Here are three sensory exercises that can help your child feel calm and safe.
If your child has difficulty learning to self-regulate, you try a few things to see what works for them. Each child has stressors in their lives, whether social communication, doctor visits, or questions about the tense times in the world. But it is significant for your child to have ways to enable them to calm when unpleasant circumstances emerge. Here are three sensory exercises that can help your child feel calm and safe.
Vestibular Exercises
As you may know, the vestibular system is one of the senses people have outside of the well-known five senses. And, the vestibular system controls balance, which means that children who have issues with their vestibular system can experience added anxiety. Exercises that work on the vestibular system can help your child feel more in control. Some activities, like swinging on a swing, jumping on a trampoline, or walking a balance beam, can provide a healthy distraction while strengthening this important skill.
Proprioceptive Exercises
As for the proprioceptive sense, which is related to the muscles and joints, there are a lot of good exercises for calming down. You could go on a quick walk or do some stretches with your child. This kind of exercise can also promote the flow of positive endorphins to improve mood.
Deep Pressure Exercises
The proprioceptive sense also works on a tactile level, which is why exercises that involve pressure or weight can be helpful. Sometimes the best thing you can for your child is to give them a big hug. A simple hug does a lot to calm by providing tactile sensation as well as affection and moral support. Also, a weighted blanket could be a good investment if you know your child would like one.
The Connections Therapy Center
The Connections Therapy Center serves families of children and adolescents with disabilities and special needs. We are a team of experts in the fields of pediatric speech, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and behavioral sciences. As a team, we offer intensive hands-on therapy for children and adolescents, as well as informative and useful resources for families. If you are interested in learning more about what we can do to help your family, visit us online or give us a call at (301) 577-4333. Want to get more information on how to help your child thrive? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.