What is a Sensory Diet?
A sensory diet is a personalized plan that helps individuals manage their sensory needs throughout the day. Just as our bodies need balanced nutrition to function optimally, our nervous system requires a mix of sensory inputs to stay regulated and focused. Sensory diets are especially beneficial for individuals with sensory processing challenges, such as those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ADHD, or Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). However, anyone can benefit from a sensory diet to enhance focus, reduce anxiety, and improve overall well-being.
Why is a Sensory Diet Important?
Sensory processing is how the brain organizes and responds to sensory information from the environment and the body. When this process is disrupted, it can lead to overstimulation, distraction, anxiety, or fatigue. A sensory diet helps balance these sensory inputs, providing the right amount of stimulation to maintain focus, calmness, and emotional regulation. It can be an empowering tool for anyone struggling with sensory overload or seeking to enhance their daily functioning.
What Is In The Sensory Diet booklet?
Sensory Diet Explanation
The booklet describes briefly what a sensory diet is, and gives a visual example of this in a timetable.
Explanation of Sensory Needs Categories
The booklet explains that a well-rounded sensory diet includes a variety of activities that cater to different sensory needs:
- Proprioceptive Input (Body Awareness)
- Vestibular Input (Balance and Movement)
- Tactile Input (Touch)
- Auditory Input (Hearing)
- Visual Input (Sight)
- Oral-Motor Input (Mouth and Jaw)
- Olfactory Input (Smell)
Each of these is explained in more detail with some examples in the booklet.
Alerting and Calming Activities
The booklet explains the difference between altering and calming activities and gives examples of each type of activity.
Suggestions
The booklet gives suggestions on how to plan a sensory diet to ensure sensory needs are being met throughout the day.
Grab-bag Ideas
The idea of a grab-bag is introduced and recommended as a portable sensory toolkit. There are then some recommendations for items to include in a portable grab-bag sensory toolkit for your child based on our own personal experience with these items.
Download Your Sensory Diet Guide
Ready to create your own sensory diet? Our comprehensive Sensory Diet Guide includes:
- Step-by-Step Instructions: Learn how to plan each day out to meet sensory needs before your child becomes overwhelmed.
- Customizable: Easy-to-understand sensory diet timetable with lots of examples so you can tailor the plan to suit your child.
- Activity Ideas: Over 30 sensory-rich activities categorized by whether it is alerting or calming for a child.
- Expert Tips: Insights about tried and tested sensory tools used by us for our own children.
Whether you’re a parent, caregiver, or someone seeking sensory balance, this guide is designed to empower you with the tools you need for a more balanced, focused, and peaceful life.
If you are reading this because you want to help your autistic child cope better with travelling, you might also want to take a look at our free travel PECS and PECS travel bumper pack.