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Stimulation Relaxation

This activity provides a calm environment for individuals with sensory processing disorders or autism by having them interact with items that stimulate the five senses like pictures, playdough, and essential oils to either calm or stimulate them based on their needs. The goal is to help those who are overwhelmed or have trouble focusing by modifying their environment and stimulation levels. Adaptations include changing seating, using weighted items, and distraction techniques.

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36 views2 pages

Stimulation Relaxation

This activity provides a calm environment for individuals with sensory processing disorders or autism by having them interact with items that stimulate the five senses like pictures, playdough, and essential oils to either calm or stimulate them based on their needs. The goal is to help those who are overwhelmed or have trouble focusing by modifying their environment and stimulation levels. Adaptations include changing seating, using weighted items, and distraction techniques.

Uploaded by

api-541744798
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Abbey Wapinsky

Activity: Stimulation Relaxation

Sources:

Dixon, C. C. (n.d.). Sensory Stimulation Activities.


https://www.recreationtherapy.com/tx/txsensor.htm.

Sensory Processing Disorder vs. Autism: Understanding the Differences. Autism Parenting
Magazine. (2021, April 13). https://www.autismparentingmagazine.com/autism-sensory-
processing-disorder/.

Sensory Processing Issues: Tools and Adaptations: MSED. Masters in Special Education Degree
Program Guide |. (2021, March 18). https://www.masters-in-special-education.com/tools-
and-adaptations-for-sensory-processing-issues/.

Equipment: One item for each of the 5 basic senses. Examples include but are not limited to:
Sight: pictures, lava lamp, glitter ball
Touch: shower loofa, playdough, textured mat or ball, furry blanket
Smell: body wash, lotion, essential oils, candles.
Hearing: CD player, iPod, phone, stereo, vinyl record player
Taste: Anything that fits into the participant’s diet.

Description: The objective of this activity is to provide a calm and relaxing environment while
stimulating the senses of individuals that are overstimulated or need to be provided extra
stimulation. This activity is best for individuals with a Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). or
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) because it focuses on stimulating the senses and how an
individual responds to those stimulations.

1. Lay all the sensory items out on different tables around the room.
2. Lower/Dim the lights.
3. Have participants come into the room and observe all of the different sensory items.
4. Observe each participant interacting with each item and take in consideration what
calms and stimulates them.

Primary Interaction: The primary interaction pattern for this activity is extraindividual. It is
extraindividual because the action is directed by a person toward an object in the environment
and it requires no contact with another person.

Adaptations: The participants in this group will be individuals with SPD or ASD. Some of these
individuals are overwhelmed by stimuli and others have trouble focusing or staying alert. A
reason for this is because they struggle with a proprioceptive sense. Over- and under-
stimulation can lead to behaviors that become seen as both learning and behavior issues. A RT
can assist an individual with SPD or ASD by modifying seating or the station where the
stimulating items are by adding a cushion, using a weighted lap pad, or add resistance to their
chairs. Another thing that RT's can do is to decrease sensory stimulation in one thing and
increase it in another stimulation. Also, using a distracting method that asks the participant to
tell a story or memory could help with distracting from the overstimulation.

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