What is a sensory diet and how can you create one?
A sensory diet is a plan designed to help people with autism manage their sensory experiences throughout the day. It is not about food. Instead, it includes different activities and adjustments tailored to what the person needs physically and emotionally. The idea is to help them stay calm and focused, making it easier for them to learn, feel good, and handle whatever comes their way.
A sensory diet helps manage sensory processing difficulties. For some, sensory input is interpreted as pain, discomfort, or overstimulation, and a sensory diet can help them acclimate to stimulation and reduce those sensations. Or, in reverse, teach individuals how to notice sensory input if they have reduced sensitivities which can lead to behaviors like hand-flapping, rocking, sleep difficulties, anxiety, and social isolation.
The internet is an amazing resource for crafting a sensory diet that works for you and your family, but it can be overwhelming with so many websites and Pinterest boards to choose from. Our best suggestions came from our daughter's occupational therapist. Occupational therapists are well-trained in the numerous body systems at play within us and how to manage them, so I trusted their resources. She provided us with a packet of sensory diet ideas organized into:
Proprioception - the sense that helps a child with body awareness
Vestibular - the sense that detects movement through sensory receptors in the inner ear
Tactile - the sense that helps a child detect light touch, deep pressure, texture, temperature, and pain
Gustatory - the sense that helps a child detect and perceive taste
Auditory - the sense responsible for hearing
Olfactory - the sense responsible for detecting odors Visual - the sense responsible for vision
Here's a sample of page 1!
Each page provides suggestions, and you highlight the ones that work for you or randomly choose from the suggestions day to day - whatever works for you!
Having these suggestions made an enormous difference managing my daughter's behaviors because I don't have the bandwidth to come up with these things spur of the moment every day. Being able to pop over to the fridge at sensory break time and choose what I know will work today just makes sense.
In addition to making my day easier, I can now send these pages off to her therapies, day programs, and school so they know what we do at home to help manage her sensory needs. Having a clear structure that follows my daughter around allows others to more easily adapt to her rather than struggling to have her adapt to each new instructor and environment.
Using the Diet
Now that you have your diet it's time to use it! Here's what to keep in mind, A sensory diet can help with behaviors or reactions that may be caused by too much or too little sensory input. These behaviors can include:
Difficulty with transitions
Meltdowns
Biting
Difficulty interacting with others
Aggressive behavior
Impulsivity
Difficulty with textures, food, or clothing
Difficulty sleeping
Anxiety
Oppositional Defiance
It's best to use your sensory diet regularly, before a maladaptive behavior occurs, because starting immediately after might reinforce the behavior.
Our Break-down
My daughter is a blend of sensory seeking and sensory avoidant. She likes loud music, but not flashing lights, running, but not swinging, and hugs but no unexpected touching. To determine what would and wouldn't work we tried each item several times to gauge her reaction, but more importantly the outcome. She might not like hair brushing, but it consistently calms our mornings after it's done. Here's a general overview of our days:
She tends to become overwhelmed by visual stimulation so I choose one or two visual diet items, and one or two proprioception items every morning after breakfast to teach her about her visual system and prevent future overstimulation.
Morning and evening walks for gross motor stimulation and exercise. We include a stroller for her to push and sometimes add heavy items to increase the workload.
Table time with kinetic sand, fidgets, or water play before we leave for an activity to calm her mind, and connect with her through play.
She is also a bit unsteady on her feet and behavioral when physically touched, so every afternoon I choose a few items from her vestibular and tactile diet to strengthen her body and desensitize her to touch and texture.
When you begin working out a diet that works for your family, it may seem tedious or ineffective. But for us, it has been a consistent resource to teach and manage some of her most challenging sensory and behavioral struggles. After four years of implementing diet items, my daughter now asks for certain supports and even manages a few items herself. For example, when she becomes fidgety, she asks for a movement break which helps her focus, or when she's overwhelmed she wraps up in her weighted blanket.
I believe the use of these diet items also encourages a connection between my daughter and her caregivers that really meets her where she is. This is challenging most of the time because she's unable to converse like most children her age, she has a cognitive delay that makes it hard for her to communicate. Having the resources and mindset to bond through care is very meaningful for her and all of her caregivers.
A sensory diet is not a solution to all sensory struggles, but it is a tool to use alongside all the therapies and accommodations, and for us, it has made a wonderful difference.
Disclaimer:
The information provided in this blog post is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician, therapist, or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or the care of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The views expressed in this post are based on personal experiences and research and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of any medical or professional organization. Reliance on any information provided in this blog is solely at your own risk.
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