Sensory Diet
Sensology
Sensology’s aims are to wake up the five basic senses (see, hear, touch, smell, taste) and also movement related sensory systems: the vestibular (balance, head movements and gravity) and the proprioceptive (body positions, body mapping and planning movements). The senses are stimulated and introduced individually and a familiar song/rhyme is used to cue in the session, as well as children looking at themselves in a mirror. Sensology is used to support your child's awareness, engagement and to enable them to make preferences.
A variety of different equipment can be used when waking up the individual senses at home too! Below are some examples of the types of resources used to stimulate each of the senses. It is important to use contrasting senses to not only enhance the senses but also to allow your child to communicate and show preference to particular experiences.
TAC PAC
Tac Pac is used as part of our therapeutic curriculum. Tac Pac is a lovely sensory communication resource using music and touch to develop communication skills. It is of huge benefit to its receiver as it promotes their senses. It involves using a wide range of sensory resources such as fur, silk, chamois, feathers, sponges, paint/make up brushes or rollers and spatulas/sticks. The resources are used on the children’s torso, arms and hands only.
These resources are used in time to specific music, designed to reflect the texture of each object, so that the receiver experiences sensory alignment. The use of the spatula/sticks is to reflect a gentle tapping sensation in time to the music to help alert the receiver. Your child will be asked verbally if they would like to take part in the Tac Pac session before we start it.
If you would like more information about Tac Pac, please visit their website: https://tacpac.co.uk/.