#Sensory Input

Does your kiddo constantly kick or push their feet into you all day? 🤪 I know it’s annoying and overstimulating, but it usually means they’re craving extra sensory input. 😩 Feet have super-sensitive receptors, and a sensory seeker can meet that need by exploring different textures or sensations with their feet. 🦶🦶 Try these exercises: • Floss their toes with a play silk – the silky smooth texture gently stimulates sensitive receptors, providing calming sensory input. • Step on squishy stress balls – the soft, uneven texture squishes between their toes, giving intense, satisfying pressure that meets their sensory need in a way that’s more engaging than just a flat surface. • Stomp or jump on a floor cushion – the heavy pressure sends strong proprioceptive feedback through their body, helping them feel grounded and calm while releasing extra energy. • Roll a spiky plastic ball under their feet – the small bumps create a gentle, stimulating massage that wakes up their senses and reduces the urge to kick or press on you. Other easy options not in the reel: walking on stepping-stones, squeezing their feet, foot-painting, slime tubs, sand trays, even an ice-bucket dip. When you set up these foot-focused activities ahead of time, the constant kicking fades—and your child gets the strong sensory input they were searching for! 🫶🫶 Follow @thecalmcaterpillar for more sensory input exercises!

Comment CRAVE to get our free sensory activities list, it’s filled with proprioceptive ideas to help your kid regulate! You know that rough and tumble kid who can’t get enough crashing, squeezing, biting, falling? They might be seeking out proprioceptive input to regulate their sensory system! Our kids show us what their sensory systems need through the way they act, behave, and respond to the world around them- It’s all communication! Our body is covered in proprioceptive receptors, and when we jump, run, or get squeezed they get activated. Some kids SEEK OUT this type of input because it regulates their system and some kids need it because all those proprioceptive receptors give us our sense of body awareness. Body awareness is what helps us not bump into or drop things all the time. So the three activities above can help meet our kids needs and increase their body awareness, but there’s a lot more ideas in my FREE sensory activity pac. Get it today when you comment CRAVE!

Comment REGULATE and I’ll send you my sensory regulation guide for each age group! As both a parent and a paediatric OT, these are the 4 movements I actually use at home when my child is overwhelmed, unfocused, or starting to dysregulate. They’re simple, quick, and work because they give the brain the sensory input it needs to calm and organise again. Here’s why they help 👇 • Figure-8 tracking: combines eye movement + head movement → supports focus, coordination, and visual regulation. • Cross-crawl: activates both sides of the brain and supports body organisation. • Rhythmic rocking: slow, predictable movement helps down-regulate the nervous system. • Palm push: proprioception is one of the fastest ways to create that “ahh, I can breathe again” feeling. None of these are about “fixing behaviour.” They’re about supporting a nervous system that’s asking for help.

#sensoryintegrationtherapy #sensoryintegration #proprioception #sensoryideas #sensoryactivity #ot #sensorydiet #sensoryprocessing #sensorytoys #sensoryplay #parenting #parents #aberdeenscotland #aberdeensensory #aberdeenmassage #newreels #trendingreels #newreel ———————————————————————————————Sensory Integration Therapist, children’s physiotherapist

🧠When the body is dysregulated, the brain can’t focus — no matter how hard a child tries. This shows up at “sensory seeking” behaviors. ✨Sensory-seeker activities give the nervous system the right kind of input it’s asking for: movement, pressure, and rhythm. That input helps organize the body, calm the nervous system, and create the foundation for focus, attention, and learning. 💁🏽‍♀️This isn’t about burning energy or “getting the wiggles out.” It’s about meeting a sensory need so the brain can feel safe enough to organize and engage. ⤵️Comment “link” for a link to download my daytime sensory chart using the Meet, Organize, Calm™ routine approach! #sensory #sensoryactivity #occupationaltherapy

Does your child constantly crave movement, play rough or put themselves in risky situations? 🤔 These behaviors might seem overwhelming at first, but they could be signs of a sensory-seeking child! ✨ COMMENT “Sensory” to receive access to a guide on identifying and understanding sensory seeking behaviors!! ✨ Here are some common behaviors we explain in the guide: 👉 Difficulty Sitting Still 👉 Crashing or Jumping 👉 Spinning Around 👉 Engaging in Risky Behaviors 👉 Chewing or Mouthing Objects 👉 Touching Textures Raising a child with high sensory needs can be challenging - we’re here to help. Comment “Sensory” for our free resource and follow along for more tips!

Pediatric OT and mom here to share one of the biggest tools that’s helped us at home: sensory input for emotional regulation. Comment “interested” and a free mindfulness guide and links to my favorite mindfulness products! When your child feels overstimulated/ dysregulated (tantrums, whining, or bad moods), providing proprioceptive input like weighted toys, joint compressions, or exercises with a yoga ball can help bring their nervous system back into balance. It’s not about stopping the meltdown but grounding their body so their mind can feel calmer and more connected. For kids who don’t love touch, try tools like spiky balls or small yoga balls to create localized pressure in a way that feels safe and comforting. These techniques have been lifesavers for us, and I hope they can help your family too! 🤍✨ #ParentingSupport #TantrumTips #MindfulParenting #NervousSystemRegulation #SensoryInput #WeightedToys #CalmTheChaos #ToddlerMomLife #OccupationalTherapyTips #ProprioceptiveInput #MindfulnessForKids #EmotionalRegulation #SensoryTools #GentleParenting #ConsciousParenting #ParenthoodUnfiltered

Did you know that OTs assist with sensory regulation? Watch our occupational therapist use a sensory brush to help one of our clients improve sensory defensiveness. . . . . #occupationaltherapy #occupationaltherapymonth #sensorydefensiveness #sensoryregulation #miami #alwayskeepprogressing

**crash course handbook resource closed *** Let me be clear: jumping, crashing, climbing, pushing are all totally “normal” ways to play! For proprioception sensory seekers the frequency and intensity and impact on life are what take these “normal” activities to the next level. Some examples of those would be bouncing or jumping all of the time including when in line at school, tackling a friend so hard they get wounded, being kicked off the sports teams because they kept climbing equipment during the practices. Proprioception sensory seekers get a bad rap for being bad or disruptive or mean when in reality they are just finding ways to fill their sensory bucket the best way they know how for a kid. #sensoryseeker #sensoryseeking #sensoryprocessingdisorder #adhd #autism #occupationaltherapy #parenting

Comment SENSORY and I’ll send you the links to these amazing gift ideas for sensory seeking kids. If you’ve got a sensory seeking kid who never stops moving or always needs to touch everything these gifts are about to change your whole house . these are my favorite pics for sensory kids who crave movement balance, visual, calm, and all the tactile input! From the spinning chair to the jelly blocks, every item gives them safe meaningful sensory play. They’ll actually use and you’ll love watching them thrive. #sensorytoys #sensoryplay #giftideas #sensoryseeker #sensoryseeking #play #toys #tactileplay

🧠✨ Sensory Circuit Ideas to Boost Focus & Regulation! A sensory circuit is a fun and structured way to help children prepare their bodies and minds for learning. From jumping to balancing, each step activates different senses—supporting emotional regulation, motor planning, and body awareness. Watch how we’ve recreated this engaging routine using the same tools and method—perfect for home or therapy sessions! 💪🎯 📍Looking to support your child’s sensory needs? Visit Global Child Wellness Centre, Ludhiana. 📞 Call us at: 7696730604 #SensoryCircuit #OccupationalTherapy #ChildTherapy #SensoryIntegration #SpecialNeedsSupport #TherapyActivities #GlobalChildWellnessCentre #LudhianaTherapy #EarlyIntervention #SensoryPlay #ChildDevelopment #FocusAndCalm

I posted a reel about sensory seekers a few days ago, and in doing my research for that I learned lots of other stuff! So here’s another proprioception themed reel. 😅 As a reminder - proprioception is the sensory input we receive through our joints and muscles. It tells us about our body movements, and allows us to do things like go up stairs without looking, coordinate where your arms and legs go while getting be dressed, or ride a bike. Differences in how sensory input is received and processed is common with autism and other neurodivergencies (though it seems to be more extreme in autism than the other ones). Sensory seeking behaviors are only some of the signs of having low proprioception, but there are lots of other ones I never even thought about being in the same “family”. Like the fact that my 5 year old walking sounds like there’s an elephant in my house. Proprioceptive input is also one of the main regulators in the body, which means being low on proprioceptive input is going to lead to a pretty dysregulated state - trouble focusing and staying calm, being extra fidgety, extra trouble managing emotions. You aren’t going to be able to completely fix low proprioception permanently. But you can manage it throughout the day to help stay calm, focused, and regulated! Before doing something that involves a lot of sitting still and being quiet (school, religious service, long drive, etc), get in some proprioceptive input. You should also make sure to get some throughout the day, and even before bed! You can get proprioceptive input from: - Climbing - Running - Pushing, pulling, or carrying weighted objects - Hanging on monkey bars or from a trapeze - Jumping and crashing activities (trampoline, crash pad, etc) - Also more subtle things, like eating crunchy snacks, chewing gum, sucking on a lollipop or sucking thick liquid through a straw. - wear a compression shirt, weighted vest, or sit with a weighted blanket or stuffed animal in your lap Occupational therapy can also help with this! What’s your favorite way to get proprioceptive input? #sensoryseeker #sensoryseeking #autism #autismawareness #autismacceptance #autisticgirlsofinstagram