Sensory Help Now

For children with sensory processing issues, summer and the school summer holidays can be a challenging time for them and the rest of their family. While other children may be thrilled at the thought of the school year ending and the adventures that await them over the summer break, children with sensory differences may find it challenging with the lack of routine and unstructured days. They may dread, for example, things other children enjoy such as feeling the sand on the beach, wearing different clothing or eating outdoors.

In this month’s Our Sensory Family Resources blog, we’ve compiled several articles and guides that will hopefully help you to keep your sensory child or children on track throughout the summer so that the summer break can be as rewarding as possible for everyone in the family.

Summer and Sensory Processing Issues - for children with sensory processing issues, summer can be a challenging time. They may dread things other children enjoy, from the sand on the beach to wearing different clothes or eating outdoors. This useful article from the Child Mind Institute suggests ideas on how you can work with your child to prepare them for sensory struggles that might come up.

Sensory Snapshot: Neurodivergent Teens and School Holidays - for those of us living in the Northern Hemisphere, the school summer holidays are approaching and whilst many children and their parents are looking forward to it, for some it can be a stressful time. Teens are typically exhausted after a busy school year and looking forward to a break from the routine of getting up early and getting ready for school. In this Sensory Snapshot blog published last year, SIE’s Lelanie Brewer takes a look at how to support teens with sensory processing differences to find activities suited to their needs to occupy them during the summer break.

Sensory Meltdowns: Helping Children Cope with Overstimulation – you know that overloaded feeling you get when you're in a really busy shop, or when everyone's talking far too loudly? Imagine that feeling multiplied thousands of times and that's what having a sensory meltdown can feel like for a child. This article and video from the BBC’s Tiny Happy People look at what a sensory meltdown is along with some great tips for parents to help them help their children if a sensory meltdown happens.

Best Sensory-Friendly Clothing for Kids That Look and Feel Great - this is an informative read from moms.com featuring SIE’s Beth Smithson which discusses the challenges of finding clothing for children with sensory differences. The article sets out 9 tested and approved clothing options for stress-free dressing.

50+ Summer Sensory Play Activities for Kids with Autism - this article from Special Learning House sets out some summer sensory play activities for autistic children. From sensory circuits, gardening and water play to summer sensory bins and play dough mats, there are lots of ideas here for summer sensory play fun!

Five Ways to Incorporate Mindfulness into Your Child's Day - the term ‘mindfulness’ can conjure up images of trying to sit still and quietly meditate which could be described as ‘formal meditation’. However, there are also ways mindfulness can be brought into everyday life with a more ‘informal practice’. Both our and our children’s minds can wander often – so it can be really beneficial to practise bringing our minds back to the present moment. This BBC Bitesize article looks at some activities we can do with our children to practise mindfulness together. [Please note you may need a BBC login to access this].

25 Summer Sensory Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers – the summer break can be tough on parents who aren’t used to having their children home every day. If you’re trying to get ready for the summer holidays, this article from Taming Little Monsters sets out some summer sensory activities for toddlers and pre-schoolers.

50 Self-Regulation Activities to Empower Your Child to Calm – this article from Connected Families looks at the role of self-regulation and why teaching self-regulation to our children is important. It provides key insights and practical tools you can use to help your child feel understood and empowered to work through their big feelings.

BBC Sensory Stories – Let’s go out… to a beach  - Let’s go on a sensory journey to the beach! Taken from the BBC’s Bitesize series of Sensory Stories, this example highlights ways of making the sensory experience of a day at the beach a more enjoyable one. All the sensory stories featured on the BBC Bitesize website have been created with advice from the National Autistic Society and Autism NI. [Please note you may need a BBC login to access this].

NB: Sensory Help Now is not responsible for the content on external websites. Sharing a resource does not imply endorsement by Sensory Help Now.