Sensory

Things to talk through with your family/ carers/ support team:

• Talk to others when there is too much going on round about you – too much light, too much noise.
• Talk to others about the ‘balance’ of activity in your day – we should have some active activities in our day balanced with some quieter relaxing activities.
• Talk about your favourite smells, tastes, noises, movement activities.
• Talk about your least favourite smells, tastes, noises, movement activities.

Make a list of sensory activities you enjoy – this will be information that we see, hear, touch, taste, smell and how we move. Make a list of sensory activities that you really don’t like - this will be information that we see, hear, touch, taste, smell and how we move.

Someone that we worked with recently was running away when going to activities in the community. These activities were ten pin bowling and bingo. These were activities which the person enjoyed when playing these in their home with others. Support staff could not understand why the person kept running away when going into these places. The Occupational Therapist completed a sensory checklist and realised that the person can become overwhelmed with noise and flashing lights. Both these places were extremely noisy and had arcade games with flashing bright lights. Support staff were therefore able to work out quieter times at a smaller bowling complex and bingo hall which did not have as much sensory information. The person was then able to do activities which she enjoyed but with less noise and lights.

Learning Disability Occupational Therapist