Autism Soccer: Sensory Diet: Is It Important for the Child?

This will help the child with sensory difficulties to perform better in the environments in which they interact.

A sensory diet is not a diet, but an individualized program of activities or environmental modifications that help the child with sensory difficulties to perform better in the environments in which they interact: at home, at school, in the park, in the supermarket, thus allowing its finality and participation.

To understand better: a sensory diet is another tool in the child's treatment, composed of activities and environmental modifications to keep the nervous system organized and calm in the daily routines of the child.

Activities or modifications within sensory diets may include:

Adequate alert level. Activities that help the child by introducing reassuring activities to help him if he’s very hyperactive or offering stimulating activities if the level of the alert is low.

Stimuli. Supports so that the child learns to recognize his own level of alertness and is able to self-regulate. Visual strategies are a great strategy to use together with these.

Sensory breaks. Times in which the child can rest or stop to self-regulate.

Sensory shelter. Place where the child can go and calm down when he has received a lot of stimulation and showed signs of overload.

How to make a sensory diet?

The occupational therapist, the other professionals, and the family have to form a team to determine together the possible adaptations to be made. On the other hand, it’s not about filling the child's routine with activities, but about analyzing the child, its context and from there using the available tools to improve their autonomy. Registering the adaptations we make will be a good idea, as it will help us to verify its effectiveness. If after a few days we don’t see the expected results, we will decide if it’s necessary to change the strategy.

Why use a sensory diet?

Sensory diets aim to help the child to be in the best disposition to face the different routines of his day to day, to improve his attention, learning and to be self-regulated.