WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.680 Hi, my name is Jordan. I am a special education 00:00:02.680 --> 00:00:06.160 teacher from the UK. I share my passion for everything 00:00:06.160 --> 00:00:09.119 communication, sensory regulation and fun lesson 00:00:09.119 --> 00:00:11.660 ideas for my classroom of disabled pupils aged 00:00:11.660 --> 00:00:15.300 4 to 11. Each week I am joined by experts in 00:00:15.300 --> 00:00:17.640 the field answering your questions and sharing 00:00:17.640 --> 00:00:19.579 our knowledge and experience working alongside 00:00:19.579 --> 00:00:22.559 our beautiful young people. Let's get started. 00:00:28.399 --> 00:00:30.940 First of all, a message about our sponsor. Today's 00:00:30.940 --> 00:00:33.640 sponsor is Octopus Energy. 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Hello everybody and 00:01:09.569 --> 00:01:12.230 welcome to the Sensory Classroom podcast. My 00:01:12.230 --> 00:01:14.969 name is Jordan. Today I'm joined by Lenany from 00:01:14.969 --> 00:01:18.909 Sensory Help Now. She is Dr. Lenany Brewer, is 00:01:18.909 --> 00:01:21.609 a devoted occupational therapist with extensive 00:01:21.609 --> 00:01:24.049 experience in helping children and young people 00:01:24.049 --> 00:01:26.849 with sensory processing difficulties. She is 00:01:26.849 --> 00:01:29.129 an advanced practitioner in sensory integration 00:01:29.129 --> 00:01:31.109 and we're going to be talking about those sensory 00:01:31.109 --> 00:01:34.650 differences today. Hello! Hi Jordan, thank you 00:01:34.650 --> 00:01:39.409 for helping me. I am an OT and also a researcher. 00:01:39.530 --> 00:01:42.950 I have done this job for over two decades. I 00:01:42.950 --> 00:01:45.310 also have some sensory differences myself, so 00:01:45.310 --> 00:01:47.969 this is my absolute life's work and life's passion. 00:01:49.109 --> 00:01:53.489 You know, this is just something that I feel 00:01:53.489 --> 00:01:55.930 really strongly about, that we should make the 00:01:55.930 --> 00:01:57.950 world more accessible for individuals with sensory 00:01:57.950 --> 00:02:01.560 differences. And also just the impact that sensory 00:02:01.560 --> 00:02:03.540 differences can have on everyday life. And I 00:02:03.540 --> 00:02:06.920 think it's not always understood properly. It 00:02:06.920 --> 00:02:08.960 absolutely isn't. That's so interesting that 00:02:08.960 --> 00:02:10.340 you say you've got your own sensory differences. 00:02:10.379 --> 00:02:13.340 It happens a lot in special education too. Lots 00:02:13.340 --> 00:02:16.259 of my team and loads of the teachers I know in 00:02:16.259 --> 00:02:18.699 special education also have sensory differences. 00:02:18.939 --> 00:02:21.900 I wonder what comes first though. And you can 00:02:21.900 --> 00:02:24.689 say what happened to you. For me, I didn't realize 00:02:24.689 --> 00:02:27.409 I had sensory differences until I was working 00:02:27.409 --> 00:02:29.569 with my young people and doing my training. And 00:02:29.569 --> 00:02:32.050 then I started to reflect on my own needs and 00:02:32.050 --> 00:02:34.129 then I became aware of it. Was it the same for 00:02:34.129 --> 00:02:38.509 you? So a bit different for me. So I was not 00:02:38.509 --> 00:02:41.530 very coordinated at school, which is a bit problematic 00:02:41.530 --> 00:02:45.189 because I grew up in the 80s in South Africa, 00:02:45.310 --> 00:02:48.370 which is very sporty, very like got to make the 00:02:48.370 --> 00:02:53.430 team. I hated team sports. I really struggled, 00:02:53.469 --> 00:02:57.909 didn't really do those kind of things. And it 00:02:57.909 --> 00:03:03.310 was just really unpleasant. And I... I mean, 00:03:03.330 --> 00:03:05.569 I did learn about sensory integration when I 00:03:05.569 --> 00:03:08.569 was at uni and I just was involved in a research 00:03:08.569 --> 00:03:10.949 project there. So I'm working in a trust in London. 00:03:11.069 --> 00:03:14.389 But I started doing some yoga and the proprioceptive 00:03:14.389 --> 00:03:17.349 and vestibular input. I massively noticed that 00:03:17.349 --> 00:03:20.129 my balance and coordination improved a lot. So 00:03:20.129 --> 00:03:22.889 actually, as an adult, I have really been able 00:03:22.889 --> 00:03:25.750 to do sports now on my own terms that I would 00:03:25.750 --> 00:03:28.789 never have done before. The other thing is, so 00:03:28.789 --> 00:03:30.930 when I was telling my mother about my work, apparently 00:03:30.930 --> 00:03:33.699 she said when I was at... nursery the teachers 00:03:33.699 --> 00:03:36.159 used to ring her and say that I refused to do 00:03:36.159 --> 00:03:38.900 finger painting and I was being obstructed interesting 00:03:38.900 --> 00:03:41.740 was actually important you know now that's just 00:03:41.740 --> 00:03:43.759 avoidant you just didn't want to get messy and 00:03:43.759 --> 00:03:47.259 you found that tap I know I know so it was those 00:03:47.259 --> 00:03:51.500 are some of the examples but and I also see how 00:03:51.500 --> 00:03:53.699 it fluctuates with stress you can manage really 00:03:53.699 --> 00:03:56.840 well last year when I was preparing for my PhD 00:03:56.840 --> 00:03:59.319 Viva I went through a phase where I couldn't 00:03:59.319 --> 00:04:02.460 touch any food so it was just My stress levels 00:04:02.460 --> 00:04:05.180 were so high that the only thing I could tolerate... 00:04:05.550 --> 00:04:07.349 I know that it's really not very healthy, but 00:04:07.349 --> 00:04:09.930 I could only like tolerate microwave meals where 00:04:09.930 --> 00:04:12.069 I didn't have to touch any or prep anything because 00:04:12.069 --> 00:04:15.110 I physically cannot stand the texture of food 00:04:15.110 --> 00:04:17.110 prepping when I'm really stressed. How useful 00:04:17.110 --> 00:04:19.649 is that, that you recognize that in yourself? 00:04:19.750 --> 00:04:22.069 Because without having the knowledge that you've 00:04:22.069 --> 00:04:24.670 got to recognize the why you're feeling like 00:04:24.670 --> 00:04:26.730 that, you could have felt really disempowered 00:04:26.730 --> 00:04:30.350 and just unsure or out of control, I suppose. 00:04:30.550 --> 00:04:33.389 Whereas just knowing why in your own body, why 00:04:33.389 --> 00:04:34.810 you're doing certain things, it kind of gives 00:04:34.810 --> 00:04:36.930 you... gives you that empowerment to kind of 00:04:36.930 --> 00:04:40.290 own that, I suppose. Absolutely. And I think 00:04:40.290 --> 00:04:45.719 that's what I say to a lot of people. assessments 00:04:45.719 --> 00:04:47.980 or, you know, people say, why, why would you 00:04:47.980 --> 00:04:50.319 do a sensory assessment? Why would you have an 00:04:50.319 --> 00:04:52.160 autism assessment? Why would you have an ADHD 00:04:52.160 --> 00:04:56.459 assessment? But I, I also read a piece by the 00:04:56.459 --> 00:04:59.019 model, Christine McGuinness earlier this week 00:04:59.019 --> 00:05:02.019 on her Instagram, where she was saying that she 00:05:02.019 --> 00:05:04.060 just thought she was weird. And then she had 00:05:04.060 --> 00:05:07.579 her autism and her ADHD diagnosis. And she can 00:05:07.579 --> 00:05:10.459 really like, she, she really feels like empowered. 00:05:10.860 --> 00:05:14.879 She's, she can. You know, she recognizes who 00:05:14.879 --> 00:05:17.600 she is. She feels at ease with herself because 00:05:17.600 --> 00:05:20.920 before she just felt awkward. And I think there's 00:05:20.920 --> 00:05:23.319 a lot to be said to that. So for everyone who's 00:05:23.319 --> 00:05:26.240 criticizing, you know, what's the point of all 00:05:26.240 --> 00:05:29.680 these assessments? There is a point because people, 00:05:29.860 --> 00:05:32.100 it gives them a tool to recognize difficulties 00:05:32.100 --> 00:05:36.399 and also for people to understand what's going 00:05:36.399 --> 00:05:39.199 on. And I had a really interesting conversation 00:05:39.199 --> 00:05:42.040 with a family last week that I was working with. 00:05:42.639 --> 00:05:46.339 So the daughter was referred, but mom disclosed 00:05:46.339 --> 00:05:48.899 that she had some difficulties herself. And I 00:05:48.899 --> 00:05:51.439 was going through a sensory processing measure 00:05:51.439 --> 00:05:53.600 questionnaire with the family for the daughter. 00:05:53.720 --> 00:05:56.740 And I was asking about one of the questions was 00:05:56.740 --> 00:05:59.399 around, does your child like tread heavy? Do 00:05:59.399 --> 00:06:01.439 they stump their feet when they walk? I said, 00:06:01.459 --> 00:06:03.259 they said, what does that mean? I said, and I 00:06:03.259 --> 00:06:05.279 gave them an example. And I said, people who 00:06:05.279 --> 00:06:08.779 don't, you know. a good sense of body awareness 00:06:08.779 --> 00:06:11.019 to get some more proprioceptive feedback and 00:06:11.019 --> 00:06:12.899 then the husband turned to the wife he said that's 00:06:12.899 --> 00:06:17.879 why you walk like an elephant and anyway but 00:06:17.879 --> 00:06:20.699 they laugh they all laugh and they're like wow 00:06:20.699 --> 00:06:23.800 this is really this is really this is why does 00:06:23.800 --> 00:06:26.339 that often happen when you're filling out forms 00:06:26.339 --> 00:06:28.879 for the young people and then the actual parents 00:06:28.879 --> 00:06:31.959 or carers are thinking that's me that's me It 00:06:31.959 --> 00:06:34.600 does, actually. I have found that. So I've worked 00:06:34.600 --> 00:06:37.439 in private practice in the NHS for, as I said, 00:06:37.439 --> 00:06:40.579 I started practicing in 2000, which is, I feel 00:06:40.579 --> 00:06:42.879 like, oh my goodness, it's a lifetime now. But 00:06:42.879 --> 00:06:47.420 I do find that when you explain things to people, 00:06:47.500 --> 00:06:51.220 then like the why. So there's two things. Parents 00:06:51.220 --> 00:06:53.220 recognize some of these behaviors, but then also 00:06:53.220 --> 00:06:55.500 that light bulb moment where someone's like, 00:06:55.639 --> 00:06:58.199 that's why you do that. That's why you can't. 00:06:58.220 --> 00:07:04.329 So if your wife has tactile issues don't leave 00:07:04.329 --> 00:07:06.970 a bunch of rubbish in the sink just don't yeah 00:07:06.970 --> 00:07:09.389 and that could really cause if it's not understood 00:07:09.389 --> 00:07:11.850 it could cause those little arguments all the 00:07:11.850 --> 00:07:15.250 time those misunderstandings because the person 00:07:15.250 --> 00:07:19.009 that has the sensory processing difficulty isn't 00:07:19.009 --> 00:07:21.750 meaning to do those things they genuinely struggle 00:07:21.750 --> 00:07:25.329 with it is a physical thing it's a physical processing 00:07:25.329 --> 00:07:28.029 difficulty that they have they can't change it 00:07:28.029 --> 00:07:29.649 sometimes it's even subconscious they don't even 00:07:29.649 --> 00:07:31.829 realize they're doing it And then the people 00:07:31.829 --> 00:07:33.589 they're living with, whether it be a parent or 00:07:33.589 --> 00:07:36.189 a child or a partner or whatever, are maybe getting 00:07:36.189 --> 00:07:37.889 frustrated with that because they're not understanding 00:07:37.889 --> 00:07:40.509 that they can't control it. They think it's purposeful 00:07:40.509 --> 00:07:43.189 or lazy or any of those things. Executive function 00:07:43.189 --> 00:07:45.750 is a perfect example. You know, my husband gets 00:07:45.750 --> 00:07:47.930 really frustrated with me because I just really 00:07:47.930 --> 00:07:51.310 struggle sometimes to get up and go. Hyper focus 00:07:51.310 --> 00:07:53.410 is another one. He really struggles to get through 00:07:53.410 --> 00:07:55.790 to me if I'm into something. It's almost like 00:07:55.790 --> 00:07:57.829 he just doesn't exist and I could be anywhere 00:07:57.829 --> 00:08:00.750 else in the world. And it genuinely is. and on 00:08:00.750 --> 00:08:03.870 purpose I really really really really cannot 00:08:03.870 --> 00:08:05.550 control these things I wish I could it would 00:08:05.550 --> 00:08:07.810 make life so much easier but through understanding 00:08:07.810 --> 00:08:11.449 my own needs he breeds more understanding of 00:08:11.449 --> 00:08:14.029 from his point of view as well of knowing how 00:08:14.029 --> 00:08:17.870 to communicate with me knowing what support systems 00:08:17.870 --> 00:08:20.870 I need in order to kind of navigate that together 00:08:20.870 --> 00:08:23.290 without that it would just be constant arguments 00:08:24.430 --> 00:08:27.649 Absolutely. And for your listeners, the teachers 00:08:27.649 --> 00:08:30.050 who have these children and young people in their 00:08:30.050 --> 00:08:32.669 classes, they really don't mean to. So this is 00:08:32.669 --> 00:08:34.889 a funny hyper -focus story for you. I'll never 00:08:34.889 --> 00:08:37.230 forget this. This is one of my top skills in 00:08:37.230 --> 00:08:40.710 life, hyper -focus. And I was nine years old. 00:08:40.789 --> 00:08:44.669 It was before the... time where you moved to 00:08:44.669 --> 00:08:45.990 different classrooms. So you were still in the 00:08:45.990 --> 00:08:47.690 same classroom, but when the lesson changed, 00:08:47.870 --> 00:08:50.809 I remember this like yesterday. And one of the 00:08:50.809 --> 00:08:54.250 few memories of my childhood that I remember 00:08:54.250 --> 00:08:56.789 in every single detail where I finished my maths 00:08:56.789 --> 00:08:59.970 work early, asked to the teacher, I said, I'm 00:08:59.970 --> 00:09:01.950 finished. There was still like another 25 minutes 00:09:01.950 --> 00:09:04.590 or so to go at least because it was only halfway 00:09:04.590 --> 00:09:06.610 through the lesson. And he just said, okay, go 00:09:06.610 --> 00:09:08.649 pick a shelf, go to the bookshelf, pick a book. 00:09:08.870 --> 00:09:13.090 I did. I, so I have. One of the things that I 00:09:13.090 --> 00:09:16.169 absolutely love is when I read a book, I probably 00:09:16.169 --> 00:09:18.649 simply engross myself more than a movie because 00:09:18.649 --> 00:09:21.269 I actually create the characters in my head. 00:09:21.309 --> 00:09:23.789 I feel like I've actually lived the story. So 00:09:23.789 --> 00:09:26.629 I really get into it. I feel like sometimes I 00:09:26.629 --> 00:09:27.850 would feel like I've seen the film, but I've 00:09:27.850 --> 00:09:29.610 actually just read the book. And I was there 00:09:29.610 --> 00:09:31.909 nine years old reading this book. And then with 00:09:31.909 --> 00:09:35.809 a jolt. an hour later the teacher yelled at me 00:09:35.809 --> 00:09:37.909 because the lesson had then actually gone into 00:09:37.909 --> 00:09:39.909 another lesson I didn't know what on earth was 00:09:39.909 --> 00:09:44.250 going on and and I didn't even know like I had 00:09:44.250 --> 00:09:48.009 no like I got so into this book I had no idea 00:09:48.009 --> 00:09:50.429 that we were not having maths anymore we were 00:09:50.429 --> 00:09:52.090 doing completely different and I just thought 00:09:52.090 --> 00:09:54.990 I'm blind I know I know and I just thought hang 00:09:54.990 --> 00:09:58.429 on nine years old just you know no need to yell 00:09:58.429 --> 00:10:01.289 just check in and you're clearly not doing it 00:10:01.289 --> 00:10:03.850 to be naughty yeah and I think that's a really 00:10:03.850 --> 00:10:06.070 great point isn't it these these children in 00:10:06.070 --> 00:10:08.049 our classes even though it might look sometimes 00:10:08.049 --> 00:10:10.629 like hurting behaviors sometimes it might look 00:10:10.629 --> 00:10:13.529 inappropriate sometimes it might look rude or 00:10:13.529 --> 00:10:16.289 lazy and all of those things it really really 00:10:16.289 --> 00:10:18.649 isn't they're really just trying their best to 00:10:18.649 --> 00:10:20.669 navigate the world and meet their sensory needs 00:10:20.669 --> 00:10:23.590 in their bodies right Absolutely. And the other 00:10:23.590 --> 00:10:26.750 thing I have seen so often from observing PE 00:10:26.750 --> 00:10:30.049 lessons in schools is children with dyspraxia 00:10:30.049 --> 00:10:32.389 and sensory difficulties sit in line, follow 00:10:32.389 --> 00:10:34.669 the instructions. You're not following the instructions. 00:10:34.769 --> 00:10:36.610 It's like, yes, I know what the instructions 00:10:36.610 --> 00:10:38.490 are, but my body doesn't know how to do that. 00:10:38.610 --> 00:10:40.750 So in that situation then, I suppose, what could 00:10:40.750 --> 00:10:43.409 a teacher do differently in order to include 00:10:43.409 --> 00:10:46.690 the children with dyspraxia and sensory processing 00:10:46.690 --> 00:10:51.149 difficulties a bit better, really? So I think 00:10:51.149 --> 00:10:54.590 if you know, if you recognize that somebody has 00:10:54.590 --> 00:10:58.330 movement difficulties, there's a few things I 00:10:58.330 --> 00:11:03.250 would recommend for PE. I would think about being 00:11:03.250 --> 00:11:06.149 flexible about how the activity is done. So, 00:11:06.210 --> 00:11:08.149 you know, for example, let's say throwing a beanbag, 00:11:08.370 --> 00:11:11.269 you know, make it a bit close to make the targets 00:11:11.269 --> 00:11:13.470 a bit different. Not everyone has to throw the 00:11:13.470 --> 00:11:17.149 same distance. Or if you are aware that a child's 00:11:17.149 --> 00:11:20.100 consistently not being picked. for the teen by 00:11:20.100 --> 00:11:22.000 their peers because children notice these things 00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:25.480 before adults do often. Just make sure that child's 00:11:25.480 --> 00:11:30.500 included and just a bit of empathy really and 00:11:30.500 --> 00:11:34.539 being aware that actually they can't do it. Let's 00:11:34.539 --> 00:11:37.759 try something different. You can't throw the 00:11:37.759 --> 00:11:40.940 ball, maybe roll it or can't play tennis, try. 00:11:41.399 --> 00:11:44.740 So what we did is I was working at a school in 00:11:44.740 --> 00:11:48.039 North London and I introduced these. Oh, my goodness. 00:11:48.120 --> 00:11:50.220 Do you remember the shop? Who was? That was the 00:11:50.220 --> 00:11:53.500 thing back then on the Fenchley Road. It doesn't 00:11:53.500 --> 00:11:56.120 exist anymore. They had these little bats with 00:11:56.120 --> 00:11:59.259 Velcro where the ball could stick to it. So I 00:11:59.259 --> 00:12:00.960 took that into the school and I said, why don't 00:12:00.960 --> 00:12:02.399 you try that? Because he's not going to miss 00:12:02.399 --> 00:12:05.000 the Velcro. The Velcro is going to stick to the 00:12:05.000 --> 00:12:07.799 bat. And that was a great success. So those are 00:12:07.799 --> 00:12:10.519 just little things that can make the child not 00:12:10.519 --> 00:12:14.519 feel like a failure. Yes. adjusting your expectations 00:12:14.519 --> 00:12:17.600 or adjusting the activity or maybe adjusting 00:12:17.600 --> 00:12:19.600 the environment maybe it's the lights or the 00:12:19.600 --> 00:12:22.460 sounds or echo of the hall maybe you do it somewhere 00:12:22.460 --> 00:12:25.559 else there's lots of different adjustments that 00:12:25.559 --> 00:12:27.200 can be made is that I think teachers are very 00:12:27.200 --> 00:12:29.639 good at making adjustments as far as learning 00:12:29.639 --> 00:12:32.340 lessons go those are often very differentiated 00:12:32.340 --> 00:12:35.500 very well adjustments in our expectations for 00:12:35.500 --> 00:12:38.580 behavior isn't so good I think as a whole we 00:12:38.580 --> 00:12:41.799 expect everybody to be able to sit the same look 00:12:41.799 --> 00:12:45.399 the same listen the same wait the same and actually 00:12:45.399 --> 00:12:47.720 that needs to be just as differentiated as the 00:12:47.720 --> 00:12:51.399 learning doesn't it absolutely and I think that 00:12:51.399 --> 00:12:54.480 as we said before you know it's not on purpose 00:12:54.480 --> 00:12:56.679 you don't choose to be like this this is really 00:12:56.679 --> 00:12:59.879 something you can't control so it's It's just 00:12:59.879 --> 00:13:02.679 being mindful, especially with, you know, things 00:13:02.679 --> 00:13:06.179 like Christmas and Christmas plays and all those 00:13:06.179 --> 00:13:08.899 things. All those changes to the routine. I mean, 00:13:08.899 --> 00:13:10.620 it's the awful time of year, December, isn't 00:13:10.620 --> 00:13:14.480 it? I mean, it's great for a lot of people, but 00:13:14.480 --> 00:13:18.980 90 % of autistic children have sensory differences. 00:13:19.019 --> 00:13:21.399 And in the general population, that's estimated 00:13:21.399 --> 00:13:25.840 to be 5 % to 16%. So you could say that you should 00:13:25.840 --> 00:13:29.429 allow for... more than a tenth of the children 00:13:29.429 --> 00:13:32.169 in your class having sensory differences that 00:13:32.169 --> 00:13:36.269 would impact on things. So I think just being 00:13:36.269 --> 00:13:39.690 mindful of loud and unexpected noises. So for 00:13:39.690 --> 00:13:43.429 Christmas time, you can have cards explaining 00:13:43.429 --> 00:13:45.970 what's going to happen. You can warn people of 00:13:45.970 --> 00:13:50.850 noises. Sometimes pre -empting is a big part 00:13:50.850 --> 00:13:53.659 of it. If it's unexpected, that could... cause 00:13:53.659 --> 00:13:56.500 real difficulties so just just being mindful 00:13:56.500 --> 00:13:59.200 really that there are people in your class or 00:13:59.200 --> 00:14:01.700 in your school with those differences and just 00:14:01.700 --> 00:14:03.980 think about that And the example you gave is 00:14:03.980 --> 00:14:07.200 a perfect example of you can give warning and 00:14:07.200 --> 00:14:09.440 it makes no difference to anybody else. Those 00:14:09.440 --> 00:14:11.919 that don't need the warning won't be worse off 00:14:11.919 --> 00:14:13.899 because you've given a warning. In fact, everybody 00:14:13.899 --> 00:14:17.320 wins by being given that preemptive warning that 00:14:17.320 --> 00:14:20.139 something's about to happen. Using visuals, nobody 00:14:20.139 --> 00:14:23.179 loses when you're using visuals or adaptive equipment, 00:14:23.419 --> 00:14:26.059 you know, if they're on offer. Again, they're 00:14:26.059 --> 00:14:27.460 not going to hurt anybody. It's not going to 00:14:27.460 --> 00:14:30.080 set anybody back by having those available. It 00:14:30.080 --> 00:14:33.419 just helps the ones that need it. Absolutely. 00:14:33.460 --> 00:14:37.139 And just the other thing that's come up a lot 00:14:37.139 --> 00:14:40.559 recently in parent consultations is school rules 00:14:40.559 --> 00:14:43.440 around going to the bathroom for young secondary 00:14:43.440 --> 00:14:46.120 school kids. Because it's like, oh, they can't 00:14:46.120 --> 00:14:49.460 go to the loo, they're disruptive. And some schools 00:14:49.460 --> 00:14:52.039 even have cards, you know, and if you use your 00:14:52.039 --> 00:14:54.639 cards, you can't go anymore. And actually, for 00:14:54.639 --> 00:14:58.019 some children with sensory differences. It's 00:14:58.019 --> 00:15:01.240 knowing that they can go when they want actually 00:15:01.240 --> 00:15:03.360 will reduce the need. But if you tell them they 00:15:03.360 --> 00:15:05.860 can't go, it actually increases their anxiety 00:15:05.860 --> 00:15:08.039 and they'll probably need to go more. That's 00:15:08.039 --> 00:15:10.659 so interesting. That's so interesting. Would 00:15:10.659 --> 00:15:13.080 these children be using the toilet as a need 00:15:13.080 --> 00:15:15.679 for a movement break or interoception needs? 00:15:15.940 --> 00:15:18.279 Maybe they're less aware of when they need to 00:15:18.279 --> 00:15:20.960 go. What kind of is happening there? Why might 00:15:20.960 --> 00:15:23.679 they need to go a bit more? It's a combination. 00:15:24.940 --> 00:15:27.820 The people I've worked with, it's some interceptive, 00:15:27.820 --> 00:15:31.679 some needing the movement break. If it's a movement 00:15:31.679 --> 00:15:36.419 break, I have spoken with a parent recently who's 00:15:36.419 --> 00:15:40.899 managed to finally get her school to have a rota 00:15:40.899 --> 00:15:44.799 for a class helper. The teachers noticed that 00:15:44.799 --> 00:15:47.240 the week that this child was the class helper, 00:15:47.360 --> 00:15:50.379 her behavior, I hate to say the word behavior, 00:15:50.480 --> 00:15:53.000 but it's like it was really positive. The child 00:15:53.000 --> 00:15:55.559 responded really well. So they now actually realize 00:15:55.559 --> 00:16:00.299 they still need to have a helper. They can't 00:16:00.299 --> 00:16:02.440 have her as a helper every week because they 00:16:02.440 --> 00:16:04.039 need to give everyone in the class a chance. 00:16:04.100 --> 00:16:06.440 But they're really actually thinking of ways 00:16:06.440 --> 00:16:09.480 to get her to do more things. She likes that 00:16:09.480 --> 00:16:11.820 sense of responsibility, sense of ownership, 00:16:12.139 --> 00:16:13.779 maybe sense of control. It probably boosts her 00:16:13.779 --> 00:16:15.919 self -esteem. It gives her movement breaks. It's 00:16:15.919 --> 00:16:17.080 probably a bit of weight because she's probably 00:16:17.080 --> 00:16:19.720 carrying things around. Exactly. And that's what 00:16:19.720 --> 00:16:25.139 we thought. It's all of that. And that's nice. 00:16:25.299 --> 00:16:29.059 And it's not disruptive. And what's interesting 00:16:29.059 --> 00:16:31.440 is if you do give children that movement break, 00:16:31.759 --> 00:16:35.019 they are actually more productive when they get 00:16:35.019 --> 00:16:37.759 back to their desk. Because sometimes people 00:16:37.759 --> 00:16:40.679 think, oh, no, I can't do that because he's behind 00:16:40.679 --> 00:16:43.779 or he's a bit slow. But actually, so this particular 00:16:43.779 --> 00:16:47.000 child, funny enough, they were always saying 00:16:47.000 --> 00:16:48.860 in earlier years, she's not finishing her work. 00:16:48.940 --> 00:16:51.860 She's not finishing her work. And actually, since 00:16:51.860 --> 00:16:54.080 they started to implement some of these sensory 00:16:54.080 --> 00:16:57.100 strategies, which are actually just, you know. 00:16:57.580 --> 00:16:59.500 They're just, I like to call them common sense 00:16:59.500 --> 00:17:03.279 strategies in a way. because we're in that bubble 00:17:03.279 --> 00:17:06.319 right but for people that don't know this stuff 00:17:06.319 --> 00:17:09.339 maybe it isn't that obvious maybe you know you 00:17:09.339 --> 00:17:11.240 need to be talking stuff so that's what this 00:17:11.240 --> 00:17:14.720 podcast is about anyway so that that was just 00:17:14.720 --> 00:17:17.380 something that made a massive change it's almost 00:17:17.380 --> 00:17:20.299 like so I would almost say put your fears aside 00:17:20.299 --> 00:17:22.519 like thinking it's not going to be the end of 00:17:22.519 --> 00:17:25.200 the world if you do your PE session a bit differently 00:17:25.200 --> 00:17:28.160 it's not going to be the end of the world if 00:17:28.809 --> 00:17:32.869 The child who doesn't like getting glue or paint 00:17:32.869 --> 00:17:34.849 on their hands does a different craft activity. 00:17:35.329 --> 00:17:37.930 It's going to be fine. Nothing's going to, you 00:17:37.930 --> 00:17:40.069 know, the ceiling's not going to fall in. Everyone's 00:17:40.069 --> 00:17:43.809 going to have a great day. And also in terms 00:17:43.809 --> 00:17:46.930 of lunch, maybe think about the child who can't 00:17:46.930 --> 00:17:50.450 handle the dinner hall. Maybe send them in a 00:17:50.450 --> 00:17:53.410 minute or two before the others so they can carry 00:17:53.410 --> 00:17:56.410 the tray, get their food before it gets absolutely 00:17:56.410 --> 00:18:01.160 mental. Yeah. And also if the noise slowly builds 00:18:01.160 --> 00:18:03.220 and the busyness slowly builds when you're already 00:18:03.220 --> 00:18:05.900 in place, it can be a lot less overwhelming than 00:18:05.900 --> 00:18:09.500 walking in and it's already loud and busy and 00:18:09.500 --> 00:18:12.799 echoey and all of those things, can't it? Absolutely. 00:18:12.799 --> 00:18:14.960 And one of the problems is that children with 00:18:14.960 --> 00:18:17.980 sensory differences or motor difficulties are 00:18:17.980 --> 00:18:20.480 often, you know, sometimes they're the last to 00:18:20.480 --> 00:18:22.420 get out of the class for various reasons. And 00:18:22.420 --> 00:18:25.579 actually, as you say, if they get in first, that 00:18:25.579 --> 00:18:28.349 will make a huge difference. Yeah. And if then, 00:18:28.349 --> 00:18:30.390 yes, it might mean they missed the last minute 00:18:30.390 --> 00:18:32.289 of the lesson, but then if they're regulated 00:18:32.289 --> 00:18:34.049 then through lunch and it means that they'll 00:18:34.049 --> 00:18:36.029 be more regulated for the afternoon lesson and 00:18:36.029 --> 00:18:38.049 they've only missed a minute. It's not a big 00:18:38.049 --> 00:18:41.789 ask, is it? No, absolutely. And I think in the 00:18:41.789 --> 00:18:44.970 end of the day, if you have a calmer child who's 00:18:44.970 --> 00:18:48.230 regulated and able to focus and feels good in 00:18:48.230 --> 00:18:50.150 themselves for the rest of the day, then that's 00:18:50.150 --> 00:18:53.210 a win in my opinion. Yeah, absolutely. I think 00:18:53.210 --> 00:18:55.170 we can all agree there. So we've spoken about 00:18:55.170 --> 00:18:57.970 school a little bit and how to help children 00:18:57.970 --> 00:19:00.029 at school. There's also lots of things that parents 00:19:00.029 --> 00:19:01.589 will be finding at home that would be listening. 00:19:01.769 --> 00:19:04.930 Things like meeting basic needs, hygiene needs, 00:19:05.029 --> 00:19:07.150 for example, can be really difficult for these 00:19:07.150 --> 00:19:11.049 sensory avoidant children. What kind of strategies 00:19:11.049 --> 00:19:13.750 would you suggest there around teeth brushing, 00:19:13.990 --> 00:19:16.930 for example? So I'm not going to go into the 00:19:16.930 --> 00:19:20.079 full kind of breakdown of that. On our Sensory 00:19:20.079 --> 00:19:24.660 Help Now website, so we are a not -for -profit 00:19:24.660 --> 00:19:28.220 site. We have some free courses on toothbrushing, 00:19:28.339 --> 00:19:31.160 getting dressed, getting squeaky clean. But one 00:19:31.160 --> 00:19:33.720 of the things, you know, some of the obvious 00:19:33.720 --> 00:19:37.160 things is looking at oral sensitivity, what kind 00:19:37.160 --> 00:19:39.059 of toothbrush, what kind of toothpaste. For some 00:19:39.059 --> 00:19:42.299 people, it could be that I worked with someone, 00:19:42.319 --> 00:19:44.240 they couldn't cope with mint toothpaste, but 00:19:44.240 --> 00:19:46.259 then you just change to a different toothpaste. 00:19:47.049 --> 00:19:49.950 um and that made all it's about individualizing 00:19:49.950 --> 00:19:52.450 it isn't it an experiment that's brilliant that 00:19:52.450 --> 00:19:54.670 you've got those resources though i know so many 00:19:54.670 --> 00:19:56.609 parents and teachers that would love those resources 00:19:56.609 --> 00:19:59.990 we're doing an all about me topic uh this term 00:19:59.990 --> 00:20:02.589 and that would be perfect so i will definitely 00:20:02.589 --> 00:20:06.450 check that out and the other thing as well is 00:20:06.450 --> 00:20:09.069 that i say to parents like they are so what is 00:20:09.069 --> 00:20:11.730 the one magic thing we can do every day and i 00:20:11.730 --> 00:20:15.359 i say proprioception heavy work Because your 00:20:15.359 --> 00:20:19.000 proprioceptor system is the magic tool that overrides 00:20:19.000 --> 00:20:20.960 all your senses when you're feeling stressed 00:20:20.960 --> 00:20:23.980 and overwhelmed. So if you're struggling to get 00:20:23.980 --> 00:20:25.900 dressed in the morning, struggling with personal 00:20:25.900 --> 00:20:28.359 care, you know, starting with some wall press 00:20:28.359 --> 00:20:31.079 -ups, chair, you know, doing some deep pressure 00:20:31.079 --> 00:20:34.619 activities before can really help regulate your 00:20:34.619 --> 00:20:37.359 nervous system. And then, you know, it's a bit 00:20:37.359 --> 00:20:39.740 easier to face some of these tasks. So you said 00:20:39.740 --> 00:20:41.920 wall press -ups, chair press -ups. Is there anything 00:20:41.920 --> 00:20:44.450 else that we could do that? Doesn't really need 00:20:44.450 --> 00:20:46.130 many resources that they might be able to do. 00:20:46.630 --> 00:20:52.069 Yoga, downward dog. We've got some, anything 00:20:52.069 --> 00:20:54.930 that's really heavy work for your muscles. I 00:20:54.930 --> 00:20:59.329 suggested to another parent, they have a monkey 00:20:59.329 --> 00:21:02.349 bar in the hallway, just hanging off and just 00:21:02.349 --> 00:21:06.950 doing some hanging on the bar. Really nice proprioceptive 00:21:06.950 --> 00:21:09.710 feedback. If you're swinging, it gives the vestibular 00:21:09.710 --> 00:21:11.890 linear input. That's really calming and organizing. 00:21:12.750 --> 00:21:17.269 But in terms of no money and no resources, you 00:21:17.269 --> 00:21:19.450 know, something that's so pretty free is any 00:21:19.450 --> 00:21:21.930 pressure that, you know, that gives feedback 00:21:21.930 --> 00:21:26.069 to the joints, pushing, pulling, carrying. So 00:21:26.069 --> 00:21:28.390 getting your child to carry the laundry basket 00:21:28.390 --> 00:21:32.009 downstairs, moving the furniture around if you 00:21:32.009 --> 00:21:34.069 need a sofa move, all of those things can be 00:21:34.069 --> 00:21:37.210 helpful. And that push, that push motion is really 00:21:37.210 --> 00:21:39.930 great, isn't it? And that's why I always say 00:21:39.930 --> 00:21:42.009 if you're at the airport and you're about to 00:21:42.009 --> 00:21:44.769 go on a long flight, get your child to drag the 00:21:44.769 --> 00:21:46.650 suitcase. It's actually really good. It will 00:21:46.650 --> 00:21:48.789 help settle their nervous system. That's a great 00:21:48.789 --> 00:21:51.049 tip. I love that. And that's really great to 00:21:51.049 --> 00:21:53.049 know that you can't ever get too much of it. 00:21:53.450 --> 00:21:56.009 No. You can't over -stimulate it with proprioception. 00:21:56.470 --> 00:22:00.509 Absolutely. It's safe for everyone and you can't, 00:22:00.509 --> 00:22:03.960 you know. It's really something that some people 00:22:03.960 --> 00:22:07.059 respond so well to. I remember once I was working 00:22:07.059 --> 00:22:10.240 in a clinic in London and a family that I worked 00:22:10.240 --> 00:22:12.700 with were about to get on a long -haul flight 00:22:12.700 --> 00:22:16.839 to the US. So they stopped by the clinic en route 00:22:16.839 --> 00:22:20.279 to Heathrow and they just did an hour of jumping 00:22:20.279 --> 00:22:23.240 and crashing and lots of proprioceptive exercise 00:22:23.240 --> 00:22:26.240 and lots of deep pressure. And mom sent me an 00:22:26.240 --> 00:22:27.900 email when they got to the other side to say 00:22:27.900 --> 00:22:30.410 it was the best flight they ever had. I bet it 00:22:30.410 --> 00:22:33.049 was. And great before bedtime as well. I can 00:22:33.049 --> 00:22:34.450 imagine if you've got children that struggle 00:22:34.450 --> 00:22:36.849 to settle for bed, you know, doing that. It feels 00:22:36.849 --> 00:22:38.849 counterproductive getting them to do lots of 00:22:38.849 --> 00:22:41.109 pushing and press ups and monkey bars before 00:22:41.109 --> 00:22:45.650 bed. But it really does calm, doesn't it? Absolutely. 00:22:46.650 --> 00:22:48.769 And then there's other things as well, you know, 00:22:48.769 --> 00:22:51.410 depending on the person's sensory preferences. 00:22:51.490 --> 00:22:54.690 Obviously, some children do better with lights 00:22:54.690 --> 00:23:00.190 that are dim and calm and other, you know. That's 00:23:00.190 --> 00:23:02.569 where you start working with somebody and really 00:23:02.569 --> 00:23:05.430 ask them what their sensory preferences are. 00:23:05.609 --> 00:23:09.690 Some children, you know, they are very oversensitive 00:23:09.690 --> 00:23:12.089 when it comes to specific tastes. And then you 00:23:12.089 --> 00:23:14.869 get the other extreme where children don't register 00:23:14.869 --> 00:23:17.549 enough sensory inputs. Everything tastes bland 00:23:17.549 --> 00:23:22.690 and boring to them. I know, I know. And this 00:23:22.690 --> 00:23:25.710 is really one for you in the classroom to think 00:23:25.710 --> 00:23:28.369 about as well. There are children who are under 00:23:28.369 --> 00:23:30.430 -responsive to sensory input. They're the ones 00:23:30.430 --> 00:23:32.450 who might appear like slumping on their chair, 00:23:32.690 --> 00:23:34.430 not being engaged. They might look completely 00:23:34.430 --> 00:23:37.049 bored, but there's just not enough stimuli in 00:23:37.049 --> 00:23:40.289 the environment to get them going. And, you know, 00:23:40.309 --> 00:23:43.829 for those children as well, jumping, moving. 00:23:44.539 --> 00:23:47.000 you know, having a bit of a shake about doing 00:23:47.000 --> 00:23:49.240 something interesting can get their senses back 00:23:49.240 --> 00:23:51.940 on track for them to have enough sensory stimuli 00:23:51.940 --> 00:23:54.680 so they can engage as well. It's about being 00:23:54.680 --> 00:23:56.480 really vigilant, isn't it? And really looking 00:23:56.480 --> 00:23:58.460 around the room, you know, and being curious. 00:23:58.559 --> 00:24:00.900 Or they're jumping and fidgeting, maybe they 00:24:00.900 --> 00:24:03.059 need this. They're slumping, maybe they need 00:24:03.059 --> 00:24:05.839 this. And kind of working it out that way. But 00:24:05.839 --> 00:24:11.099 if in doubt, deep pressure. And yes, yeah, absolutely. 00:24:11.420 --> 00:24:16.359 And also just thinking about the child's personality 00:24:16.359 --> 00:24:20.880 and their interests as well. And that's another 00:24:20.880 --> 00:24:23.720 kind of fun way to incorporate their sensory 00:24:23.720 --> 00:24:27.160 kind of needs. I like something that works always 00:24:27.160 --> 00:24:29.700 really well is thinking of, you know, you've 00:24:29.700 --> 00:24:32.500 got somebody who loves racing cars and I love 00:24:32.500 --> 00:24:34.900 trade and kind of, I always kind of theme my 00:24:34.900 --> 00:24:38.940 sensory activities around that. And our scooter 00:24:38.940 --> 00:24:42.299 boards, you cannot do enough with scooter boards 00:24:42.299 --> 00:24:45.200 if you're a PE teacher. Yeah, we have lots of 00:24:45.200 --> 00:24:46.799 fun with scooter boards. We're scooter boarding 00:24:46.799 --> 00:24:49.319 between every lesson, actually. It's lovely vibration, 00:24:49.680 --> 00:24:51.720 I find. So we do it outside on the playground 00:24:51.720 --> 00:24:54.380 on the concrete and we have a skipping rope attached 00:24:54.380 --> 00:24:56.599 to the front of it through the hole. So we're 00:24:56.599 --> 00:24:58.160 pulling the scooter board along and they're sitting 00:24:58.160 --> 00:25:00.430 on it. And not only are they getting the vestibular 00:25:00.430 --> 00:25:02.230 because we're going around in circles, but they're 00:25:02.230 --> 00:25:04.630 also getting the vibration as well. And then 00:25:04.630 --> 00:25:06.990 obviously visual because they're outside and 00:25:06.990 --> 00:25:08.910 we've got the dappled light. So there's so many 00:25:08.910 --> 00:25:10.670 different things, especially for those seeking 00:25:10.670 --> 00:25:13.609 children that have a bigger cup to fill in to 00:25:13.609 --> 00:25:16.369 meet their sensory needs. Scooter boards are 00:25:16.369 --> 00:25:19.990 brilliant. And those with purified motor control 00:25:19.990 --> 00:25:22.210 going prone on the scooter board on their tummies 00:25:22.210 --> 00:25:24.269 and building that shoulder strength and stability 00:25:24.269 --> 00:25:26.730 because... You're not ready for writing if you 00:25:26.730 --> 00:25:28.809 don't have, you know, your upper body strength, 00:25:28.950 --> 00:25:30.849 right? And the scooter board's great for that. 00:25:31.430 --> 00:25:35.150 Absolutely. And then those that feel overwhelmed, 00:25:35.190 --> 00:25:37.509 so those that aren't seeking those things at 00:25:37.509 --> 00:25:39.809 all, they are completely over -responsive to 00:25:39.809 --> 00:25:42.109 these things. I wouldn't use a scooter board. 00:25:42.150 --> 00:25:45.210 They would even struggle to maybe even bend down 00:25:45.210 --> 00:25:47.490 to get that. You know, their vestibular, they 00:25:47.490 --> 00:25:49.710 don't like bending down. They don't like sitting 00:25:49.710 --> 00:25:51.990 back. They're really hesitant to do that. They're 00:25:51.990 --> 00:25:55.009 hesitant to... Touch messy things. Maybe they're 00:25:55.009 --> 00:25:58.069 avoidant of the lights. Maybe, yeah, avoidant 00:25:58.069 --> 00:26:00.930 of mess. These kind of children, it looks completely 00:26:00.930 --> 00:26:02.609 different, doesn't it? And then you need to do 00:26:02.609 --> 00:26:05.950 lots of different things with those. With those 00:26:05.950 --> 00:26:08.250 children, though, you could try and get them 00:26:08.250 --> 00:26:10.869 to pull one of their friends. Love that. Yeah. 00:26:10.930 --> 00:26:14.220 Why not work together? I love that. Absolutely. 00:26:14.660 --> 00:26:18.099 The whole thing about sensory differences is 00:26:18.099 --> 00:26:20.839 we're all different and we all process sensory 00:26:20.839 --> 00:26:23.339 information differently. So that's the thing 00:26:23.339 --> 00:26:25.079 with sensory strategies. It's definitely not 00:26:25.079 --> 00:26:27.740 one size fits all. And that's why it's really 00:26:27.740 --> 00:26:30.119 kind of, I would say the first step is to look 00:26:30.119 --> 00:26:33.700 out for the signs, the person that you're working 00:26:33.700 --> 00:26:36.299 with or your family member, and then just really 00:26:36.299 --> 00:26:38.559 working with what they love and what their preferences 00:26:38.559 --> 00:26:41.099 are. And that will make all the difference. I 00:26:41.099 --> 00:26:43.960 love that. Because we all have senses, don't 00:26:43.960 --> 00:26:45.880 we? And we're all registering these all of the 00:26:45.880 --> 00:26:49.119 time. And we're all moderating our own bodies 00:26:49.119 --> 00:26:51.420 in order to meet these. Some of us are doing 00:26:51.420 --> 00:26:53.420 it better than others. What is the threshold 00:26:53.420 --> 00:26:55.740 of that? If we're all sensory beings, how do 00:26:55.740 --> 00:26:58.700 we know if what we're experiencing is just our 00:26:58.700 --> 00:27:01.559 body moderating itself or us understanding that 00:27:01.559 --> 00:27:04.259 and moderating or it being a sensory difference? 00:27:05.240 --> 00:27:09.259 So for me, I always, I kind of define that we 00:27:09.259 --> 00:27:11.579 all process sensory information differently. 00:27:12.519 --> 00:27:16.660 it becomes problematic when that sensory difference 00:27:16.660 --> 00:27:20.359 impacts on your ability to engage in an everyday 00:27:20.359 --> 00:27:22.940 activity or engage in something that you have 00:27:22.940 --> 00:27:26.579 to do or want to do so for example I worked with 00:27:26.579 --> 00:27:28.940 a client last week it's going to be her birthday 00:27:28.940 --> 00:27:33.599 in November every year she has breaks a mental 00:27:33.599 --> 00:27:36.000 breakdown on her birthday the parents say she 00:27:36.000 --> 00:27:40.680 wants this party she has all these ideas and 00:27:40.680 --> 00:27:45.500 then every day birthday party all ends in tears 00:27:45.500 --> 00:27:48.940 because it's too much so for some children they 00:27:48.940 --> 00:27:52.279 can get overwhelmed anxious but it's not gonna 00:27:52.279 --> 00:27:54.880 you know cause that level of disruption so I 00:27:54.880 --> 00:27:57.119 think sensory differences are when we generally 00:27:57.119 --> 00:27:59.539 even though we would like to do it differently 00:27:59.539 --> 00:28:04.569 also for example been to Tesco this morning I 00:28:04.569 --> 00:28:07.509 just quickly ran in got a few things it was noisy 00:28:07.509 --> 00:28:11.150 but I was able to let it not disrupt what I needed 00:28:11.150 --> 00:28:14.279 to get to and pay for my food and get out of 00:28:14.279 --> 00:28:16.920 there. Someone whose sensory differences that 00:28:16.920 --> 00:28:18.980 impact on their ability to go to the supermarket 00:28:18.980 --> 00:28:21.799 will be so distracted or so bothered by their 00:28:21.799 --> 00:28:23.279 lives that they won't be able to get the food 00:28:23.279 --> 00:28:25.819 they need, just run out and then just actually 00:28:25.819 --> 00:28:28.319 can't cope with physically going in. So I think, 00:28:28.319 --> 00:28:31.099 and again, I think that can vary with how stressed 00:28:31.099 --> 00:28:33.240 you are as well, because I think, you know, it 00:28:33.240 --> 00:28:36.660 fluctuates, but I think I define sensory differences 00:28:36.660 --> 00:28:39.319 really needing help for that when you can't cope 00:28:39.319 --> 00:28:41.730 with what you need to do. Yeah, so it's the impact 00:28:41.730 --> 00:28:46.250 on your daily life and also the exhaustion or 00:28:46.250 --> 00:28:48.670 energy it takes in order to mask, in order to 00:28:48.670 --> 00:28:50.829 cope. Because I suppose lots of the people that 00:28:50.829 --> 00:28:53.710 I'm seeing in mainstream actually can't cope 00:28:53.710 --> 00:28:56.279 in those situations. taught themselves strategies 00:28:56.279 --> 00:29:00.039 to mask to hold it all in in order to cope for 00:29:00.039 --> 00:29:02.039 that short amount of time that they can do and 00:29:02.039 --> 00:29:05.960 then they absolutely fall apart that also is 00:29:05.960 --> 00:29:08.940 a sensory difference because it takes so much 00:29:08.940 --> 00:29:11.319 energy in order to cope with what other people 00:29:11.319 --> 00:29:15.380 find quite easy to do absolutely and that's where 00:29:15.380 --> 00:29:17.579 you get the analogy of children coming home and 00:29:17.579 --> 00:29:20.519 the exploding coke bottle to some people describe 00:29:20.519 --> 00:29:24.220 it because the whole day was like You got to 00:29:24.220 --> 00:29:26.519 sit still. You got to listen. You got to look 00:29:26.519 --> 00:29:29.640 at the board. You need to pick up your pen. You 00:29:29.640 --> 00:29:31.539 need to write within the lines. And then you 00:29:31.539 --> 00:29:34.380 get home and you just can't. You've maxed out 00:29:34.380 --> 00:29:37.599 on the amount of time that you can do that. Or 00:29:37.599 --> 00:29:39.839 the same for people who go to social events. 00:29:39.980 --> 00:29:41.359 You just come home and you're just exhausted. 00:29:41.500 --> 00:29:44.359 You just want to hibernate. In fact, so many 00:29:44.359 --> 00:29:46.839 of the children I work with say that school holidays, 00:29:47.099 --> 00:29:48.680 their children don't want to leave their house 00:29:48.680 --> 00:29:52.920 because they are so tired. Yeah, they can't. 00:29:53.430 --> 00:29:55.470 cope and the parents are like come on you need 00:29:55.470 --> 00:29:57.869 to do something and the child's like no no so 00:29:57.869 --> 00:29:59.829 it's very common for the children that I work 00:29:59.829 --> 00:30:01.789 with to spend the first week of school holidays 00:30:01.789 --> 00:30:05.230 in their pajamas and refuse going out but they 00:30:05.230 --> 00:30:08.710 just need that respite time I know and you know 00:30:08.710 --> 00:30:11.250 what if the child's happy and the parents can 00:30:11.250 --> 00:30:15.029 work from home or just it's just how it is it's 00:30:15.029 --> 00:30:18.349 not something that I would say is oh you need 00:30:18.349 --> 00:30:20.450 to you know panic get your child out the door 00:30:20.450 --> 00:30:22.609 actually they need that time I have a question 00:30:22.609 --> 00:30:25.529 for you. I was researching on before this chat, 00:30:25.690 --> 00:30:27.990 what the reasons behind the sensory differences 00:30:27.990 --> 00:30:29.789 are. And I came up with three things and I wanted 00:30:29.789 --> 00:30:31.990 to know if they're accurate or not. Yeah, sure. 00:30:32.230 --> 00:30:35.089 First one was they could be autistic. Lots of, 00:30:35.089 --> 00:30:37.529 like you said, there's a high percentage of people 00:30:37.529 --> 00:30:39.890 that are autistic that have these sensory processing 00:30:39.890 --> 00:30:42.250 difficulties. The next one was they could have 00:30:42.250 --> 00:30:45.789 low muscle tone. So maybe they need to do more 00:30:45.789 --> 00:30:48.500 in order to get that feedback. from their muscle 00:30:48.500 --> 00:30:50.920 tone and the other one was they could be premature 00:30:50.920 --> 00:30:54.160 maybe born before 36 weeks it's maybe underdeveloped 00:30:54.160 --> 00:30:56.880 are these things that you are research is that 00:30:56.880 --> 00:31:00.279 accurate yeah those are some of the things sensory 00:31:00.279 --> 00:31:03.220 differences is a lot to do with just how your 00:31:03.220 --> 00:31:07.440 brain process wires sensory information so for 00:31:07.440 --> 00:31:11.259 some there's absolutely no reason for you know 00:31:11.259 --> 00:31:15.359 particularly and You can have sensory differences 00:31:15.359 --> 00:31:17.700 without being autistic, without being premature, 00:31:18.019 --> 00:31:21.339 without having those. The muscle tone one is, 00:31:21.460 --> 00:31:24.920 I see muscle tone difficulties often in people 00:31:24.920 --> 00:31:26.920 with sensory differences, but not all people 00:31:26.920 --> 00:31:29.319 with sensory differences have low muscle tone 00:31:29.319 --> 00:31:31.480 and vice versa. But yeah, there is something 00:31:31.480 --> 00:31:34.400 to be said for that. And hypermobility as well. 00:31:34.619 --> 00:31:36.920 And then there's other conditions like Ehlers 00:31:36.920 --> 00:31:40.660 -Danlos with the hypermobility, which is where 00:31:40.660 --> 00:31:43.740 people have... really lacks joints and that's 00:31:43.740 --> 00:31:47.259 to do with the the reason why people with hypermobility 00:31:47.259 --> 00:31:51.559 have poor differences with sensory processing 00:31:51.559 --> 00:31:54.339 is because the message isn't going through to 00:31:54.339 --> 00:31:59.160 the proprioceptive connectors as much um so think 00:31:59.160 --> 00:32:02.519 about a showerhead right and it's blocked and 00:32:02.519 --> 00:32:05.099 the information the holes are like stuck up and 00:32:05.099 --> 00:32:07.940 you know the information's it's like the water's 00:32:07.940 --> 00:32:10.660 not completely going through. So it's a bit like 00:32:10.660 --> 00:32:14.039 the filter is not quite... So would they need 00:32:14.039 --> 00:32:19.200 more in order to feel that impact? So the only 00:32:19.200 --> 00:32:21.880 thing is, with certain medical conditions though, 00:32:22.079 --> 00:32:24.140 and this is where you need to check with the 00:32:24.140 --> 00:32:28.740 child. So somebody with severe hypermobility 00:32:28.740 --> 00:32:32.319 that, you know, children are prone to injuries 00:32:32.319 --> 00:32:37.390 and can really actually, you know, tear it. a 00:32:37.390 --> 00:32:39.670 joint you know dislocated joint if they're not 00:32:39.670 --> 00:32:42.190 careful you have to work with a child's physiotherapist 00:32:42.190 --> 00:32:45.509 but in terms of they'll be working around strengthening 00:32:45.509 --> 00:32:48.769 the joints and then previous you know activities 00:32:48.769 --> 00:32:52.670 but things that are safe as well but for most 00:32:52.670 --> 00:32:55.869 children who you know slumping in their chair 00:32:55.869 --> 00:32:58.150 but you can get away with things like scooter 00:32:58.150 --> 00:33:00.490 board activities a lot of prone on their tummy 00:33:00.490 --> 00:33:02.849 activities a lot of hanging climbing are all 00:33:02.849 --> 00:33:05.460 things that can really help That is so helpful. 00:33:05.519 --> 00:33:07.279 Obviously, it's individualized. Of course it 00:33:07.279 --> 00:33:08.720 is. And I think that's kind of the point of this, 00:33:08.759 --> 00:33:10.960 isn't it? Is, you know, yes, these general things 00:33:10.960 --> 00:33:13.339 might be helpful, but ultimately you need to 00:33:13.339 --> 00:33:18.460 seek professional support. Your website is full 00:33:18.460 --> 00:33:22.319 of free resources about this topic. It's sensoryhelpnow 00:33:22.319 --> 00:33:23.960 .org if you're listening and you want to check 00:33:23.960 --> 00:33:27.559 it out. it's a fantastic non -profit resource 00:33:27.559 --> 00:33:30.500 that we should all be accessing I think that's 00:33:30.500 --> 00:33:33.420 amazing that you have got that accessible because 00:33:33.420 --> 00:33:35.920 so many teachers and parents are either on the 00:33:35.920 --> 00:33:38.319 waiting list for an occupational therapist or 00:33:38.319 --> 00:33:41.099 you know there isn't a sensory trained one available 00:33:41.099 --> 00:33:43.960 is often what I hear I heard that yesterday so 00:33:43.960 --> 00:33:46.839 having that resource just for something to do 00:33:46.839 --> 00:33:49.980 whilst you're waiting is a fantastic resource 00:33:49.980 --> 00:33:51.859 so thank you for sharing that um you're very 00:33:51.859 --> 00:33:54.079 welcome Thank you so much for being here today. 00:33:54.240 --> 00:33:56.019 This really is a passion project of mine, this 00:33:56.019 --> 00:33:59.599 podcast. It really is about making these experts 00:33:59.599 --> 00:34:02.339 accessible for anybody that is interested in 00:34:02.339 --> 00:34:04.480 learning more. And I really appreciate your time 00:34:04.480 --> 00:34:06.920 sharing your expertise on this amazing topic 00:34:06.920 --> 00:34:09.059 today. You're very welcome. Thank you for inviting 00:34:09.059 --> 00:34:09.460 me.