If you have a sensory kid then you’ve probably starred in their rendition of a shit show somewhere in public and, undoubtedly, a depressing number of times. I remember those days; honestly considering abandoning an entire cart of groceries to return on another day or feeling defeated and exhausted because I just wanted to take him somewhere fun.
Liam is 7 and is learning to understand and master his sensory integration process. Sensory processing disorder can affect one, some, or all senses. Liam’s sensory processing disorder affects all 8 senses (go figure). This, on top of speech and oral apraxia, global developmental delay, and receptive language delay made diffusing him quite the learning process. Below, I simplified my process to 5 steps to diffusing your sensory kid in public. Spoiler! This is more about you than it is your kid.
Part of being prepared is having the right tools. Check out Liam’s old Calm Down Kit for ideas. I’ve updated it, but most of the same tools are in the new kit. Many of these tools are also put into Liam’s fun bag to use when we are out and about.
Your turn! Let me know your thoughts in the comments.