What Is A Sensory Diet?

I have to admit, the first time I head the term, "Sensory Diet," I thought that it was referring to special kinds of foods that kiddos were prescribed to eat that would help keep their sensory systems in check. It turns out that I was completely wrong! Sensory diets have nothing to do with food at all. A sensory diet is a series of activities that someone undertakes in order to keep their sensory system balanced, providing them with an increased ability to concentrate, focus, pay attention, etc. You see, a child might be overstimulated (easily distracted by his environment; bothered by too much noise/activity; always "on the move") while another might be understimulated (the outside environment does not register with the kiddo's brain at its full strength, leaving the child feeling like he lives in a world where there are only a few, very underwhelming sounds, and very few really good hugs, creating a more sluggish, apathetic child). The key is tailoring a sensory diet to your child's specific needs, providing the type of input, or influx of sensory information, that the child needs. For example, that kiddo who is overstimulated would do well to have a sensory diet made up of quiet, calming activities while the understimulated child could work on stomping, swinging, and spinning games. Activities designed to help a child's sensory system adjust can start working immediately. When they are done on a regular basis, throughout the day, they can actually begin to restructure the child's sensory system all together, creating lasting change. The key is providing balance for the child to create happy, capable, and successful children.