I deliver training nationally and internationally and often say that I wish there were an easy way to distinguish between sensory and SENSORY. People are generally aware that engaging the senses during learning is useful, but there’s a big difference between putting out a box of toys labelled as ‘sensory’ in the catalogue and creating a SENSORY banquet for exploration.
In this series of articles, I will discuss the difference between sensory and SENSORY across different sensory systems and the impact of sensory engagement work on people of all neurotypes, experiencing ability and disability.
In my previous article (which you can view online), I discussed how to create truly engaging and inviting tactile experiences. In this article, we will think about how we can use our understanding of tactile experiences to support those in our care.
Understanding Sensory Sensitivities
You may have encountered someone who struggles with tactile sensations – they cannot stand the seams in their socks, and the labels must be cut out of their clothes. They may always feel like this, or they may not mind as much over time. We develop our ability to process such sensations, but if that ability is not fully developed, the tickle of a label can feel like being zapped with electricity. People develop at different speeds, and there is no right or wrong here.
Equally, they may have a physical difference in the wiring of their senses, meaning this sensation will always be overwhelming. The best approach is to support development while being aware of distressing sensations and helping them avoid them (definitely do not force them to touch things they dislike – that would discourage anyone from enjoying touch).
How To Support Development
I provide a specialist training day called, “Develop Your Sensory Lexiconary”, which deeply explores the development of sensory systems and how to create engaging experiences. I will share a nugget from that with you today: the easiest touch sensations for our bodies to process are not what you might think. It’s not soft, fluffy things – actually, processing those gentle touches is really hard!
Start-out touch sensations are sharp, hard, rough, big, bold touch messages. Start with the easy stuff and move on to trickier touches later (labels on the back of your neck are super advanced!)
You may have encountered someone who does not want to engage with the tactile experiences you have on offer. They could be overly worried about the mess. If they were instantly wiped clean by someone who loves them whenever they got messy, it is natural to assume mess is dangerous and to be nervous about it.
However, if it is more than that, and they are worried about things that don’t leave marks, such as putting their hands in water or moving their fingers through rice, it might be that the sensation through their fingertips is too intense for them right now.
Think about it: there are so many nerve endings in your fingertips, equating to so much touch! There are areas of your body with fewer nerve endings – for example, the top of the upper arm, where people often get their first tattoo, has nerve endings that are more spread out. Touching someone’s upper arm may be easier for them to accept than asking them to use their hands. When offering that touch, use reasonable firmness (you don’t want to mimic a tickly label).
The Relevance Of Tactile Experiences
Tactile experiences are crucial beyond simple sensory engagement – they are key to our ability to eat. Fingertips have many nerve endings, but if you have ever struggled to find the end of Sellotape and used your lips or tongue to locate it, you will understand that your lips and tongue feel even more than your fingers. If someone struggles with sensation in their hands, just think how daunting putting food into their mouth might be.
Beginning with sensations in less sensitive areas – the back of the hand or the upper arm – and gradually moving to more challenging areas, like the soles of the feet or the fingertips, can help people cope with the tactile challenges of eating. For more information, see my training day: Sensory Struggles with Eating.
In my next article, I will look at taste. As both a small-letter sensory experience and a capital-letter SENSORY experience, taste does not have to be reserved for snack time or involve food!
Read more from this series here:
Sensory Engagement: Transform Visual Learning Into An Engaging Experience
Sensory Strategies To Transform Visual Learning
Sensory Engagement Through Touch: Crafting Unforgettable Experiences
