Sensory Seeker, Avoider, or both?

The buzz around here is that during this COVID season many of your homes are as loud as mine and that sometimes it’s loud enough to drive you mad. For myself, (someone with sensory hypersensitivity) the noise can seem less like noise and more like massive discomfort! We wonder how many of our sprout families are navigating a similar headspace.  

We have designed two sensory checklists to help you identify your child’s triggers (while potentially spying some within yourself). Please note, these charts are not designed to diagnose, rather foster awareness and if need be, a potential discussion with the right specialized professional. We want you to be aware that within our therapeutic playspace, we often see children display a combination of the two reactions and that’s totally okay to note! When kiddos under-react to sensory input, they may seek out more input. When kiddos overreact, they may avoid input. Knowing where your child falls on the checklists we’ve created is a really helpful tool in developing the appropriate rhythm at home to help regulate and highlight strengths within your kiddo (and help you stay sane, HA). 

If you know your child is a seeker (or avoider) you can share that information upon visiting us. With that knowledge, we can point you in the right direction of which pieces of equipment your kiddo may seek out (or avoid) and how to navigate that subtly, whilst maintaining the atmosphere of free play & exploration. We have made sure to add the perfect mix of both worlds–but prefer an atmosphere that’s baseline is free from background noise, fluorescent lighting, and overtly colorful equipment (my sensory avoiding self is happy with that decision too). We know from personal experience that sometimes it’s a challenge for one of our children to navigate a new entertainment space –yet our other doesn’t bat an eye or seem to be bothered. Spirited Sprout is designed to meet your family right where they are and then help ignite the soul and strengths within your family.

Download these checklists for free & use it as a tool to observe your children–to get to know them better. When we see our children for exactly who they are, instead of what society wants them to be, we have freedom to love them the way they need to be loved and explore the world through their eyes. We hope you benefit from this resource and share it with other friends and communities who may be caught in the dark or feel alone in this parenting/caregiving journey. 

Ashley Redden- Founder of Spirited Sprout LLC /Toddler Mama/TBI navigator/Nurse/Friend