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Helping Families of Special Needs Kids Plan SENSEational Disney World Trips
What Is Occupational Therapy?
If you have a child with special needs you may have already heard of occupational therapy (OT). At some point, past or present, your child may have or is receiving OT services through an early intervention program, through their school or is provided through an outpatient clinic. As a pediatric occupational therapist in an outpatient clinic setting, I work with a wide spectrum of children across all ages, races, needs and diagnoses. As an OT my job is to assess and treat their ‘occupations’ of life.
I get to look at the WHOLE child and what their occupations in life are based on their age. I make a plan on how I can help them do all the activities and tasks that are typical for their age. Children have more occupations than you would think! Some examples are geting dressed, brushing their teeth, playing on a playground, interacting with friends, holding a crayon and using scissors.
A child’s set of occupations also include being able to respond to sensory information from their environment and their bodies. Sensory areas include touch, sound, movement, smell, taste and sight. When a child’s central nervous system (CNS) isn’t able to filter and process this information, it can lead to delays in development and behavioral issues.
When assessing sensory processing issues, there is a wide spectrum to consider. Some kiddos can’t tolerate a constant bombardment of sensory information. It may cause a fight or flight response in many children. On the other end of the spectrum, when a child’s CNS isn’t providing enough input, they may feel the constant need to seek information in order to understand their environment and body. Ack! No fun either! This spectrum of no-funess can be caused by reflexes that have not been integrated properly and a poorly developed tactile (skin) system.
This is what’s known as sensory processing dysfunction or disorder. It is very common to children with special needs and even those without any another diagnosis. And guess what? ALL of us have some area of sensory aversion or seeking and a reflex or two that hasn’t been integrated. OTs get involved when it impacts a child’s development and daily activities, keeping them from enjoying life, learning and developing all those occupations!
Disney World definitely has a lot of sensory opportunities and can be overwhelming for a typcial person! Together we can help your child manage the wide variety of experiences at Walt Disney World so that they, and you, can have an AMAZING trip.
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