avoid activities that involve running, spinning and jumping. They may be less active than other children their age. 
  • Refuse to go on any roller coasters or rides such as a merry-go-round. 
  • Easily becomes motion sick or dizzy. This may happen in the car or at the park. 

Case example:

Harshita is a 6-year-old girl. Harshita’s teachers are concerned that she does not have many friends at school. They report that she spends her time in recess alone sitting in the grass. Her peers like to play on the playground and play games such as hopscotch and four-square. Her teachers and peers have tried to engage with her outdoors however, she tends to run away and hide whenever the activity involves heights, being upside down, or vigorous movement. 

Harshita has a sensory avoiding pattern for vestibular processing. She is hypersensitive to vestibular stimuli, such as jumping, being upside down and running and responds by avoiding activities that involve these stimuli. 

Strategies to assist a child with hypersensitivity for vestibular processing:

  • Provide your child with a safe space to enter in the event they become overwhelmed with vestibular input. This can be a small tent or even a quiet room which will enable them to feel safe and regulate their emotions. 
  • Slowly desensitize the child by incorporating rocking, spinning or swinging activities into their routine within their comfort zone. It is important to note that if you choose to do this you need to do it very slowly. Provide the child with as much support as possible. For example, you can use a rocking chair with your child. Initially, you can go in the chair with the child and talk with them about what they are experiencing. Then slowly you can remove yourself from the rocking chair working within their comfort zone. 
  • Provide the child with alternate activities during recess or outdoor times. For example, you can play board games with them outside. 
  • To incorporate more physical activity into the child’s routine, use activities that are active, but do not have fast and unpredictable movements in them. For example, you can go for a walk, throw a ball together, have children hold a parachute and gently move it up and down, garden together or play a treasure hunt game outside. 
  • While sitting in class, at the dinner table or in the washroom, ensure that the child’s feet are on the floor. If they are in a higher chair, provide them with a stool to rest their feet on. 
  • Allow for the child to sit in the front of a vehicle or bus to prevent motion sickness, if safe.
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