Sensory Diet: What is it and how can it impact your child

Every one of us processes and reacts to information in our own way. As adults we know what we need to do to help ourselves stay alert, focused, calm, and energized. But children are learning what their brains and bodies need, and sometimes they tell us through irritability, getting distracted easily, struggling to sit still or keep their hands to themselves, hypersensitivity to sound or light or touch that they need or have too much input into their senses.

In this installment of our ongoing community education series, we hear from Kate Biederman, an occupational therapist at St. David’s Center, as she discusses the topic of what she calls a “sensory diet,” what it means, how it may show up in our own children, and what we can do to support them.

If you have questions about your own child’s development, whether related to sensory processing, occupational therapy, or other areas of learning, please feel free to reach out. Our CORE Navigators are available to help answer questions about services at St. David’s Center, our programming, and enrollment process.

While every child’s needs are unique, there are themes within this discussion that are helpful to support our children with a wide range of needs. If you are interested in reading more about sensory processing and potential red flags for parents, we invite you to read more from Kate on our blog after you watch the conversation below.