Supporting Sensory Needs at Home: Dysregulation

Stephanie Baldwin, an Occupational Therapist at PMC, recently shared some key points about dysregulation, indicators of sensory seeking and some useful tips to use at home. 

Regulation & Dysregulation: Simply Explained

Dysregulation and Regulation: describes where a person's state is in their nervous system and their being, how a person is able to respond to things that are happening to them or in their environment, ability to cope with certain situations, pay attention, and/or engage with others. 

Regulated - we're able to navigate the environment that we're in, in a productive and functional way. 

Indicators of Sensory Seeking/What it looks like at home

Dysregulation - things we could see (with kids or adults whether they're neurotypical or not): 

>> distress or even just shutting down (very erratic behaviors or just not being able to respond at all to their environment. Could be repetitive movements ... pacing, excessive tantrums, rocking back and forth, flicking something, etc)

Some of our kids have a more sensory disorganization between their sensory systems and will do what is commonly referred to as  "stimming." For that sensory system, they may not be receiving enough from that particular environment, so they try to get the input that they need to bring themselves into a better place. Seeking input in order to regulate.

Is your child seeking input by crashing into things and/or do they want to jump off of things? 

The child needs to be able to get what we call  "linear movement." Simple ways to get calming input around the house could be rocking on a rocking chair, rocking horse, or rocking board, jumping on a trampoline (large or small), or swinging. It is important that the swing is not rotating or spinning, that the swing is moving in one direction. You don't have to have a swing inside of your house, you could use a swing set in the back yard or even a playground nearby if need be!

It is great to do these things prior to meal times, or any time when you'd like your child to sit and participate in an activity. Ultimately, the goal is to teach the child to go to that item or area when they're seeking input. Redirect them and help the child make a healthy habit of seeking input in the appropriate way and at the appropriate time. 

When should parents seek help?

• constantly interrupting daily routines
• inability to connect with your child
• inability to participate in family meal times
• inability to go to the grocery store or out into the community
• when you're struggling to figure out what tools you need to be able to respond to them and have appropriate and safe boundaries so you can have a happy and healthy life for your family
  

The areas of sensory processing can be out of whack or impactful in different ways. We encourage you to speak with your child's pediatrician about your concerns, whether you consider them big or small. A great place to start is to get an occupational therapy evaluation. If you believe your child is struggling with self regulation, sensory seeking, or any of the items mentioned above, we can discuss how help get your child's sensory systems a little more organized so that they are available for learning and can move on with their daily routines. If it's not the place where your child needs to be, the OT professional can point you to the next avenue to explore.

In an OT evaluation, we can look at all of the areas of sensory processing:

1) auditory 

2) vision

3) touch processing

4) movement

Sometimes parents are fearful of reaching out for help because they feel like they're doing something wrong. They may be afraid that their child is going to get labeled with something that will stay with them forever. Please do not let that hold you back.  At PMC, our team will meet you where you are and we help you navigate through your difficulties and concerns. 

No matter what stage your child is in - with the right tools, your child can learn how to do hard things, they can learn how to have success and meaningful relationships. Never lose hope, you can always learn new things and overcome difficult situations. 

Take a deeper dive with Stephanie as she offers more insight on behaviors you may see at home and some simple things you can do on our latest Spark a Movement Podcast episode!