Carmen Knight, MAT, Early Childhood & Special Education

Many young children face the daily challenges of sensory integration disorder. Sensory Integration Disorder (SID) is a neurological condition that prohibits the child's brain from processing sensory stimulation that children come in contact with daily. Early Interventionists and Therapists are tasked with the job of determining if the sensory issues our children face are over-sensitivity or under-sensitivity and meet the child's needs depending on the assessment.

One way to do that is to create a portable sensory box that allows the child to retrieve items from a rice or salt or sand-filled container. These sensory play boxes allow therapists an easy and inexpensive way to engage a patient in sensory. They allow children a chance to explore, imagine, and learn by using their senses. Children that lack focus and struggle to maintain attention find themselves thinking more clearly and maintaining a greater focus during your session.
                
SmileMakers has several products that are very beneficial to children that suffer with SID. Creating a portable sensory box out of the large locking containers is a great way to help calm your child in any setting.

Items Used to make Sensory Box:

• Rice
• Large Locking Container with lid
• Bendable Dinosaur Fidget
• Rainbow Squeeze Balls
• Farm Animal Relaxable Stress Balls

I created my sensory box using 3 -1lb bags of plain rice and a few fun items that can be used in multiple ways. I simply placed the dinosaurs, squeeze balls, and stress balls under the rice for the child to retrieve.

While exploring the box, the child receives tactile stimulation; grabbing objects which will aid in their sensory processing. Fine motor skills are also being developed using these small objects. The squeeze ball and the animal stress balls allow the child to receive deep pressure stimulation while the bendable dinosaurs can be manipulated in a way that satisfies the need to fidget and receive sensory input at the same time.

This activity is also a great way to increase receptive and expressive language. Encourage your patient to tell you what they feel, see, or smell as they search for items. Ask the child to search for a dinosaur and tell you the color they find. Work on cognitive skills by asking if they can find matching dinosaurs or if they can collect all the rainbow squeeze balls and then count the total number they have collected. Although these boxes are called sensory boxes, learning opportunities are endless because they develop multiple skills. Let SmileMakers be your resource for this and other therapeutic needs.