World Autism Acceptance Day: Benefits of sensory play
Sensory play is excellent for children on the spectrum, and there are many activities that can be set up for them at home – the behaviour technician and Montessori directress who runs Dino-Might Minds in Durban North shares some tips and how they help the children under their care.
WORLD Autism Acceptance Month and Day will see autistic people around the world, their supporters and non-profit and non-government organisations raise awareness to promote autism acceptance, to celebrate each individual’s unique differences and to foster inclusivity and connectedness.
The theme for Autism Acceptance Month this April is ‘#Awareness – #Acceptance – #Appreciation: Moving from surviving to thriving’. The month also incorporates World Autism Acceptance Day, which is on April 2.
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One of those individuals is Nemisha Hiraman, a board-certified behaviour technician and Montessori directress who runs Dino-Might Minds in Durban North. She spoke to Northglen News about autism acceptance and the benefits of sensory play for autistic children.
“Autism diagnoses are definitely on the rise. This doesn’t necessarily mean that autism is increasing; it may just be that there is now increased awareness. Despite that, children and adults with autism still face discrimination. It is seen that autism awareness has broadened, but autism acceptance varies through communities and cultures,” she said.
“In the last few years, we have seen communities moving away from the curing narrative and more towards accepting and supporting. It’s important to be mindful that children with autism, as with other populations, have a range of talents and strengths, which sometimes go unrecognised simply due to their differences,” she said.
Activities
A huge part of the activities offered to Hiraman’s students is sensory play as autistic children typically struggle with sensory processing, and engaging in sensory play can be beneficial as it aids in creating neural pathways in the brain and improves sensory-processing systems.
“It also helps with co-ordination and fine- and gross-motor function. During therapy, we are constantly talking and commenting on what we are doing as well as creating dialogue for imaginary role-play and emotional expression – this encourages speech and communication skills, as well,” she said.
These activities are simple enough to do at home, and Hiraman says it does not have to be fancy – simple activities using everyday household items can keep your child stimulated for a while and encourage self-regulation when they are feeling dysregulated.
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“Usually, sensory activities involve using our five senses, but two other aspects that are often overlooked include activities engaging with vestibular and proprioception systems. This relates to balance and movement. The vestibular system has to do with the inner ear and aids in maintaining balance, and the proprioception system involves the awareness of our body and looks at understanding parts of the body in relation to itself and other objects,” she said.
At-home activities can include making slime or playdough – this also encourages parent and child play – our children always love quality time; painting with food – this also works if your child is a picky eater – sometimes smashing food and playing with the various textures may eventually lead them to tasting various foods, which will, in turn, encourage less reluctance with eating; sitting in a bubble bath with toys – this would be using buckets to pour water from one to the other, steering toy boats in the water and lots of splashing.
“Another activity that kids really enjoy is finger and footprint painting – they receive lots of sensory input when their hands and feet are doing the painting. Making the prints is extremely exciting. Outdoorsy activities would include creating a sensory path. With the Easter theme, they can work on hopping like a bunny from point A to B to collect their eggs and running to the next point to drop it in their basket,” she added.
Expressing feelings
She said play can help autistic children who have difficulty in expressing their feelings verbally. During play – be it sensory play, role-playing or even sensory integration, children are aided towards understanding the connection between their own actions and the reactions these elicit from others so they can learn to use language and communication more effectively and therefore encourage better interaction.
“Therapy and play are known to work for most kids on the spectrum. However, it is important to note that what works for a child at three years of age may only work for another child at age six. It depends on their development as well as their strengths and weaknesses. Most are aware that autism is a spectrum disorder, and this means that no two children are the same. However, it’s important to also take into consideration that no two families are the same,” she added.
To find out more, visit Dino-Might Minds on Saturday, April 13, in Virginia, Durban North, for an open day from 09:00.
To book, WhatsApp them on 071 889 6375 or email admin@dino-mightminds.com to discuss your child’s behavioural and occupational therapy needs. For sensory play activities, visit their Instagram page @dinomightminds.
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