THE SENSORY MADE SIMPLE PODCAST

Transcript

Welcome to Sensory Made Simple, a podcast dedicated to helping moms figure out how to understand your child's sensory needs and how to support them.

Whether it's tackling meltdowns, eating new foods, or just getting through the day without feeling completely drained.

Hi, I'm Dr.

Sam, a pediatric occupational therapist and busy boy mom.

And each week, I'll share simple, realistic tips that fit into your busy life.

Because believe me, I get it.

Adding one more thing to your plate feels overwhelming enough.

No complicated terms, just easy to follow strategies to help your child feel calm, confident, and understood.

So grab your coffee, chances are I've got mine too.

Pop in your earbuds, and let's figure this out together.

A little note before we begin.

Please be advised that this information in this podcast is not medical or occupational therapy advice, and is just for general and informational knowledge.

Okay, let's get to the show.

You've probably heard the terms sensory seeker and sensory avoider tossed around a lot, but sometimes it's really hard to know which one your child actually is.

Or is it both?

It's one of those things that feel like a guessing game.

You might notice some things, but putting it all together isn't really as clear cut as everybody makes it seem.

One minute your kid is bouncing off the walls, you are convinced they are a sensory seeker, and next they are refusing to touch something on their plate because the texture freaks them out.

So what's really going on?

Which category do they fall into?

Well, knowing the answer does make a huge difference in how you can support them, since they need totally different strategies.

In this podcast episode, I'm going to break it down for you.

Let's get to it.

The first thing we need to do is talk about what sensory seeking and sensory avoiding actually mean.

So they might be really new terms to you, or you might be someone who's heard these a lot.

You know exactly what I'm talking about.

Hold in there with me.

I want to explain this for everyone who does not know what sensory seeking and sensory avoiding truly means.

And I want to make sure we're all on the same page here.

So when we're talking about avoiding and seeking, we're talking about how your child's brain interprets and responds to the level of input they're receiving.

So when I say level, we're talking about how sensitive they are to it.

And don't worry, I'm going to explain this even better in a second.

But how they respond to how much the level of sensory input they're receiving.

Does it feel just right?

Is it too much?

Is it too little?

This is actually something called sensory modulation.

I'm not going to talk about these big terms, because again, we are trying to get rid of these big terms.

But I just want you to know that it's out there.

If you hear somebody say sensory modulation, that's when we're talking about sensory seeking, sensory avoiding.

And again, it's the level of sensory input that they're receiving.

And what your child's brain thinks about that level.

So a really easy way to think about this is it's like the volume on a radio or on the TV.

Your child's brain is trying to decide if the sensory input is too loud, too little, or just right.

So for sensory seekers, the volume of sensory input always feels too little for them.

Essentially, the level of sensory input that you or I might get and we feel just right with, it feels just way too little and they need more.

They are constantly trying to turn that volume up.

These are those kids that are always on the move.

They're touching everything in sight.

They're making loud noises with their mouth.

You know, it's those kids who might run into a room full speed and start spinning around, rolling on the floor, or jumping off the furniture.

It can seem like they never stop moving.

They're never satisfied, no matter how much they seem to jump, crash, spin, chew.

They always seem to need more and more.

And the really interesting thing here is they seem to almost get more disorganized when they get it.

These kids are sensory seekers, are very often labeled as the troublemakers in the class.

Sensory avoiders, on the other hand, that's the total opposite side.

The volume of sensory input for them always feels like too much.

It feels like the dial is turned up, all the way up.

And they are constantly trying to avoid that input as much as they can.

So, whereas you or I might hear the sound of the blender, and it doesn't really bother us, for them, it is like the sound of the blender is that radio turned absolutely at a max.

You might see these kids covering their ears, avoiding getting dirty, refusing to eat textures, and they are often labeled as stubborn because they're trying to control their environment and avoid sensory input.

What is really important to understand, both about sensory avoiders and sensory seekers, is that they are not trying to be difficult, even if it might feel like it to you or me.

They are truly just trying to listen to the messages their body is sending them.

It is unconscious.

They are not trying to make your life difficult.

They are not trying to be difficult.

They are just trying to help their body feel good.

But this brings us back to Sam.

How do I know which one they are?

How do I know if they're seeking or avoiding?

Is there a specific test that tells me that?

Can it be both?

Well, typically, when you're looking for an answer to this, you're usually taking your child to an occupational therapist, and they will do a deep dive into the history and take a peek at how your child responds to different sensations.

As an OT, what we're usually looking for is trends in how they behave.

So when a child is struggling with one area of sensory processing, we actually usually see it pop up in multiple ways throughout the day, and an OT can really help you point that out.

So, you know I'm a huge proponent of occupational therapy as an OT, so I think that is absolutely the best way to know.

But I am going to give you some tips on how to start pointing that out yourself today.

In my opinion, the absolute best way to start figuring this out is to sit down and write it all down, right?

Every single thing you can think of down.

Take out a big sheet of paper, write down every single behavior you notice them doing, write down where they're struggling, write down their strengths.

Here's some things I want you to think about.

Are they constantly wiggling?

Do they need to move at dinner instead of sitting down?

Do they get in trouble at school for getting out of their chair a lot?

Do they push their friends a lot?

Are they getting in trouble for throwing?

Do they tend to love or avoid getting messy?

Do they make a lot of noise?

Or do they cover their ears with loud or sudden sounds?

How do they feel about getting wet?

These are just a couple ideas for you.

But here is where it gets tricky.

Some of these can be both.

So you might be inclined to be like, oh, okay, yeah, they do push their friends a lot.

Maybe they're seeking.

But a child may actually push a friend at school because they're seeking deep pressure input and it feels silly and good.

Or they might be pushing a friend at school because that friend was standing too close and it felt bad for them.

And so they push them away to get some room.

This is where you really need to observe your child.

Was there a trigger before this happened?

If they're old enough, I also really do recommend asking them in a really, really supportive way.

You will be surprised how much they notice about their own body.

And here's where it gets even more tricky.

Yes, the answer is yes.

Your child can be both a sensory seeker and a sensory avoider.

It's funny, I had already had all my notes for this episode outlined, and I had multiple people ask me this question this week.

Can my child both seek and avoid?

I am confused.

One minute they seem to be jumping off the walls, but then I also think that they are avoiding something like sound.

They really don't like sound.

Yes, they can be both.

We have eight different senses.

Kids process each and every sense differently.

They can seek one, and they can avoid another.

For example, kind of like I just mentioned, we do commonly see kids looking and seeking movement, so vestibular input and proprioceptive input, deep pressure.

So they might love going on the swing, they might love crashing, jumping.

But when they're at the table, they might totally avoid getting messy, they might totally avoid different textures, and they might be avoidant when it comes to touch.

When we're talking about seeking and avoiding, we want to look at each different sense separately.

Now we can break this out even further.

So sometimes people will also say to me, we'll see them, but I noticed that they cover their ears, and then they also make a lot of noise with their mouth.

Yes, they can seek one type, and they can avoid another.

Some different sounds are going to be regulating, some different textures are going to be regulating, and some they might be avoiding.

And this is exactly why I am always trying to drive home to you.

You cannot use random general strategies with your child and expect them to just magically work.

Yeah, you might fall upon one or two of the two, but you need to understand your child's specific sensory system for this exact reason.

It really is so complex, but it can be broken down into such easy steps.

And when you truly understand your child's eight senses and how they react to those eight senses, you are going to be able to connect with them so much better.

You're going to be able to help them every single day so much better.

And that is why it is so important for you to understand their sensory system.

So something that annoys me quite often, quite a bit, with sensory processing is that a lot of new terms are thrown at you, and a lot of different education is given, but nothing ever really seems to connect.

So when I talk to parents, they're like, well, yeah, I know that they might be a sensory seeker.

I've heard this and I've heard that, but I'm still really confused.

Well, I want to make sure that I connect it with you.

So this is where I'm going to start.

Last week, in the last podcast episode, we talked about active versus passive sensory responses.

While that is something different, they do connect, and I'm going to connect that for you.

So sensory seeking and sensory avoiding are both types of active sensory responses, meaning kids are taking action to help their body.

They are either taking actions to get that more input, so our sensory seekers take action, you see them jumping, you see them crashing, to get that input, or they're taking action to get away from that input.

They're running away, they're avoiding it.

Maybe they're fighting with you, they're screaming, they're throwing things.

They are taking action to avoid it.

So both sensory seeking and both sensory avoiding are active responses.

I want to simplify this for you even more.

When it comes to active and passive, the question is, how does your child respond when their body is out of sync?

Do they just kind of sit there and wait to see what happens, or do they take action?

Both sensory seekers, both sensory avoiders are going to take action to help their body.

Now you might be sitting here thinking, um, Sam, I don't think my child takes action, but they do seem to avoid things or their body does seem to need things.

Don't you worry, those are passive responses.

We will get there, just not in this episode.

And this is actually a really great time to remind you that if you have not downloaded My Sensory Survival Guide for Parents, do that now.

Literally pause this episode and go download it.

There's an awesome visual in there for you that combines these passive and active responses with the different types of levels.

So with that sensory avoiding, with that sensory seeking, and the other two types that we're not talking about today.

Pause this episode right now.

Go to www.drsamgoldman.com/sensorysurvivalguide and get it right now.

It's going to pair wonderfully with this episode.

It's a really quick, easy to read, easy digestible PDF so that you can start understanding where your child might fall in these levels.

And yes, before I forget to tell you, it is free.

Okay, now if you figured out your child is a sensory avoider, your child is a sensory seeker, what in the world can you do to support them?

When you understand whether your child is seeking or avoiding, you are able to be more intentional with the help you provide to them.

This way, we don't have to choose these random strategies.

Sensory seekers, they tend to need more input and they need more opportunities to interact with their environment.

Bonus tip here, I mentioned this earlier, but a lot of sensory seekers seem to get more disorganized when they do get this big input.

So you take them to the park, and all of a sudden you notice they are bouncing off the wall instead of calming down like you had hoped.

Sometimes they tend to do better when they get calmer input with focused activities.

So for example, an obstacle course where they have a task at the end.

So a lot of the times, this is like one of my favorite things to do, is to do an obstacle course with the puzzle pieces at one end and the actual puzzle at the other end.

And they take it with them, and then at the end, they put the puzzle piece in.

Or something like throwing toys at a target.

Really pay attention when you do activities with your child and see what works for their personal body.

I might say something here, and you go back and try it, and it doesn't work at all for your child.

Again, we gotta figure out your child's personal sensory system.

Now let's talk about sensory avoiders.

They are the opposite side, right?

They're avoiding a lot of input.

They need more predictable input that feels safe for their body, things that they know feel safe, things that are not too much.

Don't you worry, I'm going to give you examples for each.

So for our sensory seekers, something I love to do is provide lots of opportunities for exploration and movement.

I really like to take them to playgrounds with slides and swings.

Notice when they are escalating as opposed to calming down with movement or with input.

Notice which activities do actually calm their body.

Take note of that.

Literally write it down.

Put it in a notes app on your phone.

Put it somewhere you're going to be able to go back and look when your child is out of sync, and you're like, okay, wait, I know this is something we can do.

More isn't always better.

Trial activities that are calming, like massages, lowering the light.

A lot of children love weighted toys as a gentle form of input.

Just make sure that you check the recommendations for the weight for their body, and teach them safe ways to get the input that they need.

Sensory seekers are notorious for dangerous activities because it feels good to their body, but we need to show them that they can still get that input in a safe and effective way.

For sensory avoiders, really, really try and sit down and identify their triggers.

Refrain from pressuring them to engage with something triggering, and instead offer them safe opportunities to explore new things in a way that feels good for them.

Reduce overstimulation, so take down the sensations, and work on predictable routines that help them feel calm and safe.

Now, the goal isn't to fix or change your child.

The goal is to provide sensory experiences that match their body's needs.

When we can tune in to exactly what your child's body is asking for, we can help them finally feel just right, reduce meltdowns, and bring more calm to both of your days.

I know this feels like a lot to take in.

My sister always says, the mental load.

Don't worry.

I've got you.

This is exactly what I am here for, especially in my upcoming course, Sensory Made Simple.

I am literally going to break all of this down with you step by step, so that you can better understand your child's sensory system, exactly how to support them, no matter where they fall on this spectrum.

In this course, I am going to walk you through how to identify if your child is more passive, more active, and how that affects their needs.

We'll dive into how to recognize if they're a sensory seeker or an avoider, and I will show you exactly how this applies to everyday situations.

We'll explore all eight senses, because yes, it is more than five.

There are eight senses, and I will give you tips for each and every single one of them.

My goal is that by the end of this course, you are not only going to feel confident about how to handle your child's sensory needs, but you will have a complete toolkit of strategies to bring more calm and more understanding into your everyday life.

So if you are done guessing, and you want to start understanding your child's sensory world, I really cannot wait to help you with that.

Join the waitlist by going to www.drsamgaldman.com/sensorywaitlist.

And I'm going to be asking you questions on there because I am in the midst of planning this course, and I want to know exactly what you need.

So www.drsamgaldman.com/sensorywaitlist, and I'll see you in your inbox.

And again, next week on the podcast.

Thanks for joining me.

Thank you so much for joining me today on Sensory Made Simple.

I hope you're heading off with a little extra confidence and some easy ideas to tackle those sensory struggles ahead on.

If this episode was helpful or gave you a tip you can't wait to try, it would mean so much if you would share it with a friend or leave a quick review.

It helps more moms like you find the show and support their child too.

And remember, every small step you take makes a big difference for your child.

You've got this, and I am cheering you on every step of the way.

See you next time.