Sensory processing is one of the most complex aspects of child development and we’re passionate about providing easy-to-understand answers to the most common questions we hear about sensory processing every day.
Take a few minutes to browse through our extensive list of sensory resources and come away with a better understanding of how kids process and integrate the sensory experiences they encounter every day.
General Information About Sensory Processing
What Does “Sensory” Really Mean? – This brief, easy-to-read post gives a basic understanding of how a child processes sensory experiences to help him understand his environment more clearly. You’ll also find links to other helpful resources on sensory processing.
Sensory Processing: 5 Things OTs Want You to Know – In this post, our pediatric occupational therapists address some commonly held misconceptions about sensory processing, providing helpful suggestions and strategies for planning sensory activities with children.
Sensory Integration: Red Flags and When to Get Help Learn more about sensory red flags – behaviors related to sensory integration that might indicate that it’s time to get some expert advice to help support your child’s sensory needs. Some of these red flags can correlate with sensory processing disorder symptoms.
Discussing Sensory Issues: A Guide for Parents and Teachers Whether you are a parent of a child with sensory needs or a teacher who has concerns about a child in your class, here are some ideas for how to start a constructive conversation about addressing kids’ needs in a positive and respectful way.
Sensory Processing 101 You may have heard of Sensory Processing Disorder, but the truth is that understanding and supporting healthy sensory processing is an important part of promoting health in all children, not only those with a sensory processing diagnosis. That’s why we created our book, Sensory Processing 101.
RISE With Sensory Course
Are you ready to learn powerful sensory strategies to support kids’ sensory needs so they can RISE to their full potential?
Whether you’re a parent or a professional, this course is for you!
The RISE With Sensory Course is This class is AOTA approved for 7 hours (.7 CEU) and is the perfect starting point for new therapists, or refresher for experienced therapists.
Looking for a streamlined approach for working with kids with sensory concerns and for communicating clearly with parents and caregivers about sensory processing?
Click here to learn more!
Sensory Tips and Strategies
Sensory-Friendly Sleep Tips for Kids – Learn about some simple sensory strategies that any parent can use to help calm a child at bedtime – because a well-rested kid is a happy kid!
A Moving School Experience: Classroom Ideas for Kids With Sensory Issues Learn from experts in the field about Practical Classroom Ideas to Support the Sensory Sensitive Child.
Paying Attention: 30 Sensory Strategies For some kids, adding a sensory component or enhancing the existing sensory features of an activity can help promote attention and engagement. These sensory strategies can help children who require more sensory input to remain focused and attentive.
10 Calming Sensory Strategies for School There are many simple sensory strategies that can be used to help create calmer, less stressful school days for all kids, regardless of their school setting or whether they have identified sensory needs.
10 Tips for Facilitating Sensory Activities for Kids There are lots of ways to facilitate and modify sensory activities to meet a wide range of preferences, needs, and sensitivities. These are some of our favorite tips.
Getting to the Bottom of Sensory Behaviors: A 3-Step Formula A basic formula for addressing “inappropriate” or “challenging” sensory behaviors.
23 Ways to Create a Sensory-Friendly Classroom We’ve taken several common classroom activities and provided examples of how to turn them on their heads with a little extra dose of sensory input that can help kids attend, engage, participate, and truly show us what they know!
Play Dates and Sensory Issues: How to Support Your Child Even though sensory behaviors can definitely make social interactions more challenging, there are ways to support kids to create positive play experiences with peers despite sensory processing needs.
Sensory Tips for Teens and Older Kids Courtney Dickinson, an experienced Sensory Integration and Praxis Test (SIPT) certified pediatric OT provides tons of useful tips, tricks, and strategies to help support teens and older children with sensory issues.
Sensory Toys and Products
Toys to Promote Sensory Development – We believe that play is the best way to promote development and wellness for kids. This post gives a round-up of some fantastic toys that address each of the sensory systems. This guide is a great place to start if you’re looking for toys that contribute to healthy child development.
The Best Toys for Vestibular System Development – What better way to help kids develop their vestibular systems than by getting them up and moving with some of these great toys!
Creating a Sensory Motor Study Space for Kids To us, creating a study space for kids means more than just setting up a desk and a chair. We know that kids are better able to “show what they know” when they can move, when they are exposed to hands-on learning activities, and when all of their senses are engaged!
Sensory Activities
20 Fun Ways to Explore the Sense of Smell – Today, we’ve rounded up 20 great activities for kids that will put those little sniffers right to work!
10 Great Sensory Activities for Toddlers Try one of these sensory activities for toddlers that allow them to touch, taste, listen, watch, smell, and above all – move!
10 Fun Sensory Activities for 2 and 3-Year-Olds Two and three-year-olds are developing at an incredible rate – they’re talking, walking (…or usually running!), and exploring all day every day. Kids this age can’t get enough sensory play – check out these fun and simple ways to encourage sensory development in your little one!
Sensory Activities for Preschoolers Preschoolers love to explore using their senses and by this age, they have the vocabulary and cognitive skills to make some real connections about the world around them as they engage in sensory play.
35 Mess-Free Sensory Play Activities for Kids Busy moms, dads, and teachers don’t always have the time (or the energy) to clean up a huge mess after the kids have gone crazy with shaving cream or a big bin of sand. But what if we told you that making a mess with your hands is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to sensory play?
The Sensory Systems
Sensory Processing: The Vestibular System – This post is all about the vestibular system – what is it, why is it important to growth and development, and what can you do to support it in your child. Learn about how this important sensory system helps us regulate balance and movement.
Sensory Processing: The Tactile System – Our pediatric occupational therapists break the tactile system down into terms everyone can understand, giving activities and suggestions for promoting healthy development of this sensory system through play.
Sensory Processing: Proprioception – Our sensory processing series continues with this post on the proprioceptive system. What is it? Why is it important to child development?
Sensory Processing: The Auditory System – Learn about a child’s sense of hearing and how it contributes to development. Read about potential issues with the auditory system and find some great activities to promote healthy development in this area.
Sensory Processing: The Visual System – The next post in our series on sensory processing delves into the visual system and its role in child development. Learn from our pediatric occupational therapists about how you can support the development of a healthy visual system in your child.
Sensory Processing: The Olfactory System – The olfactory system (the sense of smell) is yet another way for our brains to receive information about what is going on around us. Find out more about this fascinating system in this post!
What Does Oral Sensory Mean? The oral sensory system is a complex and interesting part of sensory processing. From taste to texture to temperature and much more, the way we perceive oral sensory information helps us eat and drink in a functional way and allows us to enjoy mealtimes with family and friends.
