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Transitions can be difficult for children for a couple of reasons:
Here are some strategies to help with transitions: “First/Then” Language Simply using the phrase “First/Then” lets a child know what is happening next and will decrease any anxiety or fear of the unknown. For example, “First we will go to the store, then we will go to the park” “First we put on shoes, then we go to school” “First we eat dinner, then we play” Visual Timers A child’s concept of time is still developing so if we say to them “we are going to leave the park in 5 minutes” they are going to have a hard time keeping track of this and may think 5 minutes lasts a long time. A simple fix is using a visual timer. A visual timer is simply a clock or timer that we can see and look at as the time counts down. By using a visual timer we are providing a child with a visual so when we say “we are going to leave the park in 5 minutes” or “we need to wait 5 minutes until everyone is ready and then we can leave”, they will have a better understanding of what that means. You can buy specific timers that are made for children, but in my experience, any typical digital timer will work. For example here is an inexpensive version I found on Amazon.com (https://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Timer-Digital-Countdown-Stopwatch/dp/B07D3BFY6R/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=timer&qid=1563934016&s=gateway&sr=8-3) Routine This can sometimes be difficult to do based on a family’s schedule but if possible, having a consistent routine can be very helpful for kids. This way, our children know what is expected of them and when things will happen. For example, if a child knows that typically on Saturdays we make breakfast as a family, go grocery shopping, then go to the park that will help a child know what to expect which can make transitions easier. I hope to provide you with some strategies to get you started. Please email me at blog@goflowoccupationaltherapy.com if you have any additional questions. See you soon! Michael Jankowski, MS, OTR/L
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 What is the Fight or Flight Response?
The fight or flight response is our body’s reaction to a stressor, real or perceived. Our bodies can be triggered or put into fight or flight mode by many different things including people, situations, and experiences. Those who have difficulty processing and understanding sensory information may get triggered by sensory experiences which makes their brain and body feel like they are put in danger and causes them to react with a fight or flight response. Can you imagine how frustrating and exhausting this must be for children, and how hard it must be to learn and focus while this is happening? What Might the Fight or Flight Response Look Like? If a child is triggered into the fight or flight response, you can expect to see some of the following:
Sensory Processing’s role in Fight or Flight When we are provided with sensory input, our brain needs to quickly process all the information it is receiving and let us know whether it is safe or not. Some people (both children and adults) receive sensory input but their body does not know how to process it. Our body may tell us that something is potentially harmful and threatening and to stay away from it. As a result, it triggers us to get out of the situation by fighting – pushing / throwing / kicking – anything to get the item away, or flight – running, climbing – anything to physically remove ourselves from the item and situation. This process is happening very fast at a subconscious level as our brain is perceiving a threat and it wants to protect us. Unfortunately, some people (both children and adults) may not always understand why their brain and body are acting in this way. Sensory experiences such as the following can send a child into a state of fight or flight:
What can I do? 1. Put your explorer hat on. Part of the process to find effective calming techniques for children is exploration and trial and error simply due to the fact that every child’s brain is different and will process sensory information differently. We want our children to see that different sensory experiences can be fun and enjoyable. A good way to do this is explore with your child when they are calm and regulated (preferably not during a meltdown) what are things that potentially cause your child to go into fight or flight mode, and what are some things that can help our child calm down if that were to happen. This can take the form of sensory play, conversations, and role-playing or acting out pretend scenarios “Hey Sally if you were at school and you walked into the cafeteria and you didn’t like the smells of the food what are some things you could do?” 2. Our child will mimic our emotions so if they see that we are calm while they are having a meltdown that can help them to calm (believe me easier said than done) but the calmer we can stay in a situation by watching our voice volume, tone, and facial expressions the more it will help our child. Talking to our child in a calm and soft voice and providing reassurance that they are ok can help calm. Experiment with this tactic when your child is calm and see if by providing them with verbal and calming reassurance it helps them maintain regulation. 3. Have calming tools ready to use to help your child calm down, these can include calming bottles, hand fidgets, mouth tools (bubbles, pinwheels), calming music, etc. 4. Take deep breaths. When we are in fight or flight mode, we can start to hyperventilate meaning that our body and brain is not receiving all the oxygen it needs. A great thing to do in this scenario is to take deep breaths as it provides our body and organs with the oxygen they need that can help them to calm. In a scenario where a child is in fight or flight mode, we may say something like “let’s take some deep breaths” and then start to take deep breaths our self so our child can imitate us and hopefully start to calm. Try guiding them through 5 deep breaths. You can use prompts such as “smell the flowers in, blow the birthday candles out”. 5. Be proactive and have a game plan for how family members will respond if a child is in fight or flight mode. For example, will one parent or family member take the role of helping the child to calm down if they are in fight or flight mode or will it be more of a group effort? If a parent is trying to calm a child by having them take deep breaths but another family member is getting upset this can trigger the child, so having a game plan ahead of time can help us in this process. Discuss with the members in your family techniques that help your child calm if they are in fight or flight mode and how everyone will respond should the child enter fight or flight mode. ***Disclaimer: every child is different, and every child’s brain processes sensory information differently. As a result, there is not a one size fits all solution. Some of these tips and strategies may help some kids but may not be as effective for others.*** I hope to provide you with some strategies to get you started. Please let me know at blog@goflowoccupationaltherapy.com if you have any questions. See you soon! Michael Jankowski, MS, OTR/L  There is a lot of information about this topic, and my hope is that I can provide you with some simple and easy to digest (no pun intended☺) information for you and your family.
Food is fun! – Make mealtime an extension of playtime: cookie cutters, toothpicks, chopsticks, and kid safe knives. Get kids involved with cooking – Let kids help out with cooking and meal prep: Stirring, measuring out ingredients, and retrieving foods from fridge or pantry are a great way to get kids involved. Don’t label food as “good” or “bad” – If certain foods are labeled as “bad”, that makes them that much more interesting to a kid. For example, cookies are foods that we sometimes eat, not rewards for cleaning our dinner plate or behaving at school. Lead by example – If our children see us eating healthy foods, that will mean a lot more to them than lectures about eating veggies. We can also let our children learn by seeing how we bounce back when we don’t eat healthy. It’s ok if we make mistakes with our own food and eating habits, the important thing is to try and learn from the mistakes, so we don’t keep repeating them. Encourage intuitive and intentional eating – Encourage children to listen to their bodies. For example, if a child eats past the point of being full, we can ask them simple questions such as: how are you feeling? are you tired? etc. Let kids start to listen to and understand their hunger and full cues. We are working on teaching our children to listen to their bodies, and not feel guilty if they occasionally eat unhealthily. Eat together without distractions – Eat meals together at a consistent time and start to incorporate a routine of discussing everyone’s day or asking what everyone’s “high and low” of the day was – this is a great bonding experience. Try to avoid distractions like phones, TVs, or Tablets. Allowing screen time during meals makes it hard to establish good eating habits. Children are more likely to eat quickly and eat past the point of being full when they are distracted by screens. Contact blog@goflowoccupationaltherapy.com to share any strategies you find that work well for your child. See you soon! Michael Jankowski, MS, OTR/L  Sensory calming techniques are strategies that help children calm when they are starting to get overwhelmed or have sensory overload. For sensory calming techniques there is no “one size fits all”. It is important to start slow and see what your child responds positively to. We can learn a lot just through observation! You may find that your child does best with a combination of calming techniques.
Work on developing these techniques ahead of time. In the middle of a meltdown is NOT a good time to experiment with new calming techniques. We don’t want to risk overstimulating a child when they are distressed or accidentally turn a “small” meltdown into a “mega” meltdown. Experiment with these strategies when children are calm and ready to play. Movement Based Activities Movement can help a child get out any excess energy and meet sensory needs. Some children will start to calm by simply being given the opportunity to move their bodies. Here are some ideas:
Mouth Based Activities We receive numerous sensory inputs in the mouth including taste, texture, temperature, and shape. As a result, some children calm with having extra input in their mouths. Try some of the following:
Vision/Light-Based Activities Bright and fluorescent lights can be overstimulating for some children and provide too much visual stimulation. Try some of the following:
Noise/Music Based Activities Noise and music can be very calming for some people but can be startling and alerting for others. Experiment when your child is calm and see how they respond to various types of noise and music. For the child that gets easily overstimulated by sounds or noise, they may benefit from wearing noise-cancelling headphones or earplugs in loud or crowded public places. Have fun experimenting and let me know how it goes blog@goflowoccupationaltherapy.com! I would love to hear any strategies you find that work well for your child. Make sure to subscribe to our blog (at the top right of the page), as new blogs are added on a weekly basis. See you soon! Michael Jankowski, MS, OTR/L |
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