Helping Kids Improve Tactile Sense with Occupational Therapy
Welcome! Today we will be talking about the tactile processing system and how occupational therapy, like that offered at Metro Therapy Special Children's Clinic, can improve a child's tactile senses.
Understanding the Tactile System
The tactile system is the system of receptors in your skin. As the skin is the largest organ of the body, it has a lot of receptors. The tactile system interprets input in two different ways: alerting, which can be very stimulating, and organizing, which can be very calming.
Examples of Tactile Input You May Have at Home
Examples of how tactile input may be experienced include vibration, slime, Play-Doh, or moon sand. Children react differently to altering inputs. Here at Metro Therapy, we find that some children find slime too alerting for their systems, while other children love slime and find it very calming. Play-Doh is another common piece of tactile input that you may have at home already. Play-Doh is a fun way for children to experience tactile input without overstimulating them.
At Metro Therapy, we love moon sand! You may have noticed moon sand in big box stores recently; we find it to be a fun way to experience tactile input without being overstimulating. Moon sand is dry, soft, and can be used in many ways in a sensory bin.
While you may have bubbles at home, we did not include bubbles in our list of tactile inputs. Bubbles can get messy—while that is providing our body input and some children really enjoy messy play, it's overstimulating for many children.
Identifying Sensitivities to Tactile Input
A child that may be too sensitive to tactile input may display signs such as picky eating, anxiety, difficulty regulating emotions, and sensitivity to textures. Food sensitivities may manifest due to different textures in and around their mouths, or messy foods which cause crumbs or sticky textures on their hands and face.
You may find your child has difficulty regulating their emotions when wearing particular clothing items or hates tags on their clothes. Here in Minnesota, we see a lot of children who have a hard time transitioning from summer and spring clothes to big, bulky winter clothes.
Identifying a Lack of Tactile Input Sensitivity
A child that has a hard time with sensing tactile input might need a little bit more input. For these children, at Metro Therapy, we like to use our large massager. Additionally, we sometimes use a sports massage gun, usually used for sore muscles on adults, to create a unique tactile sensation. We may not use massage guns directly on the body, but occupational therapists sometimes place the massage gun on the floor next to the child for added input, or on the trampoline while they are jumping.
Pediatric occupational therapists here at Metro Therapy know specifically what types of activities to target every child's need. Whether they're seeking a particular type of input or whether they might be avoiding it and need to be introduced very slowly to that type of input.
Is Pediatric Occupational Therapy Right for Your Child?
We use sensory strategies to make sure that we're providing tactile input strategically throughout the day. These sensory strategies include playing with Play-Doh, slime, moon sand, or vibration; or, providing sensory experiences with different types of foods, on a very strategic schedule. We always work directly with families to make sure our team is providing the right input, sufficient follow up, and ensuring that our suggestions are appropriate and are working to the benefit of your family.
If you have any questions about tactile processing or any concerns about how your child responds or reacts to tactile information, please feel free to give us a call at 763-450-9400.
