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Creating a Calming Sensory Space

A sensory space can be a designated area where a child feels safe, calm, and regulated. The goal is to create an environment that reduces sensory overwhelm and promotes relaxation.
Key Elements of a Calming Sensory Space:

Soft Lighting:

  • Use dim lighting or soft lamps rather than harsh fluorescent lights. String lights, salt lamps, or light projectors with calming visuals (like stars or oceans) can also be soothing.

Comfortable Seating:

  • Provide a cozy, comfortable place to sit or lie down. Bean bag chairs, soft rugs, or a comfy chair with lots of pillows can help children feel grounded and secure.

Weighted Items:

  • Weighted blankets, lap pads, or stuffed animals can provide deep pressure, which is calming for many children, especially those with sensory processing challenges.

Fidget and Sensory Tools:

  • Include sensory tools like stress balls, fidget spinners, squishy toys, or textured fabrics. These items give children something to focus on and help them regulate when they’re feeling dysregulated.

Noise Control:

  • Some children find noise overwhelming, so soft, ambient sounds like nature sounds, ocean waves, or calming instrumental music can create a peaceful atmosphere. Noise-canceling headphones may also help.

Aroma Therapy:

  • Calming scents like lavender, chamomile, or vanilla can be soothing. Use essential oils, diffusers, or scented pillows to create a calming sensory experience. Be mindful of potential sensitivities to smells, though.

Tactile Surfaces:

  • Provide a variety of textures, such as soft blankets, textured pillows, or play dough, which can help children explore their senses in a controlled way.

Visual Soothers:

  • Visual aids like lava lamps, slow-motion bubble tubes, or sensory bottles filled with glitter and water can help children calm down by focusing their attention on something slow and predictable.

Safe and Enclosed:

  • Some children feel safer in smaller, enclosed spaces. A pop-up tent, fort, or canopy can offer that sense of enclosure and security without being too isolating.
Practical Example:

You could have a small corner of a room dedicated to this space. Include a soft rug, a weighted blanket, a dim lamp, noise-canceling headphones, and a sensory bin with items like squishy toys or textured fabrics. When the child feels overwhelmed, they can go to this space for a few minutes to reset and calm their body.

Using TBRI to Support Sensory Processing Challenges

TBRI offers trauma-informed strategies that address both emotional and sensory regulation, fostering healing for children from hard places. Here's how it integrates into sensory processing:

Empowering Principles:

These focus on creating environments that meet the child’s physical and sensory needs.

  • Sensory Diets: Implementing daily sensory activities helps children regulate their bodies. TBRI suggests building sensory breaks into routines, allowing children time to jump, swing, or engage in deep-pressure activities.
  • Hydration and Nutrition: A well-nourished and hydrated body is better able to handle sensory input. TBRI emphasizes providing regular snacks, water, and sensory-friendly foods, helping stabilize blood sugar, which can reduce emotional and sensory dysregulation.
Connecting Principles:

These focus on building trust and attachment through co-regulation and relational safety.

  • Co-regulation: Caregivers model calm and regulated behavior, helping children learn to manage sensory overwhelm. This might look like offering deep-pressure touch or breathing together in a rhythm to help them feel more grounded.
  • Empathetic Engagement: When a child is overwhelmed by sensory stimuli, respond with empathy rather than frustration. Acknowledge their feelings (e.g., "I can see the noise is too loud right now. Let’s find a quieter place.").
Correcting Principles:

These address behavior by guiding children through compassionate correction, focusing on felt safety.

  • Playful Engagement: Use light-heartedness and play to redirect a child when they are overwhelmed. For example, instead of focusing on their sensory meltdown, guide them toward a sensory-friendly game or calming activity.
  • Practice Calming Strategies: Teach self-regulation skills through practice. Model deep breathing, mindfulness exercises, or counting to 10. Praise and reinforce their use of these strategies.
TBRI-Informed Sensory Tools:
  • Calming Rituals: Establishing consistent calming rituals (like a quiet time with a weighted blanket) helps the child anticipate soothing sensory input, which builds their ability to self-regulate.
  • Choice-Based Activities: Empower the child to choose sensory activities (e.g., “Would you like to use the stress ball or sit with the weighted blanket?”). This builds trust and helps them feel in control of their body.

By combining calming sensory spaces with the principles of TBRI, you can create a trauma-sensitive environment that nurtures both emotional and sensory regulation. Next time we will talk about how we incorporate sensory activities into daily routine using a TBRI-informed approach.

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