ARK's Blog

Halloween is genuinely fun, but it can also be genuinely overwhelming and ripe for sensory overload. It's not only a lot of input, but also a lot of input all at once. Halloween stacks nearly every kind of sensory input into one evening. Potentially scratchy / uncomfortable / new costumes to wear. Face paint on the skin. Motion-activated screaming skeletons. Dark streets. Flashing porch lights. Cr …

Why We Think Sensory = Kids When you hear the term “sensory diet” or even just “sensory,” most people think of kids. And it’s true. Kids often need more direct sensory support because they don’t yet have the ability to recognize and meet their own sensory needs. But here’s what we don’t talk about enough. Those needs don’t go away in adulthood. …

New Year, New Sensory Diet It’s early January, and today was my kids’ first day back at school. As much as I loved the holiday break, I found myself, and my kids, craving routine, though they would never admit it. For the past week or so of break, my 9-year-old had been thumping his sister on the head for no apparent reason, parkouring off the furniture, and begging his dad for nightly …

Have you ever craved crunchy foods?  Or chewed gum?  Ever chewed on your pen caps while concentrating or bit your fingernails when nervous?  We all have oral sensory habits to some extent. For children with sensory needs and/or Autism, however, oral sensory input can play a particularly important role.  Chewing throughout the day (especially during times …