Sensory Modulation Difficulty
Do you have a child who quickly switches from being a sensory seeker to a sensory avoider? Is your child super unpredictable and quick to meltdown? Does your child get easily frustrated at the tiniest of things? Does your child seem to do ok with a certain sensory situation one day, and not the next? Does your child quickly switch from engaging in a sensory activity, to then sensory overload? Does your child have difficulty maintaining "ready state" (either too lethargic or too alert and active)?
If you answered yes to any or all of the questions above, your child may be struggling with sensory modulation.
Sensory modulation is the process in which the brain is taking in all of the various types of sensory input and messages and sorting it all out. There is a specific place in the brain called the reticular activating system (RAS), which is like the hub and distribution center for the brain. The sensory information is then sorted out and sent out to the appropriate pathways for different aspects of daily function, self-regulation, ready state, etc.
If you answered yes to any or all of the questions above, your child may be struggling with sensory modulation.
Sensory modulation is the process in which the brain is taking in all of the various types of sensory input and messages and sorting it all out. There is a specific place in the brain called the reticular activating system (RAS), which is like the hub and distribution center for the brain. The sensory information is then sorted out and sent out to the appropriate pathways for different aspects of daily function, self-regulation, ready state, etc.
Here is a visual and analogy to help understand this concept...
Nervous system: the conveyor belts
Nerves: the boxes of different forms of sensory information
Brain: where all of the boxes are organized and shelved
So the boxes are coming in on the conveyor belts one after another, at a nice even pace. At the end of the belt the reticular activating system is nicely sorting the boxes on a constant basis and putting the boxes on the right shelves.
So that is how the neurotypical brain works.
Those who struggle with sensory modulation will find that the conveyor belt is running too quickly and gets jammed and piles up at the unloading spot...or the conveyor belt is running REALLY slow and the shelves are empty or almost empty. Sometimes it is as though the conveyor belt has a short in it, starting and stopping, starting and stopping.
To maintain ready state and a state of functional regulation (self-regulation) the conveyor belt needs to be running at different speeds throughout the day such as when waking up and getting going for the day, and then maintaining ready state during the day, then transitioning back to a slower speed at night. And those with sensory modulation difficulties, the conveyor belt is not efficient at changing speeds at the right time.
So that is how the neurotypical brain works.
Those who struggle with sensory modulation will find that the conveyor belt is running too quickly and gets jammed and piles up at the unloading spot...or the conveyor belt is running REALLY slow and the shelves are empty or almost empty. Sometimes it is as though the conveyor belt has a short in it, starting and stopping, starting and stopping.
To maintain ready state and a state of functional regulation (self-regulation) the conveyor belt needs to be running at different speeds throughout the day such as when waking up and getting going for the day, and then maintaining ready state during the day, then transitioning back to a slower speed at night. And those with sensory modulation difficulties, the conveyor belt is not efficient at changing speeds at the right time.
How you can help your child...
- Lots and lots of proprioception! Proprioception is the key to organizing, regulating, and giving the brain a chance to sort out all of the incoming sensory information.
- Watch for sensory triggers which seem to escalate and cause difficulty, and provide sensory tools and strategies as needed.
- Use tools for defensiveness as appropriate for your child to help decrease the forms of sensory input which are particularly a threat to the nervous system.
- Providing a sensory retreat is a key component to help the child "sort out" all of the incoming sensory messages.
- Focus on the power sensations of tactile, proprioception, and vestibular input to help the brain learn to process information more efficiently.
- Encourage deep breathing on a regular basis, and use of oral sensory tools.
- Be sure to understand fight of flight and respect and understand that children with sensory modulation difficulties will often switch to fight or flight more often and very quickly.
- Understand the concept of self-regulation.