Blog
Looking for Books on Sensory Integration?
Top 5 Books for Parents and Caregivers of Children with SPD
1. The Out-of-Sync Child by Carol Stock Kranowitz, M.A.
The revised edition of the ground-breaking 1998 book that introduced Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) to parents, teachers, and other non-specialists. SPD is a common and frequently misdiagnosed problem in which the central nervous system misinterprets messages from the senses. This new edition features additional information on visual and hearing deficits, motor skill difficulties, ADHD, autism, Asperger syndrome, and other related disorders.
Description Above From Carol Stock Kranowitz's website.
2. Sensational Kids by Lucy Jane Miller
Sensory Processing Disorder is an increasingly common diagnosis, with a wide range of symptoms that can be difficult for parents and pediatricians to identify. In Sensational Kids, internationally renowned expert Dr. Miller shares her more than forty years of experience and research findings on SPD. Now in its fourteenth printing, with more than 50,000 copies sold in all formats, it is an authoritative and practical guide to understanding and treating this little-understood condition."
Description Above From Penguin Random House
3. Raising a Sensory Smart Child by Lindsey Biel
For children with sensory difficulties - those who struggle process everyday sensations and exhibit unusual behaviors such as avoiding or seeking out touch, movement, sounds, and sights - this groundbreaking book is an invaluable resource. Sensory processing challenges affect all kinds of kind - from those with developmental delays, learning and attention issues, or autism spectrum disorder to those without any other issues. Now in its third edition, Raising a Sensory Smart Child is even more comprehensive and helpful than ever.
Description Above From Amazon.com
4. Understanding Your Chlid's Sensory Signals: A Practical Daily Use Handbook for Parents and Teachers by Angie Voss OTR
Handbook includes over 210 of the most common sensory signals and cues your child may be giving you.
Description from Amazon.ca
5. Sensory Processing 101 by Dayna Abraham
Whether you are a parent, educator, caregiver, or therapist, this easy-to-read guide is your starting point to gain a better understanding of sensory processing and the body’s sensory systems. You may have heard of Sensory Processing Disorder, but this book is designed to help all children - not just those with a sensory disorder. The truth is that supporting healthy sensory processing is an important part of promoting overall health in every child. With this comprehensive guide, you get three books in one, including: *Sensory Processing Explained: An explanation of each sensory system from a therapist’s point of view and from the perspective of a parent and educator.
Description from Amazon.ca
40 Sensory Calming Activities
Sensory Calming Activities provide sensory input and they help your child self regulate and able to concentrate more easily. These sensory calming activities will also reduce your child's stress and anxiety.
All children, whether or not they are sensory seekers or sensory avoiders, should have sensory breaks throughout the day to fill their sensory diet. Sensory calming activities will also help settle your child when they are feeling restless, angry and frustrated.
1. Chew on Munchables Chewelry
2. Use Munchables Fidgets
3. Listen to music
4. Do Yoga
5. Sing ABC's
6. Play with kaleidoscopes
7. Go for a walk
8. Ask for a hug
9. Chew gum
10. Hum or sing a song
11. Do breathing exercises
12. Deep pressure massage
13. Write in a journal
14. Color a picture
15. Cuddle a pet
16. String fine motor beads
17. Play with pudding
18. Do heavy work activities
19. Play in a ball tent
20. Have a bubble bath
21. Play an instrument and make music
22. Use a sensory calm down bottle or Munchables Liquid Motion Timer
23. Play in a sensory bin
24. Use bath time crayons and paints
25. Play with jello
26. Make and play with slime
27. Play with water beads
28. Squish between couch cushions
29. Use a mini massager
30. Blow Bubbles
31. Play in a sand box
32. Go swimming
33. Swing in a sensory swing
34. Play with water toys in a water table
35. Paint with finger paints
36. Roll up in a blanket burrito
37. Use glow sticks in the bath
38. Blow on a pinwheel
39. Rock in a rocking chair
40. Meditate or Mindful Activities
25 Oral Motor Activities for your Sensory Child
Looking for some sensory oral motor activities to try? Here are 25 of our favorites. If you’d like more ideas or information, an Occupational Therapist will be able to help. They can specifically tailor an age appropriate sensory diet plan and oral motor activities for your child. Here are 25 ideas to get you started:
- Use a Munchables sensory oral chew toy for your child.
- Blow bubbles with your child.
- Encourage your child toblow into music instruments, such as horns or harmonicas.
- Chewing gum and blowing bubbles with gum.
- Have your child try clicking their tongue. Make clucking noises.
- Ask your child to make "oooo" and then "eeeee" noises with their mouth. Then combine the two movements.
- Try getting your child to drink different consistencies of liquids and food through a straw. Examples: water, smoothies, apple sauce, pudding or milk shakes.
- Put yogurt or pudding in the corner of your child's mouth and have them lick it off.
- Ask your child to lick their teeth while counting them.
- Encourage your child to try licking lollipops and popsicles.
- Practice eating different textures of foods such as crunchy, soft and chewy.
- Blow bubbles with a straw in a glass of milk or water.
- Use a vibrating toothbrush or vibrating therapy toys for their mouths and move it around their entire mouth. (These stimulate the muscles, and promote more musculature awareness)
- Ask your child to hold a carrot stick or another small piece of food in their front teeth.
- Try using some Oral Motor Tools For Sensory Processing Disorder.
- Encourage your child to blow kisses.
- Have your child smile, don't smile, then a frown and repeat.
- Blow up balloons.
- Play a funny face making game with a mirror with your child. (Make silly faces in the mirror while you are brushing your child’s teeth and try to get your child to imitate)
- Put feathers or confetti in your child's hands, ask them to blow them.
- Encourage your child to hisssss like a snake, buzz like a bee or roar like a lion.
- Show your child how to move their tongue from side to side and ask them to show you how they can do it.
- Sing with your child. Ask them to sing la-la-la-la.
- Ask your child to try touching their nose with their tongue.
- Try getting your child to blow at a pinwheel or try blowing dandelions.
Disclaimer: Contact your healthcare provider for more information.
Deklyn's Bubble Popper Review
Introducing the Exclusive Munchables Bubble Popper Fidget Chew Necklace!
What Is Dysgraphia?
Fidgets, fidgets, fidgets!!
Why Does My Child Chew on EVERYTHING?
By Laura May, Owner of Munchables Sensory Solutions Ltd.
Contributing Author OT Katie Yoon, MS, OTR/L
Do you ever look at your child and wonder why they are chewing on their fingers, clothing or hair? Maybe your child tends to gnaw on their pencils while doing homework? Or perhaps, when your little one comes home from school they have chewed and torn sleeves? You’re not alone if this behavior leaves you feeling confused or frustrated. Before you tell your child to stop chewing, it is important to understand WHY.
Put simply – Chewing reduces stress and anxiety. That’s it. (There may be some other reasons which I’ll outline in future articles, but that is the primary reason.)
You may be thinking, “But my child isn’t stressed out”. However, there may be going on than you realize, especially with the uncertainty provided by Covid-19. Children have very little control over their environments and it is important to understand what is going on in their lives to the best of our abilities as parents.
Let’s examine the concept of chewing due to stress and anxiety first. Do you know any adults who chew their nails when they’re anxious? Or maybe their pens? These are actions that I know that I personally take when I’m feeling overwhelmed. Children are no different from us adults.
Chewing helps children cope and self-regulate
In 2019, The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists reviewed Munchables and provided this key sentence in their report.
The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists recommends Munchables sensory chewelry for its ability to “replace inappropriate chewing behavior (i.e. chewing on fingernails, pencils or clothing) and to provide potential regulating effects for the sensory system - reducing fidgeting and promoting attention and focus.”
That last half of the sentence provides the official OT answer you may have been seeking – “Provide potential regulating effects”. We can go back to the scientific literature and find a peer-reviewed study written about thirty years ago by Scheerer that found the following,
“There is a great deal of research that supports clinical observations that having something in one’s mouth to chew or suck on can provide a calming, organizing, and focusing response.” (1992)
But your child doesn’t need that scientific literature. Kids intuitively know that chewing helps to calm and focus them. The takeaway here is to not force your child to stop chewing. They NEED to chew. Your child isn’t chewing on their pencils to drive you crazy. They are chewing because it is helping them to cope. The key is to provide the child with a safer alternative to their clothing, fingernails or whatever is closest at the time.
Chewing behavior may peak during big changes in a child’s life such as starting school, moving or during divorce. It is important to realize that children are coping in the best way that they know how – by chewing - because it works.
The most important thing you can do for your child is to remove any shame and stigma from their behavior. They are helping themselves in the most effective way they know how.
Munchables is owned by a Canadian husband-wife team with two sensory children of their own. We understand how important it is for kids to have stylish, discreet chewies. Please reach out to us at sales@munchables.ca if you have any questions.
Change "Don't Chew That" to "Chew this" with Munchables Chewelry.
Disclaimer: If you are concerned about your child’s chewing behavior, contact your healthcare provider for more information.
Why is my kid chewing on their clothing and fingers?
By Laura May, Owner of
Munchables Sensory Solutions Ltd.
Contributing Author OT Katie Yoon, MS, OTR/L
In my previous article, I outlined how chewing helps children self-regulate. However, not all children chew as a self-coping mechanism. Some children may find the world too loud, too bright and simply too much. These children, especially those with Autism or Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), may chew if they feel overwhelmed by their environments. Depending on the study you read, the science tells us that
Somewhere between 5-8% of school-aged children have sensory processing issues – that equates to 1-3 kids in every classroom. (Source)
Can you imagine feeling as if you were that child stuck in a room that was too bright or too loud? Or, maybe if you were forced to wear clothing that was unbearably scratchy? I know I go a little bit crazy when the TV volume is up too high or if I have to wear that itchy Christmas sweater for more than just photos!
with these unwelcome responses during everyday activities. These overwhelming feelings can cause over-arousal and emotional dysregulation, which can manifest as anger, depression and behavioral problems.
These children instinctively know that one of the ways that they can avoid that stress reaction is to chew.
Next time, we’ll explore stimming, proprioception dysfunction and other reasons that your child may be chewing.
The most important thing you can do for your child is to remove any shame and stigma from their behavior. They are helping themselves in the most effective way they know how.
Change Don't Chew That" to "Chew This" with Munchables Chewelry
Munchables is owned by a Canadian husband-wife team with two sensory children of their own. We understand how important it is for kids to have stylish, discreet chewies. Please reach out to us at sales@munchables.ca if you have any questions.
Disclaimer: If you are concerned about your child’s chewing behavior, contact your healthcare provider for more information. Some excellent resources on SPD can be found at “Sensory Processing Disorder Parent Support”.
Why does my child chew? Stimming and Proprioception Explored
By Laura May, Owner of Munchables Sensory Solutions Ltd.
Contributing Author OT Katie Yoon, MS, OTR/L
We’ve discussed chewing due to stress and sensory processing disorders in earlier articles. Further along the spectrum, we find children that exhibit repetitive behaviors such as full body rocking, unusual hand mannerisms (like finger-flicking and hand-flapping) and chewing. These behaviours are all examples of self-stimulatory behavior (or stimming). Stimming can help children manage the sensory information surrounding them.
Stimming can be a way of self-regulating behavior – to “keep it together” so to speak.
This stimming may look unusual to the casual observer, but it helps children manage their emotions and cope with overwhelming situations. It allows them to either increase or decrease the sensory overload as needed. Let your child be a sensory seeker. They are doing what they know is best for them. If you try to eradicate their sensory seeking behaviour, your child may withdraw more and more until the point where you may lose your chance to build a conversation.
What the child replaces their stim with may be less preferable than the current one.
Another reason your child may be chewing is proprioception dysfunction.
Proprioception is a big word that just means the body’s ability to sense itself. If a child can’t correctly interpret their body’s signals properly, the world can be a scary place. These children typically report feeling scattered or disjointed and may appear clumsy or have poor motor control. They may also have trouble staying still. One of the ways children can self-regulate is by stimming – as described in the previous paragraph. Children with proprioception dysfunction chew because it helps to center themselves in the world.
Other reasons that your child may be chewing might include simply being bored. Children AND adults engage in chewing to help maintain a regulated state. For example, those who chew their pens or gum during a class or a meeting are using that activity to remain attentive because they are bored and need an external stimuli to keep them going. Also, a lot of people mindlessly seek out food or snacks when they’re bored . Chewing (or oral stimulation) is very much a normal daily occurrence that everyone engages in to some degree.
Other reasons that your child may be chewing are teething for younger children and pica (the eating of non-food items). If you suspect pica, please consult your doctor immediately.
Next time, we’ll explore ways to provide oral sensory input in a variety of ways.
The most important thing you can do for your child is to remove any shame and stigma from their behavior. They are helping themselves in the most effective way they know how.
Change "Don't Chew That" to "Chew this" with Munchables Chewelry.
Munchables is owned by a Canadian husband-wife team with two sensory children of their own. We understand how important it is for kids to have stylish, discreet chewies. Please reach out to us at sales@munchables.ca if you have any questions.
Disclaimer: If you are concerned about your child’s chewing behavior, contact your healthcare provider for more information. Some excellent resources on SPD can be found at “Sensory Processing Disorder Parent Support”.
