Body awareness
Signs your child is overstimulated by body awareness
Some people are less aware of what’s happening in their body. They may be overwhelmed by things like:
- needing the toilet
- hunger
- thirst
- their heart beating fast
- tummy ache
- changes in breathing
- body temperature
Supporting a child who’s overstimulated by their body awareness
You can support someone who gets overstimulated what’s happening in their body by:
- making sure your child feels they know where the toilets are in a new or unfamiliar setting
- making sure there is access to things that meet the child’s such as snacks
- consider temperature preferences and adapt the environment
- routines, timers and alarms
- linking language to experience, such as your heart is beating fast because you are excited
- supporting your child to take action - if they are dancing on the spot, encourage them to go to the toilet
- using visuals to support their understanding on what is going on in their body
- using breathing exercises, mindfulness and relaxation
- using visual schedules and scheduling apps
Signs your child is under stimulated by their body awareness
Some people may not notice what’s going on in their body. This might look like:
- forgetting to eat
- not realising they need the toilet
- not realising they are too hot or cold
Supporting someone under stimulated by body awareness
You can support someone under stimulated by body awareness by:
- including toilet and mealtime activities in a daily schedule
- being prepared for toilet accidents by having spare clothes
- adjusting the temperature when a child’s not comfortable to remove extra clothing
- talk about how it feels when your bladder is full and how you manage this
- linking language to experience, such as your heart is racing because you are excited
- using routines, timers, alarms
- using watches that vibrate at certain times in the day
- using visual supports
- recognising that developing these skills may take time