Identifying Sensory Overload: Proactive Planning for the Holiday Season
The holidays can be a stressful time for everyone, especially for the little ones! Kids might be tired and more likely to have a meltdown, but sometimes they might be experiencing a sensory overload. Being mindful during this time of year is important, and we’ve got plenty of ways you can help those around be mindful as well. While you can prepare as much as possible, sometimes things happen that you did not plan. There are ways you can notice changes in your child’s movement and behavior that might indicate a sensory overload instead of general frustration.
When it comes to sensory response versus behavior shut down, there are a few things you can keep an eye out for that will give you an indication of how to respond in turn. Typically when you child isn’t making eye contact, that can show you they are not looking for attention and having a tantrum, but are experiencing a sensory overload or having a sensory response. The same can be said of a few different notable actions with their body, such as spreading out their fingers or wiping their hands repeatedly - something that is not meant for you to respond with attention to what they are doing, but assist them in recovering from their sensory response.
Another sign you can look for when determining whether your child is having a tantrum or meltdown versus a sensory response is if you see their body shuddering or shaking, something similar to when they are scared or startled. This could be combined with other behaviors like covering their face or specifically their nose, or repeatedly blinking their eyes or actually getting watery eyes as well.
One less obvious and potentially less indicative behavior to look out for during one of these episodes could actually be yawning. This is normal behavior, but the key is to notice this in any combination with other warning signs to help give you a more definitive read. If your child is gagging or vomiting combined with any of the other behaviors mentioned above, this could also be related to a sensory response instead of simply just sickness.
Many professionals in the occupational therapy field have identified different factors which contribute to these behaviors. Some you can see, others you cannot, and happen internally within your child. The internal processes can be difficult to read, and often are not communicated directly. Different processing takes place during these responses, which involve auditory and language understanding and integration. As they are experiencing sound and language, they internally need to process these things, and that may contribute to the behavior they exhibit. Removing or adding sound or language can lead you to more discovery of the root of the behavior.
Measurable internal indicators do exist however, without verbal or physical communication from the child. Indicators of heightened stress can be measured in heart rate variability and how it differs from a normal state. It is very important to monitor the basic necessities and understand how much of an impact they can have as well. Make sure to keep track of how much sleep your child is getting and whether their quality of sleep could be improved or changed to better their responses.
Other factors that should be considered are your child’s emotions, experience of trauma, movement, and internal needs. Although they are sometimes much more difficult to interpret or catch signals of at any given time, with monitoring and close observation, occupational therapists can help you discover and remedy some of the issues that come along with these types of behaviors as well as help you identify them in the future.
Consider some of the factors that might be contributing that are external to your child’s body. Sometimes things that you wouldn’t realize may be affecting your child, from your family’s religious practices to your cultural identity and the projection of those in your household. Carefully consider how these things could contribute to behaviors and talk to your child’s therapist to discuss different concerns you might have. Sometimes the child’s age, medical history, and information delivered to you from doctors or medical health professionals can help you to determine what may be going on to trigger these behaviors as well.
Stress is a major factor in sensory responses and sensory overload in children. Occupational therapists use different combinations of signals to judge whether the child is in a stressed state or feeling good. All of these signals are measurable by their eyes, face, body, voice, and their overall rhythm or movement level. Any extreme could be a warning sign - for instance, if your child is alert and attentive, making eye contact and looking directly at objects or things, that would be considered a safe and maintained level of alertness. If their eyes are rolling upward, are making intense eye contact or even avoiding eye contact, they are likely experiencing stress or it is at a heightened level.
Other differences that you can gauge would be noticeable in their face - an alert state that reflects no-stress would be neutral, smiling, or showing a range of emotions. If you notice any teeth clenching or forcefully smiling, this is an indication of a stressed state. With the body, you should see things like stability in their movements and coordination for a child. In infants, they should allow their body to conform around your body when held or move their legs or arms toward their center. If you notice any excess rigidity, as in a tense muscle grouping in their back or constantly moving around, you might be alerted to a stressed state.
Some indicators are very clear to witness, like yelling and shouting, excessive anger or rage, or movements that seem out of control to you. These can really help you understand what is going on internally with your child and allow you to help them deal with a sensory overload or response as well as understanding what factors in your environment might be affecting them negatively.
Tilton’s Therapy for Tots is committed to helping parents and caregivers understand and learn more about how to help children experiencing sensory overload. Download or view our resources with indicators of a sensory response to help you in the future and to see more examples to help with your child’s care. Follow us online to find more helpful resources as we grow and reach out to us with questions or to let us know how we can help provide other educational materials to assist with caregiving to your loved ones. If you are in need or are considering occupational therapy in Las Vegas for your child, contact Tilton’s Therapy for Tots today to get started!
Additional Resources:
https://childmind.org/article/sensory-processing-issues-explained/
