Ep. 45: Finding the Right Combination of Sensory Supports
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What is the main question about sensory strategies that parents ask?
What's up everyone and welcome to Making the Shift.
We're an SLP couple from California with three boys and a passion for finding better ways to support autistic kids.
I'm Chris. You might know me as speech dude. I'm a Neurodivergent High School SLP and the creator of the Dynamic Assessment of Social Emotional Learning, and I specialize in crafting neurodiversity affirming IEPs through my online course.
And I'm Jesse, a sensory integration trained SLP, owner of a top-rated clinic in Los Angeles, and the creator of the Inside Out Sensory Communication Programs for Parents and Therapists. Join us weekly to learn neurodiversity affirming ways to support social, emotional development and regulation in autistic kids.
Are you ready to make the shift?
Hello, hello. Today we are talking about one of the most common questions I get from both parents and therapists. And this is really more about how can I get my child the sensory input they need? How do I know like how to combine different sensory inputs to really get them what they need? And something I hear a lot from parents is like Well he seems like He knew that he needed a lot of movement, so he just go, go, goes, but it just feels like he never stops. It's like he's just going and going and going, almost like it's never enough. And I hear that a lot. So here is a phrase I use. Which is like a marketing phrase, I think. And it is so random and may not even make sense to you why I'm using it, but it helps me and my brain.
So let's see if it helps you too. Okay, um it's that concept of Sell them what they want, but then give them what they need. Okay, which is a marketing tactic. Sell them what they want, but give them what they mean and what they need. What do I mean by that? Okay, I mean like if there is a company selling Weight loss shakes. Okay. What the person wants is, I want to look good in a bathing suit.
How does the “sell what they want, give what they need” marketing analogy apply to sensory input?
I want to feel good this summer, right? That is what they want. That is essentially what the company is selling the person is you're gonna look great this summer because of these shakes. But then they buy and you give them what they need, which is maybe it's like a diet, an exercise plan, and it's strategies for getting better sleep and it's how to eliminate your stress. It's like all of the things that are actually going to get them the results that they need. Okay, but no one's gonna buy that shake if it says, Hey, I have all these really hard things for you to do and I know that you don't want to do them, but that's what you need to do. So you should buy this. Right. That's why this line was invented.
Sell them what they want, but give them what they need. Okay, so where am I going here? The thing about sensory input and using sensory in our sessions is that sometimes Kids know what they want, but they don't know what they need. So that's why I hear things like, oh, well, he's just go, go, go, nonstop on the move. It's like, yeah, because he wants that. He wants that movement. But is that necessarily what he needs? Maybe, maybe it is what he needs up into a point. And then after that point, it's not what he needs. But kids can have a really hard time making that judgment of, okay, I think I got what I needed. Now let me go do something else. Right. It's like. Growing up, you're sitting playing like anyone else play Sims?
Okay. Sims. Say you're playing Sims on the computer and you're like hungry and you know you need to take a break and you're getting frustrated and it's all building up, but like you're not gonna go and take that break, right? Cause you're continuing to do what you want, not what you need. So I had a family come in.
Why is it important to distinguish a child’s sensory threshold before planning supports?
A little while back and the mom said, You know what? My son loves to spin. He just loves it so much, but I always cut him off because I'm like, This seems like crazy. I would be so dizzy if I was doing that much spinning. But then she said, But one day I decided, you know what? I'm just gonna let him have at it. I'm just gonna let him spin all he wants. So what did he do? He went on the swing. Spinning? For about an hour.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What is the main question about sensory strategies that parents ask?
0:08–2:35
2
How does the “sell what they want, give what they need” marketing analogy apply to sensory input?
2:35–4:34
3
Why is it important to distinguish a child’s sensory threshold before planning supports?
4:34–6:32
4
What can happen when a child receives too much or too little sensory input?
6:32–8:11
5
How do you identify a child’s sensory threshold and what does a “low” vs. “high” cup look like?
8:11–9:47
6
What are the three practical steps to meet a child’s sensory threshold?
9:47–11:32
7
How can you move from giving a child what they want to giving them what they need for optimal learning?
11:32–12:22
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from The NeuroAffirm Podcast
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Ep. 124 Building Rapport Isn’t Enough...How Therapists Become Part of the Intervention
Ep. 123 Not Seeing Progress in Speech Therapy? Start Here.
Ep. 122 Screen Time Considerations for Autistic Kids
Ep. 121 The Biggest Sensory Mistakes SLPs Make
Ep. 120 Why Anxiety is So Common in Autism (And What Actually Helps)