Sensory & Regulation
Senses are what allow us to relate to the world around us and make sense of the information we receive. We all have certain preferences where certain things make our senses happy and other things make our senses upset. When there is too much upsetting our senses, we become dysregulated and cannot function as easily in the world. OTs help to navigate these personal preferences by identifying what the preferences are and how to use them to feel better.
Your Senses
We have 8 senses, but there are 7 that contribute the most to our ability to be regulated everyday. Sight, touch, hearing, taste, and smell are the five most commonly known senses, but you also have proprioception and vestibular sense.
The first five senses are considered far or external senses as they allow you to sense things around you. Proprioception and vestibular are near or internal senses as they allow you to sense things in your body.
Sight: The things you can see with your eyes
Touch: The things you feel with any of the skin on your body
Hearing: The sounds that your ears take in
Taste: The things you can taste with your mouth
Smell: The things you can smell with your nose
Proprioception: The ability of the joints to sense body movement through where our body is in space and how hard it is doing activities
Vestibular: The ability of our inner ear to keep us balanced and upright
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Regulation
Regulation is our ability to keep our energy, emotional, and attentional levels at a point where we can take in the world around us. Dysregulation can look different at different times. Sometimes it is being very high energy with lots of chaos and other times it is being very withdrawn. Being dysregulated makes it harder to manages the stresses in our life and can almost be described and the mind and body not being happy. Our senses help us to be regulated, but they can also contribute to dysregulation when we become overwhelmed by one or multiple senses.
In order to be regulated, near senses should regulate first then the far senses because if our internal senses are struggling then our external senses don't have a good foundation. OTs help to find ways to regulate our bodies and mind bases on which senses we like to experience lots of and which we want to experience less. Sensory diets are a resource made up of a list of sensory supports catered to the individual needs of a person that can be used to maintain or regain regulation when it is lost. They provide lots of options so that a person can find what works best for them on any given day. People can make their own sensory diets by learning what sensory actions make their body and brain feel regulated and what actions may not be as useful
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States of Arousal
The state of arousal is the balance between calm and alert, and a big part of mental health and wellness is being able to be just right between those two. When we need alerting or need calming, our senses can be a great way to meet those needs based on our preferences. Signs of someone's arousal state can be emotional, physical, and/or behavioral.
Signs Someone May Need Alerting: sadness, numbness, hopelessness, low energy, lethargy, slouched posture, unusual quietness, lack of interest, or withdrawal
Signs Someone May Need Calming: anxiety, agitation, euphoria, anger, fidgeting, hyperactivity, tense posture, hyper vigilance, distractible, or frustrated easily
Signs Someone May Be Just Right: relaxed, happy, content, even breathing and heart rate, adequate energy, able to focus, or attentive
Click here for some calming or alerting options to try for each sense. Just like with regulating activities, you may have to try lots of different options to find what works best for you!
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Regulating Each Sense
Different senses make us feel different ways. Some of us like one sense to do lots of work while another does only a little. When our bodies or minds feel dysregulated, here are some things to try for each sense to regulate.
Sight: Turn down/off the lights, limit visual clutter, watching bubbles or a lava lamp
Touch: Stress balls or fidget toys, soft clothing or blanket, firm touch, sitting/laying still under a weighted blanket
Hearing: Limit spoken words from others, relaxing or repetitive sounds or silence, hum/sing to self
Taste: Sucking on a hard candy or ice cube, crunchy and predictable snacks
Smell: Smelling familiar and comforting smells, going outside to avoid strong smells in small places
Proprioception: Moving under weighted blankets or stuffed animals, giving yourself a big hug, pushing or carrying heavy items
Vestibular: Swinging on a swing, rocking on a chair, slowly bouncing on a ball
These strategies may not work for everyone, so it is okay to try multiple different things. Do what feels best to make your body feel calm and regulated.
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Sensory and Regulation Resources
Some senses need lots of information to feel good and some senses need only a little to feel good. A sensory diet is a resource created, often with the help of an OT that offers lots of suggestions to help maintain attention, arousal, and regulation throughout the day.
Because everyone likes different sensory experiences, these sensory diets look different for everyone. Below are linked some resources to offer sensory support to help determine what works best for you or a loved one. It may take a few tries to see what's best.
Sensory Processing Strategies to Promote Mental Wellness in People with DS Webinar (5/11/2022)
If We Knew Then Ep 42: Occupational Therapy with Erin Stanford of McRory Pediatrics Pt 2
Down syndrome Center Podcast Ep 109: Sensory Processing in Ds (with Dr. Katie Frank)
Sensory Connection Self-Regulation Workbook by Dr. Karen Moore, OTR/L
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Profectum Toolbox
Because everyone has different sensory needs to stay regulated, it can be tricky to find what works best for you and your family and understanding why you or a loved one may be dysregulated.
The Profectum Parent Toolbox is a free parent and caregiver resource that helps give regulation insights for everyone, but notably for individuals who are not neurotypical. Although originally designed with developmental milestone in mind, this resource now offers resources to anyone wanting to know more about autism; sensory processing; attention deficit; motor planning; language; and emotional and mental health.
Click HERE to access the free parent/caregiver toolbox
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1. Chicoine, B. & Frank, K. (Adult Down Syndrome Center). (2021). Mental health causes for behavior change during pandemic [webinar]. https://adscresources.advocatehealth.com/mental-health-causes-for-behavior-change-during-a-pandemic-webinar-recording-3282021/
2. Chicoine, B., Frank, K., & Rowley, A. (Adult Down Syndrome Center). (2023). Behavior changes in individuals with Down syndrome [video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ybQ8Fka4FE
3. Frank, K., (Adult Down Syndrome Center). (2022). Sensory processing strategies to promote mental wellness in people with Down syndrome [webinar]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOb82XjQxF0
4. Frank, K., & Vellody, K., (Expert and Host). (2021). Sensory processing in Ds [audio podcast episode]. In Down Syndrome Center Podcast. https://downsyndromecenter.libsyn.com/
5. McGuire, D. E., & Chicoine, B. (2021). Mental wellness in adults with Down Syndrome: A guide to emotional and behavioral strengths and challenges (2nd ed.). Woodbine House.
6. Moore, K. M. (2008). The Self Regulation Workbook: Learning to use sensory activities to manage stress, anxiety and emotional crisis. Therapro, Inc.