Practical strategies for parents navigating self-regulation and
sensory challenges.
Is your child on a waiting list for occupational therapy? You’re not alone.
Many families find themselves in this position, looking for ways to
support their children’s developmental needs while waiting for
professional help.
This guide brings together valuable insights on self-regulation, sensory
processing, and related challenges like Sensory Processing Disorder
(SPD) and Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). We’ve also
included information about how trauma can impact a child’s sensory
development.
With the right knowledge and tools, you can make a positive difference
in your child’s daily life, even before formal therapy begins. Let’s explore
some practical approaches you can implement at home today.
Understanding Self-Regulation
and Sensory Processing
When children struggle with behaviors or emotional regulation, understanding the underlying processes can help parents and caregivers provide better support. Let’s explore two critical developmental concepts that affect how children respond to their environment.
What is Self-Regulation?
Self-regulation is the ability to manage your behavior, emotions, and body movements when facing challenging situations. It’s about staying focused while dealing with stressors and being able to recover from them effectively.
Key aspects of self-regulation include:
- Focus and Attention
Learning to direct and shift attention appropriately
- Emotional Coping
Developing strategies to handle strong feelings
- Behavioral Control
Managing actions to achieve goals and maintain relationships.
It’s important to note that self-regulation differs from self-control. While self-control involves inhibiting impulses, self-regulation is about identifying triggers and reducing the intensity of impulses to feel balanced in any situation.
Understanding Sensory Processing
Sensory processing is how our brain receives information through our senses, processes it, and allows our body to respond appropriately. Beyond the five common senses (sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch), our bodies rely on three additional crucial sensory systems:
Vestibular Sense
Controls movement, head position, balance, and coordination.
Proprioceptive Sense
Manages body awareness, limb position, and sense of force/pressure.
Interoception
Processes internal body feelings like hunger, temperature, and Emotions.
When a child has Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), their brain struggles to effectively process sensory information. This can manifest as being over-sensitive to certain inputs (hyper-responsive) or undersensitive (hypo-responsive or sensory seeking).
