Sensory Integration Disorder
How to Treat Sensory Processing Disorder
Since sensory mismatches can lead to difficulties at school or work, particularly for children, addressing such challenges may help individuals cope more successfully with day-to-day life. Sensory processing challenges are usually treated with occupational therapy or at-home programs known as “sensory diets.” Though parents and adults can create sensory diets on their own, working with an occupational therapist may result in a more targeted treatment plan; a child who can’t discern tactile sensations, for instance, would likely require a different intervention than a child who finds bright lights to be overstimulating.
Severe sensory processing issues are usually treated with a combination of occupational therapy and a “sensory diet,” which typically consists of at-home activities that supplement OT. Self-help strategies, such as wearing noise-canceling headphones when exposed to loud noises, can provide immediate help to those with sensory challenges.
Sensory diets are treatment plans for sensory issues, usually designed by an occupational therapist. A sensory diet consists of different activities that attempt to address an individual’s unique sensory needs, either with individualized calming methods or by gradually increasing levels of exposure to uncomfortable sensory sensations.
Occupational therapists help children develop or strengthen their sensory regulation skills . They can also help children devise a plan for what they will do if they feel overwhelmed by sensory input or are otherwise placed in a challenging situation at school, at home, or elsewhere.
Explore More About Sensory Processing Disorder
For a comprehensive understanding of sensory processing disorder, read our complete guide: