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Category: Autism

Sensory Integration Therapy and Sensory Diet Toolkit

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Enhancing Sensory Processing with Sensory Integration Therapy

Sensory integration therapy is designed to help children who experience sensory processing challenges respond to sensory input more regulated and effectively. It can play a vital role in improving a child’s sensory awareness, emotional regulation, and overall well-being. At the core of this therapeutic approach is the Sensory Diet Toolkit, a collection of activities and interventions that support sensory processing and help children navigate their sensory needs throughout the day.

What is Sensory Integration Therapy?

Sensory integration therapy is a treatment approach that focuses on how the brain processes and responds to sensory information. It helps children become more aware of their sensory experiences, such as touch, sound, sight, and movement. The therapy aims to balance how a child responds to different sensory stimuli, helping them function better in everyday environments like home, school, and playgrounds.

For children with sensory processing disorders, such as those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ADHD, or other developmental conditions, sensory integration therapy can make a significant difference. It can improve how children respond to sensory experiences, whether feeling overwhelmed by loud noises or seeking out constant motion.

What is a Sensory Diet?

A sensory diet is a personalized set of sensory activities strategically scheduled throughout the day to help the child meet their sensory needs. It is called a “diet” because it involves a routine of activities providing specific sensory input to regulate the sensory system. Think of it as a balanced approach to sensory stimulation—just like a balanced meal plan supports your physical health, a sensory diet supports emotional and sensory well-being.

The Sensory Diet Toolkit: Key Components

The Sensory Diet Toolkit consists of various activities and strategies to help children with sensory processing challenges. These activities are designed to either stimulate, calm, or organize the sensory system, depending on the child’s specific needs. Here are some examples:

 

  1. Therapeutic Brushing: This involves using a special brush to apply gentle pressure to the skin, providing calming tactile input. It can help children who are sensitive to touch or who have difficulty calming down.
  2. Therapeutic Drumming: Using drums or rhythmic activities helps children who need proprioceptive input (sensory input related to body movement) to organize their movements and improve focus.
  3. Deep Pressure Techniques: Activities like squeezing a stress ball or using weighted blankets can help children who need calming sensory input to feel more grounded and relaxed.
  4. Movement Breaks: Short bursts of physical activity like jumping on a trampoline or spinning can help children who seek sensory input and may need extra stimulation to feel regulated.
  5. Fidget Tools: Fidget spinners, chewable jewelry, or putty provide sensory input that helps children stay calm and focused, especially in situations that may be overstimulating.

 

How the Sensory Diet Helps Children

By integrating sensory activities into daily routines, children can improve their ability to process sensory information, which can help them:

 

  • Stay calm and focused: Sensory activities help children regulate their emotional and physical responses, promoting a more balanced state of being.
  • Develop better social skills: By managing sensory needs, children may have fewer meltdowns or emotional outbursts, allowing them to interact more comfortably with others.
  • Improve motor skills and coordination: Sensory activities also support the development of fine and gross motor skills, which can lead to improved physical coordination.
  • Enhance emotional well-being: Children who can self-regulate their sensory input are better equipped to handle stress, frustration, and other emotional challenges.

 

How Carolina Therapy Connection Can Help

At Carolina Therapy Connection, we offer sensory integration therapy as part of our comprehensive therapy services for children. Our team of skilled occupational therapists is trained to assess your child’s unique sensory processing needs and create a personalized sensory diet that will work for them. Whether your child struggles with sensory overload, seeks constant movement, or finds it difficult to focus, we can help with strategies tailored to their needs. If you want to learn more about sensory integration and how we incorporate this approach into therapy, including intensives, please schedule an evaluation. You can also use this link to explore more about our pediatric intensive therapy services.

 

Understanding Therapeutic Listening for Kids

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Helping Children Manage Sensory Processing Challenges with Therapeutic Listening

Does your child ever feel overwhelmed by sounds, textures, or certain situations? It can be tough to see kids struggle with sensory processing challenges. Therapeutic Listening is a powerful tool designed to help kids manage sensory difficulties and regulate their emotions.

 

What is Therapeutic Listening?

Therapeutic Listening is a treatment that uses specially designed music and sound frequencies to help children’s brains process sensory information more effectively. By listening to certain types of music, children can improve their brains’ ability to process various sensory experiences. This can help with a range of challenges, including sensory processing difficulties, anxiety, ADHD, and autism.

The music used in this intervention is not ordinary—it’s carefully selected to stimulate the brain and promote better sensory integration. This can help your child feel more comfortable and balanced in everyday life.

 

How Does It Work?

When your child listens to specially designed music, the brain is encouraged to respond to the sounds to improve focus, attention, and emotional regulation. The frequencies and rhythms in the music are designed to calm the nervous system, which can be especially helpful for children who have trouble managing stress or staying focused.

Therapeutic listening helps kids develop better emotional control, reducing feeling overwhelmed. It also assists them in staying calm in situations where they might otherwise feel anxious or overstimulated. This method is non-invasive, meaning it doesn’t require medications or complex procedures.

 

How Can Therapeutic Listening Help My Child?

  1. Improves Sensory Processing
    Kids with sensory processing difficulties often struggle to filter out distractions, making it difficult to focus or stay calm in everyday situations. Therapeutic Listening can train their brain to process sensory information more efficiently, improving their ability to respond appropriately to sensory stimuli. It can also assist with tolerating a variety of auditory inputs. 
  2. Enhances Emotional Regulation
    Children with anxiety or emotional dysregulation can benefit from this intervention because it helps them stay calm and grounded. By listening to music, they can learn to control their emotions and reactions, making it easier to handle stressful situations.
  3. Boosts Focus and Attention
    Therapeutic Listening has been shown to improve focus and attention, which is particularly beneficial for kids with ADHD or other focus-related challenges. The music stimulates the brain, helping kids stay more engaged and better concentrate.
  4. Supports Overall Well-being
    Therapeutic Listening is not just about improving focus or reducing stress—it’s about supporting emotional and mental well-being. Kids who feel emotionally balanced are likelier to interact positively with others and experience tremendous success at school and home.

How Carolina Therapy Connection Can Help

At Carolina Therapy Connection, we offer Therapeutic Listening as part of our sensory integration therapy services. Whether your child struggles with sensory processing, emotional regulation, or focus, we are here to help them develop the skills they need to thrive. If you’re interested in learning more about Therapeutic Listening and how we incorporate this approach into therapy, including intensives, please feel free to contact us to schedule an evaluation. You can also use this link to explore our pediatric intensive therapy services.


Astronaut Training

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Astronaut Training: Boost Sensory Processing, Balance, and Coordination Through Fun Activities

Have you ever wondered how astronauts train to thrive in space? Well, it turns out that some of the movements they experience in space, like spinning, swinging, and flipping, can actually help children improve their sensory processing, balance, and body awareness!

 

What is Astronaut Training?

Astronaut Training is a specialized therapy designed to help children, especially those with sensory processing issues, balance challenges, or developmental delays, enhance their sensory integration. The program uses fun and exciting activities that simulate the sensations astronauts feel in space, such as swinging and rotating.

These activities focus on strengthening the vestibular system, which controls balance, coordination, and spatial awareness. As children engage in these exercises, their brain learns to process and respond to sensory input more effectively, leading to improved focus, body awareness, and overall coordination.

How Does Astronaut Training Help Kids?

 

  1. Sensory Processing: Many children, especially those with sensory processing disorder (SPD), find it challenging to understand and react to sensory input from their environment. Astronaut Training helps them process sensory information better by integrating sensory experiences through movements like spinning and rotational activities. This leads to smoother, more efficient responses to sensory stimuli in everyday life.
  2. Balance and Coordination: Balance and coordination are essential skills for physical development. The rotational movements and balance activities in Astronaut Training help children strengthen their muscles and improve their balance, which leads to better coordination in other areas of life, such as sports or simple tasks like walking or running.
  3. Body Awareness: Astronaut Training activities also focus on improving body awareness, or the ability to know where one’s body is in space. Through exercises that involve flipping, spinning, and swinging, children gain a better understanding of how their bodies move and function, enhancing their ability to control their movements and interact confidently with their environment.
  4. Focus and Emotional Regulation: This type of therapy is great for the body and the mind. Astronaut training’s structured yet playful nature helps children improve their focus and emotional regulation. They learn to control their impulses and better manage their emotions, especially in response to sensory challenges.

 

Who Can Benefit from Astronaut Training?

Astronaut Training is particularly helpful for children with conditions like ADHD, autism, sensory processing disorder (SPD), or motor coordination difficulties. It provides an effective, fun, and engaging way to work on skills that are often areas of concern for these children. By integrating sensory activities in a structured and enjoyable way, children can experience growth in their physical, cognitive, and emotional abilities.

How Carolina Therapy Connection Can Help

At Carolina Therapy Connection, we understand how important it is for children to receive the support they need in a fun and effective way. Our team of skilled therapists uses innovative approaches like Astronaut Training to help children improve sensory processing, balance, and coordination. We create a supportive environment through personalized therapy sessions where children can thrive and gain confidence in their physical and sensory abilities. If you’re interested in learning more about Astronaut Training and how we incorporate this approach into therapy, including intensives, please feel free to contact us to schedule an evaluation. You can also use this link to explore our pediatric intensive therapy services.

 

Zones of Regulation

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What are the Zones of Regulation?

The Zones of Regulation is a curriculum that your child’s therapist may use to help your child develop self-regulation skills. Self-regulation is “the ability to achieve the preferred state of alertness for the given situation.” Other terms often interchanged for self-regulation include self-control, impulse control, and self-management. The curriculum focuses on lessons and activities to help the child identify their different “Zones” and strategies to increase self-regulation. Additionally, your child will be able to increase their understanding of emotions and coping skills. 

The Zones: Self-Regulation

“The Zones of Regulation creates a system to categorize how the body feels and emotions into four colored Zones with which the students can easily identify.” 

There are four zones within the Zones of Regulation

  • Blue Zone
  • Green Zone
  • Yellow Zone
  • Red Zone

The Blue Zone is a state of low alertness. Feelings can include sad, tired, sick, or bored. 

 

The Green Zone is a state of ideal alertness. This includes feeling calm, happy, or focused.

 

The Yellow Zone is a state of heightened alertness. Feelings can include frustration, worry, excitement, silliness, or fear. 

 

The Red Zone is a state of extremely heightened alertness. This includes anger, rage, extreme fear, and explosive behavior. 

 

How are the Zones used?

Your child’s therapist will work with them to identify which Zone they are in and strategies to help them self-regulate within each Zone. They will work together to develop a “toolbox” with strategies and techniques for obtaining optimal alertness in everyday situations. It is important to understand that no zone is “bad,” and all are expected from time to time. Instead, the intention is to help your child identify tools and coping strategies to self-regulate within each Zone. 

 

What can Carolina Therapy Connection help?

For the Zones of Regulation to work as intended, home carryover is super important. Strategies include using the same language and talking about the Zones within the home and community environments. Applying strategies to yourself can also increase carryover. For example, you may say, “This is super frustrating, and I am starting to go into the Yellow Zone. Maybe I will take some deep breaths.” Additionally, validate the zone that the child is in and help them implement the strategies and tools to self-regulate. Your child’s therapist can share the language and strategies used with the Zones of Regulation to increase carryover at home. 

 

By: Carolina Zissette, OT

 

Best Toys for Kids with Autism as Recommended by Therapists

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Sensory Friendly Toys that Don’t Involve Electronics

Welcome to our exploration of the beautiful world of toys uniquely crafted for children with autism. Selecting toys for kids with autism involves a delicate dance between understanding sensory needs, promoting skill development, and, most importantly, ensuring hours of joy and engagement. In this blog, we’ll delve into a curated list of favorite toys that cater to the diverse interests and preferences of children with autism.

 

Sensory Toys: A Symphony of Textures and Colors:

 

 

Cause-and-Effect Wonders:

 

 

Educational Gems:

  • Puzzles: Offering a mix of challenge and satisfaction, puzzles contribute to cognitive development and problem-solving skills.
  • Building Blocks: The timeless joy of building and creating, these blocks encourage imaginative play and enhance fine motor skills.

 

Calming Oasis:

  • Weighted Blankets: Not exactly a toy, but a soothing addition to any space, providing comfort and a sense of security.

 

 

Communication and Social Play:

 

  • Board Games: Structured play with clear rules, board games provide a fun way to learn social interaction and turn-taking.

 

Outdoor Adventures:

 

 

Artistic Expression:

  • Playdough Fun: The joy of squishing, molding, and creating with playdough offers a satisfying tactile experience.
  • Markers and Crayons: Encouraging creativity, drawing, and coloring provide an expressive outlet for children with autism.

 

Choosing toys for kids with autism is a personalized journey that requires attention to individual preferences and needs. The toys mentioned above are just a glimpse into the vast array of options available, each offering a unique way to engage, inspire, and bring joy to children on the autism spectrum. As you embark on this exploration, remember to observe, communicate, and, most importantly, have fun discovering the perfect toys for your child’s unique world.  Check out our specially curated Amazon Storefront for more toy suggestions!

 

Why Is My Child Picky About Clothing?

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Is your child picky about clothing? It is common for children to have a favorite shirt, blanket, or pants, but what if they refuse to wear anything besides their one outfit of choice? In the pediatric world of occupational therapy, we often work with children who cannot tolerate wearing various clothing items. We have seen the stress of dressing tasks for children and their caregivers. The intended purpose of this blog is to educate parents on why a child may be sensitive to clothing and point caregivers in the right direction to address these concerns.

Why is My Child Picky About Their Clothing?

Every child processes sensory information differently. Children who demonstrate intolerance to various clothing textures may often have sensory sensitivities to tactile (touch) information, also known as tactile defensiveness. This indicates that the neurons responsible for processing tactile information have lower neurological thresholds, meaning more sensory information reaches their brain quicker, which can cause children to become overwhelmed by the stimulus. This results in heightened responses (ex., Crying, screaming, itching) when a child is prompted to wear clothing that feels uncomfortable to them. Another underlying reason for tactile sensitivities can be connected to retained primitive reflexes. Retained primitive reflexes often contribute to a child’s hypersensitivity to general sensory information and can make clothing items with tags or tight waistbands challenging to wear. 

When Should I Be Concerned About My Child’s Intolerance for Clothing?

It can be hard to discern when a child’s intolerance to clothing is a behavioral or sensory concern. A child who doesn’t “like” to wear a particular clothing item or texture is very different from a child who physically cannot tolerate certain textures. True sensory concerns will present with consistent behaviors across settings. For example, a child with true tactile defensiveness will have difficulty wearing a non-preferred clothing item at home or daycare. Additionally, consulting a professional is not customarily warranted if their limited clothing items do not impact a child’s performance and participation in meaningful activities. However, if a child’s clothing sensitivities are impacting their meaningful activities, then it may be beneficial to talk with a pediatric occupational therapist to determine what options or strategies are appropriate. An example could be a child who wants to play soccer but cannot tolerate wearing soccer cleats or sneakers and, therefore, refuses to play. Another example would be a child or adolescent who refuses to wear clothing to match the temperature outside, such as refusing to wear gloves or mittens in the middle of winter.

Strategies to Expand A Child’s Wardrobe

  • Keep a diary/log:
    • Children will normally demonstrate a pattern of behaviors to show caregivers what types of clothing are uncomfortable. It will be essential to keep a log of what items/fabrics are preferred to limit the child’s discomfort when presented with new clothing items to try on. 
  • Present sensory-friendly clothing:
    • There are common characteristics of clothing that can be aversive to children with tactile defensiveness. For these reasons, we have provided a list of clothing items that are often more tolerable for sensory-sensitive children:
      • Clothing without seams
      • Clothing without tags
      • Loose fitting clothing
      • Soft/smooth fabric
      • Breathable clothing: avoid clothing that holds moisture
  • Invite them into the process:
    • Providing the child with autonomy in choosing their clothing will help remove feelings of stress that surround dressing activities. One way to do this is to take them shopping and ask them what clothing they want. Depending on the child’s comfort level, it can also be beneficial to have them choose a variety of clothing to try on and have a “fashion show” in the dressing room.

 

What Other Concerns Can arise with Children Being Picky About Clothing, and How Can Carolina Therapy Connection Help?

Tactile defensiveness does not only impact a child’s ability to tolerate various clothing items. Typical areas of difficulty for tactilely defensive children include, but are not limited to, difficulty with hair brushing/washing, hair cuts, tooth brushing, nail clipping, and bathing. If your child has difficulty tolerating any of the above activities, then it may be beneficial to meet with a pediatric occupational therapist to discuss the best care plan for the child. Call our clinic at (252) 341-9944! Your child may benefit from an occupational therapy screening or formal evaluation!

 

By: Emily Britt

 

Let’s Talk Articulation!

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When Do I Bring My Child for a Speech Sound Evaluation?

As our children grow and develop speech, they don’t learn to use all the speech sounds in their native language simultaneously.  That’s why my little one tells me that “it’s dart outside” when he looks out the window after dinner these days!  But how do you know when to seek out a speech therapist for your child?  

Check out the chart below, which is available as a downloadable PDF on the SLP now website at https://blog.slpnow.com/the-slps-guide-to-speech-sound-disorders-articulation-phonological-development/; when looking at the chart, understand that some children start to develop sounds before the ages listed. The ages listed represent the age at which 90% of children have mastered each sound. For many speech sounds, there is a wide range of ages at which a child may start to produce the sound or approximations inconsistently before they truly master the sound. However, it is a quick rule of thumb that if a child cannot produce one of the sounds listed under their age, speech therapy may be indicated.

 

 

What Can I Do at Home to Help My Child with Their Speech Sounds?

So, what can a parent do to help their child develop speech sounds correctly at home? The first strategy I recommend is to make sure your child is looking at your face when you’re producing words or sounds that they had difficulty with. Draw attention to your mouth by pointing.  Children learn a lot about how a sound is produced by observing you. 

Another strategy that you can use is called recasting. Recasting is when you repeat what your child says precisely, including the errors, in a questioning voice. For example, if your child says, “Look at the tar” when they mean “Look at the car,” you might respond by saying, “Tar? Is that what you meant?” When the child attempts to correct himself or herself, if he or she cannot do so, I suggest using the first strategy we discussed.  Your child may not produce the sound at that moment, but that’s okay because they are still learning from what they see and hear from you.

I also recommend reading with your child regularly. Even if a child cannot read independently, draw their attention to some of the letters in the book, especially if the book has large decorative letters at the beginning of paragraphs. Talk about the sound the letters make, and again, ensure your child is watching your face. 

For emerging readers, phonics activities are an excellent time to work on articulation at home. While doing phonics homework with your child, could you talk about how each sound is made?  For example, the “T sound is made with our tongue on the roof of her mouth.” If you’re unsure how to describe how sounds are made, PeechieSpeechie.com has an excellent video library with tutorials for each sound.

If your child is receiving speech therapy services, their SLP will be able to provide you with additional, personalized resources.

How Can Carolina Therapy Connection Help? 

If you are still unsure or feel that your child’s speech is difficult to understand compared to others his/her age, Carolina Therapy Connection has licensed Speech Language Pathologists at the clinics in Greenville, Goldsboro, and New Bern that are highly qualified to evaluate and diagnose speech sound disorders.  You can schedule a speech sound evaluation at whichever clinic is most convenient for your family at 252-341-9944.  Our professionals can also provide personalized resources for your child’s needs. 

 

By Michelle Berghold

 

Teaching Kids Independence With Life Skills

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Chores or Life Skills?

Kiddos may ask themselves this question: Why do I have to do these chores? Here at CTC, we call chores “Life Skills” because that is simply what they are. Although not always the most preferred thing for your child to do, washing dishes, washing clothes, making the bed, vacuuming, sweeping, mopping, grocery shopping, cooking, and many more are essential life skills that are necessary when becoming an independent adult. Not only are they necessary, they are also very helpful for the development of time management skills, executive functioning, sensory regulation, and even emotional regulation. 

You may be wondering how you can gauge what skills are appropriate for your child. Below is a short list of age appropriate chores to get you started based on your child’s age:

Life Skills for 2-3 years old

  • Picking up toys
  • Wiping up a mess (wiping off the counter after eating or messy play)
  • Putting laundry in the hamper after taking off dirty clothes

Life Skills for 4-5 years old

  • Making the bed (even if it is assisting you with the task!)
  • Starting simple meal preparation (putting thing into bowls, stirring, etc.)
  • Helping wash/rinse dishes

Life Skills for 6-8 years old

  • Feeding pets
  • Vacuuming, sweeping, mopping
  • Folding laundry/putting away own clothes

Life Skills for 9-12 years old

  • Prepare simple meals (heating up a hot pocket, TV dinner or oven pizza)
  • Taking out garbage
  • Cleaning areas of the home other than own bedroom (bathroom, living room, outdoor areas)
  • Helping make a shopping list and helping to find items in the grocery store

13-18 years – Include all listed above with increased to total independence!

So your child may be age appropriate for the tasks at hand, but what if you wonder whether they are developmentally, emotionally, physically or cognitively appropriate for the task at this age? Recently CTC held a Life Skills camp with 4 days of fun while completing tasks that increase independence within the home environment. The kiddos in this group worked on grocery shopping, meal preparation, cleaning up after themselves, household life skills, taking care of pets and plants, team work and communication. During the camp, each child was asked to review their skills and determine the toughest part of doing “chores”. The #1 answer was time management and feelings of overwhelm when presented with multiple tasks to complete. We all worked to develop either written or visual (picture) schedules for each kiddo to take home to aid in these concerns, making getting these life skills done easier and less frustrating!

Talk to your child’s occupational therapist to see if these could be options to help your child regulate their emotions, plan their time with greater efficiency and learn new skills after mastering current ones! If your kiddo struggles to complete their daily activities, call our clinic at (252) 341-9944! Your child may benefit from an occupational therapy screening or formal evaluation!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is 2 recipes of foods that were made during the camp:

  1. Rice Kripsy Treats – The Original Rice Krispies Treats™ Recipe | Rice Krispies® 
  2. Soup (written by a kiddo in the camp)

Ingredients

  • 3-4 boneless chicken thighs
  • 1 medium onion
  • 3 carrots, sliced
  • 2 chicken stock boxes
  • 1 small rice pack (boil in a bag)
  • 1 can black beans

Add a pinch of…

  • Pink Himalayan Salt
  • Chili powder
  • Seasoned Salt
  • Black pepper
  • Red pepper flakes

MIX TOGETHER IN A SMALL BOWL

Steps:

  1. Make the rice according to directions on the rice bag
  2. As the rice is cooking, cut chicken into 1 inch cubes
  3. Sprinkle seasoning onto chicken
  4. Cut carrots and onion into preferred size and cook until preferred texture
  5. Cook the chicken until done in saucepan
  6. Once all ingredients are finished, combine with stock in a pot and boil for 2-5 minutes
  7. Simmer for 10-15 minutes
Written By: Shelby Godwin, COTA/L, AC 
TEACHING CHILDREN LIFE SKILLS Carolina Therapy Connection Greenville Goldsboro New Bern NC

Why Does My Child Put Everything In Their Mouth?

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What is Oral Sensory Seeking?

Oral Sensory Seeking is the constant desire or need for a child to place objects in or touch their mouth. Children who have an oral fixation usually feel the need to constantly chew or suck on something. Depending on the age of the child, this may or may not be appropriate. As a parent, this can be difficult to navigate, especially due to the risk of choking on small objects. We know it is impossible to have eyes on your child every minute and scary to feel like you need to keep everything picked up off the floor and out of reach at all times. The oral stage of development that happens from birth to 21 months involves an infant’s pleasure center being focused on the mouth and lips, which are used for sucking and feeding. This is the age when the infant puts everything in the mouth—from hands, fingers, wrists, toys, pacifiers, clothing, blankets … just about anything within hands reach. One of the first prominent objects the baby’s mouth becomes accustomed to is a mother’s breast, for milk. In this blog, we will explore some of the reasons why your child may continue seeking additional oral sensory needs when it is no longer age-appropriate and activities to help them with this behavior.

What are Oral Sensory Seeking Behaviors?

When a child chews, mouths, sucks, or bites non-edible objects and/or edible objects frequently, we will call this an oral sensory seeking behavior. It can also involve harmful behaviors like biting. Some children who are seeking out oral and tactile (touch) sensory input will bite parts of their body, such as the arms, legs, feet and hands. Although oral seeking behavior can help children regulate their bodies and emotions at times, it can also prevent children’s learning if the child is constantly looking for objects to put in their mouth, or cause harm when they bite or suck on themselves. If children are distracted by finding objects or fixated on this behavior, it can affect their ability to focus at school or on an activity at hand.

Here is a list of common oral sensory seeking behaviors:

  • Excessive or frequent licking and/or chewing of random objects or toys
  • Excessive or frequent chewing of soft items or clothing (shirt sleeves, bed sheets, blankets, stuffed animals)
  • Biting toys or people, especially when unprovoked or when overly excited
  • Chewing the inside of the cheeks or biting/sucking on lip
  • Biting nails
  • Grinding teeth
  • Stuffing mouth with food or holding food in mouth for a long period of time
  • Drooling or spitting purposefully

How Can I Help My Child With Oral Sensory Behaviors?

Although there are a variety of ways to provide oral sensory input to children in a safe way and to replace oral sensory behaviors.. no child is the same when it comes to the solution. Our occupational therapists at Carolina Therapy Connection recommend that you experiment with these activities as part of your child’s sensory diet and notice what tends to calm, alert, and/or regulate them.

Create a FREE sensory diet with this template from “Your Kids Table” HERE!

Oral Sensory Seeking – Chewing Activities

  • Chewing crunchy foods, chewy foods, gum etc.
  • Use a chewy jewelry or other sensory chew toys

  • Vibrating chew toys (for kiddos who need that extra sensory input!)

Various Activities for Sensory Input

  • Blowing bubbles or blowing up balloons
  • Suck on sour candies, lollipops, ice cubes, etc.
  • Clicking tongue
  • Drink various textures through a straw (apple cause, milkshakes, yogurt, pudding, etc.)
  • Whistles, party blowers, kazoos, harmonicas, pinwheels etc.
  • Make a bubble mountains with dish soap and water

Bubbles Oral Motor Activities

How can Carolina Therapy Connection help?

Occupational therapy addresses any barriers that affect someone’s physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, which includes sensory integration difficulties. Sensory integration refers to how your body recognizes, processes, and responds to information received by our sensory systems on an individual and combined level.This includes our traditional 5 senses, sight, touch, taste, smell, and hearing; however, we also have proprioceptive and vestibular sensory systems. Often times, oral sensory processing or seeking difficulties are paired with other sensory system difficulties. Occupational therapists use sensory integration therapy by exposing a child to sensory stimulation in a structured and organized way. The goal of sensory integration therapy is to adapt the child’s brain and nervous system to process sensory information more efficiently.

At Carolina Therapy Connection, we offer Sensory Integration Therapy and play-based treatment intervention that is specifically designed to stimulate and challenge all of the senses. Sensory Integration involves specific sensory activities (swinging, bouncing, brushing, providing oral sensory input and more) that are intended to help your child regulate his or her response to incoming sensory input. The outcome of these activities may be better focus and attention, improved behavior, and even lowered anxiety. Our therapists may work on  lowering a patient’s negative reactions to touch, help them become better aware of their body in space, and work on their ability to manage their bodies more appropriately (run and jump when it’s time to run and jump, sit and focus when it’s time to sit and focus, etc.).

Our occupational therapists will complete an initial evaluation to become familiar with your child’s strengths, weaknesses and daily routine. Following the evaluation, they will create an individualized treatment plan and goals to address any concerns with development. We take pride in making therapy enjoyable and fun for your child, so that they can be motivated to live their life to their greatest potential. If you are interested in a FREE occupational therapy screening in the Greenville, Goldsboro, or New Bern, NC areas, call us at (252) 341-9944.

Why does my child put everything in their mouth? Carolina Therapy Connection

Mealtime Tips For Your Picky Eater

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Why Is Mealtime So Important For Children?

The 3 most important things for humans to survive is: food, water and oxygen. For some parents, the concern for their kiddos health and well-being becomes heightened when they notice their kiddo isn’t eating as much food or as many types of foods as they may have at one time. Some kiddos who are referred to Occupational Therapy are considered “Picky Eaters” and others may be referred to as a “Problem Feeder”. We all know a picky eater. This is a person/kiddo who has at least 30 foods in their repertoire. Whereas a “Problem Feeder” is a person/kiddo who has less than 20 foods in their repertoire. There are many reasons this could happen such as trauma, sensory related challenges, anxiety, behavioral challenges, and more. As Occupational Therapists, we are trained to assist these kiddos by addressing these challenges which can increase their tolerance for trying new foods! Keep reading to learn more picky eater tips we have below!

So why is MEALTIME so important to assist with this?

One of the first things we will ask as OTRs or COTAs is “What does mealtime look like at home?” Some parents may say, 

“We all sit down as a family every night for dinner but we are busy or gone for breakfast and lunch”, “We are so busy that we are lucky to eat all at the same time”, or “(The child) eats all day but won’t eat the food I cook at dinner”. Of course these are just examples, but can you relate to any of them? It’s a possibility! 

Asking about mealtimes is very important to your therapist because this gives us an idea of how your child eats during the day. Kiddos need fuel to keep their bodies going. However, WHAT they are taking in and HOW/WHEN they are taking it in will make a huge difference in behavior, attention, ability to process/retain information and regulate emotions/emotional responses. To give you an idea of why the “what”, “how” and “when” are so important, I’ll follow up on the questions above.

1. “We all sit down as a family every night for dinner but we are busy or gone for breakfast and lunch”

This could be a beneficial time to incorporate feeding techniques and build interest in the foods around the table. Interest always comes before action. A child must first be interested in the food before they will interact with it. This is one reason that mealtime is so important for kiddos. It can be an opportunity to build interest in various smells, sights, and textures of foods provided by parents in a supportive and positive manner.

2. “We are so busy that we are lucky to eat all at the same time”

How can you work your schedule to have a least one meal together every other day? We understand that this busy world requires busy people to keep it going. However, when you are overwhelmed and exhausted your child may pick up on that. Children are very intuitive. Incorporating as many mealtimes as possible may assist with parent/child interaction and decreasing anxiety and overwhelming emotions in adults which can in turn make eating less stressful for a “picky eater”.

3. “(The child) eats all day but won’t eat the food I cook at dinner”

Grazing is when a kiddo eating little snacks all throughout the day. Have you ever seen a child leave a snack on the table, go play for 30 minutes, then return to finish the snack? If your child is doing this all day, it may explain why they are not eating at mealtimes. Typically, the brain lets us know when we need to refuel because the digestive system sends signals saying, “I’m empty in here!”. When grazing, a child’s brain will begin to have a hard time distinguishing when the child is hungry due to constantly having food in the digestive system. This can effect metabolism and the ability to regulate hunger. When given mealtimes, the body has time to regulate, digest and filter out what it needs for fuel. Additionally, if given processed snacks that are high in sugar or carbohydrates throughout the day, the body will begin to crave them. This can create a difficult loop to break when introducing thing like vegetables, meats and some fruits. Positive interactions at mealtimes can assist with parent/child interactions, lowering anxiety and stress levels, giving the child’s body time to process what it needs for fuel and providing learning opportunities for the sensory system. This can be a major changing factor in how your child engages with food! 

Additional Mealtime Picky Eater Tips

Picky Eater Tips #1: Don’t force foods on children

As parents, we want our children to eat a variety of foods, including vegetables, fruits and other healthy snacks to help them grow to be strong and healthy. Studies show that forcing a child to sit and eat until they have cleared their entire plate is not the best method for achieving this goal. Instead, parents should promote foods that may have not been a hit the first time around. You can model this yourself by trying a food you haven’t liked in the past, and explain that you’re giving it another chance because your tastes may have changed. We want to show kids that we are adaptable. Remember: It can take as many as 10 or more times tasting a food before a toddler’s taste buds accept it. 

Picky Eater Tips #2: Get Creative With Food Bingo

You can also put together a list of new foods for the family to try and make a game out of it—what will we try tonight? You can make it interactive and fun by doing something creative like Food Bingo. There are many free printable online similar to the image shown below. You can even make your own! Hang it on the fridge and have your child place a sticker or check off the new foods they have tried. You can even add in a reward for them getting “bingo” – a trip to their favorite place, a new toy, a play date, or something else they really enjoy!

Food Bingo

Picky Eater Tips #3: Don’t Make a Second Meal

When you serve a meal to your family and your kiddo refuses to eat it, we recommend having simple and consistent back up options, such as yogurt, a cheese, nut & fruit snack pack, apple sauce, cereal etc. It’s important for children to know that if they can not eat the meal you have prepared, they will receive the standard option – rather than the usual chicken nuggets baked quickly in the oven. We should also teach kids that a meal isn’t ruined if it comes in contact with something they don’t like. Finding an unwanted pickle on your cheeseburger will not contaminate it. Children should be encouraged to push food they don’t like off to the side, or onto another plate, or offer to share it with someone else.

Picky Eater Tips #4: Involve Your Kiddo in the Meal Prep Process

Some cooking tasks are perfect for toddlers and small children (with supervision, of course): sifting, stirring, counting ingredients, picking fresh herbs from a garden or windowsill, and “painting” on cooking oil with a pastry brush. Allowing our children to interact with the foods they are going to eat will help to promote and encourage them to try it!

Picky Eater Tips #5: Food Chaining

Once your kiddo tries a new food and that food is accepted, use what one our Occupational Therapist’s favorite pickle eater tips call “food chaining” to introduce others with similar color, flavor and texture to help expand variety in what your child will eat. Children with sensory concerns have difficulty with leaping from the types of food they are willing/able to eat. Food chaining builds a bridge to get to those foods you really want your child to eat one step at a time through links to food they’re already eating. Examples include:

  • If your child likes pumpkin pie, for example, try mashed sweet potatoes and then mashed carrots.
  • If your child loves pretzels, try veggie straws next, and then move on to baby carrots or carrot sticks. Carrots are hard, crunchy, and stick shaped, but are cold and have a different taste.
  • If your child loves French Fries, then give a try to Zucchini fries.
  • Move from cookies to Fig Newtons, to jam toast, to jam sandwich, to bread with sliced strawberries, and lastly to fresh strawberries
  • If chicken nuggets are the fan favorite, try to first change the brand of nuggets, then move to homemade chicken nuggets, then to homemade tenders, and lastly to a baked chicken breast.
  • Maybe your kiddo love goldfish crackers. Next give Cheeze Itz a try, and then move on to saltine crackers, and lastly to saltines with cheese slices.

How Can Carolina Therapy Connection Help?

In addition to utilizing the tips above at home, we know that sometimes children need an extra push to expand their food repertoire. At Carolina Therapy Connection, our occupational and speech therapists provide feeding therapy that uses a collaborative approach to work closely with you and your child to determine the source of a child’s feeding difficulties, and develop specific intervention plans to make the entire eating process easier and more enjoyable. Often times, feeding therapy happens on a weekly basis and may consist of working on difficulty with trying new foods, chewing, swallowing, sensory issues, irritability at meal time and so much more. Our goals are to broaden your child’s scope of foods, teach them the benefits of healthy eating, and develop oral motor skills needed for optimal growth and nutrition.

Our Occupational Therapists take a sensory-based feeding approach to therapy.  They focus on: oral motor skills, sensory sensitivities, progressing through food textures, and using adaptive equipment and tools to develop self-feeding skills. They also use a process called food chaining, which is a child-friendly treatment approach that helps introduce new foods while building on the child’s past successful eating experiences. In this process, the child is presented with new foods that may be similar in taste, temperature, or texture to foods the child already likes and accepts. Our occupational therapists are certified in the SOS Feeding Approach, a nationally and internationally recognized approach for assessing and treating children with feeding difficulties.

Our feeding therapists have 15-20 years of experience with children of all ages and a variety of feeding disorders. They have certifications in SOS and AEIOU approaches and significant training from around the country on feeding approaches, treatment strategies, and focused plans. We also having consistent collaboration with other professionals in the community to guarantee the best care. Call our clinic at 252-341-9944 for a free phone screening with one of our feeding therapists and schedule an evaluation today!

Blog Written By: Shelby Godwin, COTA/L, AC & Morgan Foster, MS, OTR/L