Turning Distress into Delight — How a Sensory Gym Helps Kids with Autism

 

Our five senses are what connect us to our environment and help us enjoy our surroundings. Isn’t life much better when we can taste fresh hot samosas, smell perfumed jasmine flowers, and listen to a new song by our favorite artists? Unfortunately, for people with Autism, sensory experiences can often cause undue stress and unhappiness. 

Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) refers to a range of neurodevelopmental disorders that affect social, behavioral, and communicative abilities. ASD may be present in children from as early as six months of age.

A major symptom of Autism in children is a strong preference for or aversion to certain textures, colors, and sounds due to overstimulation. This can lead to meltdowns, nutritional deficits, emotional withdrawal, and fights. The development of special equipment, such as sensory gyms, and targeted behavior, such as mindfulness, has been invaluable in helping children adjust to stimuli on their own terms.  

The best Autism treatment takes into consideration all aspects including the individual needs of the child, unique personality traits, and the mental health of parents, carers, and loved ones. 

Creating a Sensory Gym

Sensory gyms, or quiet spaces, are designated areas where children with Autism can retreat to when feeling overstimulated. The space is typically designed to help develop a child’s key life skills, such as communication, coordination, self-organization, and sensory-management.

If you have a child with Autism, it is relatively easy and cost-effective to create a sensory room at home or in school. By determining your needs — and how much space you have to work with — you can choose from a wide range of products and designs that will be helpful to your child. Alternatively, most well-established treatment centers for Autism will have a large sensory gym that is fitted out for just this purpose. A good sensory gym will include some or all of these:

1. Sensory Products for Calming Needs

• Sensory Lighting: Softening of natural light and selecting calming lights creates a soothing space 

• Aromatherapy: Shown to reduce stress and anxiety, using a diffuser can set the mood and calm your child

• Weighted Clothing or Blankets: These products provide deep and calming pressure to muscles and joints that can help your child relax

• Chewables: Providing sensory input to the mouth, jaw, and lips can provide a relaxing experience and help with breath control, muscle tone, and lip closure

 

2. Sensory Products for Auditory Needs

• Compact Activity Center: A compact activity center is a multi-function toy. Among its many features is a music box designed to stimulate sensory and cognitive development

• Sound Machine: A sound machine or music player of some kind may help soothe your child

 

3.  Sensory Products for Vestibular and Motor Skills

• Donut Balls: These are designed to improve coordination, balance, and flexibility

• Ball Chairs: These can assist children who struggle with sitting still and paying attention. With regular use, they can also improve muscle strength, balance, and posture

• Hanging Chair: This zero-gravity chair is designed to improve gross motor and vestibular functioning

4. Sensory Products for Tactile Needs

• Textured Therapy Ball: This ball is covered with small bumps that increase stimulation while also providing exercise

• Gel Mats: Gel mats combine tactile experiences with improving finger strength and hand-eye coordination

• Tactile Manipulatives: These items are designed to decrease stress and increase focus and concentration. They can also help improve tactile awareness and fine motor skills

 

Some other elements can include scented clay, frozen toys, bubble snakes, trampolines, swings, stuffed animals, and so on. 

Benefits of a Sensory Gym

When utilized properly, sensory gyms provide a variety of benefits for children with ASD, such as:

• Providing a safe space for them to calm down in

• Allowing them to become more aware of their senses and their environment through specially designed toys or items 

• Giving them a place to interact with others and improve social and communication skills

• Increasing awareness of their surroundings and helping cope with real-life situations where concentration is required

• Providing a safe space to hone fine motor skills and practice movement 

• Helping them to process experiences and cope in situations where their reactions might otherwise become extreme

• Sensory spaces in schools have been shown to decrease negative behaviors and improve student engagement

It is important to remember that a sensory space is a place for your child to explore and experience things without a lot of instruction or interruption. Providing your child with a safe space to develop and overcome their sensory challenges is an act of love and caring that has been shown to have significant benefits.

If you are a concerned parent or carer with a child with ASD, look for the best Autism treatment in Bangalore for expert diagnosis and professional care.