Anatomy of Sensory Overload

A good majority of what I do in a typical group children's yoga class or adaptive individualized instruction is aimed at sensory integration. Yoga is the one very adaptable activity that naturally encompasses all of the senses at once, which makes it useful and effective for addressing the needs of both sensory seekers as well as sensory avoiders.

This time of year, as the busyness of the holidays approach, many of us have sensory overload on our minds. It affects everyone to some degree, but children, teens and adults with sensory regulation challenges are affected the most. Doing too much, eating too much and even excessive family visiting can cause stress on the senses and cause overload and shut down.

As educators, we may know what sensory overload looks like on the outside, but unless we have experienced it ourselves, we don't really know how it actually feels to the child or adult experiencing it.

I found this article in  the "Autism at Home" website that does an excellent job of describing sensory overload from the perspective of someone who experiences it. The author,  Thomas McKean, shares his personal experiences and offers some solutions for minimizing and regulating sensory overload. I hope both parents, educators and therapists find it useful. Read Thomas's article here:   Inside the Mind of Sensory Overload .


**What are some interventions you use to reduce or regulate sensory overload in your child or your students?  We welcome your comments and suggestions!


To contact Barbara e-mail: barbara@bodylogique.com

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