What is a Sensory Diet? Fun and Function's Occupational Therapist Danielle is here to explain!

What is a Sensory Diet? Fun and Function’s Occupational Therapist, Danielle, is here to explain!

Visit our blog for a list of suggested activities and to download our Sensory Diet template! https://funandfunction.com/blog/what-...

A Sensory Diet is a list of sensory activities that an individual can perform throughout the day to get the sensory integration they need. A Sensory Diet is established in conjunction with parents, caregivers and a therapist in order to meet the specific needs of an individual. A sensory diet is created through a series of assessments and observations in order to best understand a sensory profile. It creates a series of activities that cater to each of the senses and specific preferences and sensitivities.

Finding the right sensory diet can improve concentration, focus, and calming. Sensory Diets can range from environment to environment and during different times of day. A Sensory Diet in the classroom may be entirely different than a Sensory Diet in the home. Some sensory activities in a Sensory Diet can fall into these categories:

Proprioceptive/heavy work: our body’s awareness of its position in space
Visuals: Seeing lights, colors, textures, words and more
Auditory: our body’s awareness of sound and noise
Tactile: our body’s sense of touch
Oral motor movement: our mouth’s senses in the tongue, jaw, lips, cheeks and mouth
Vestibular movement: our body’s awareness of position, balance, and righting in space; controlled by our inner ear
Scents: smells in our environment, both good and bad

Sensory profiles and diets aren’t set in stone, as preferences and sensitivities can change over time with age and new experiences. Fun and Function recommends consulting with a therapist before implementing a Sensory Diet into your routine. If you have more questions about sensory diets and profiles, please reach out to us in the comments or at [email protected]!