Summer Sensations for the Sensory Avoider

All this talk about summer has left me pondering. How does a child cope with the overwhelming sensations of the season if he/she is a sensory avoider? Many children exhibit sensory defensiveness or Sensory Over Responsivity (SOR) so the feel of sand in their toes, salt water on their skin, or the sound of a loud stereo or mp3 player may be overwhelming to them. Here are a few solutions to keep these children from having a summer sensation meltdown! 

For the beach, try a pair of river shoes or aqua socks. These are an inexpensive way to keep the soles of the feet relatively free from sand. Lately I have been seeing a fun new line of barefoot shoes that look promising for children with sensory issues.

For cool lightweight upper-body compression, consider using a rash guard. Surfers have worn these thin, nylon spandex tops for years to keep sun, sand and wind at bay. Most now have built-in SPF sun protection.

The HuggMeTankTops might be just the thing to slide on after a swim for gentle compression and comfort.

For those too-loud jam sessions at the beach or poolside, try the LESSNoise Earphones which are lightweight, portable and have a noise reduction rating of 26db.

Tell us your tips for handling sensory overload in the summer!