Sensory Integration Education

In this month’s Thoughts from a Therapist blog, Anna Willis shines a light on the challenges teenagers face in a world that often misunderstands them. She explores how adolescence is a time of neurological and emotional upheaval, where the drive for independence and peer acceptance can push helpful sensory strategies aside. She highlights how by embracing our own sensory needs, we can help to create a more accepting, authentic environment where young people feel safe to do the same.

Teenagers have a hard time in our culture. Emotional, explosive, unreasonable and sometimes, linked to crime, in a way that other age groups aren’t.

Adolescence isn’t an easy time to navigate. Teenage brains are rewiring themselves. It’s a time when biology dictates they must separate themselves from their caregivers, and this fight for independence typically comes with a lot more friction within family units.

Rather than parents, their peers become their new idols. Deciding what is vibey. (Yes, vibey. I asked ChatGPT to tell me a cool word for cool). And is the word ‘cool’ actually cool anymore? No. It’s still cool, but it’s not trendy. Side note, alternatives also suggested were valid, hard, fire and drippy. Oh, I’ve rarely felt older.

And with knowing what’s cool and what isn’t (OK, I can’t not use the word cool, because I am of the 80s) comes more self-awareness to a highly critical level. The same sensory strategies may still work, but are no longer used because of that strong impulse to fit in. Ear defenders, giant fidget toy poppers, chewy toys and sitting on a gym ball are long gone in the school setting generally.

But do you remember your favourite teacher? Or influential grown-up? Even though we’re not cool anymore (well, I’m not, maybe you are, you young vibey thing), we can still influence and support through our own choices. This is where we can model the change we want to see in the world.

What are your sensory supports? What helps you? Are you confident enough to use it in meetings? In therapy sessions? Around your children? I have a chew on my pencil, a giant heavy fidget gorilla and Loops. I talk about how they support me. I try and make a thing of it. For our teens to feel accepted with their sensory needs and preferences, we need to model the world we want to be in for them.

So I challenge you! Get your giant gorillas, your stretchy pigs, your gym ball hoppers and use them in meetings, and wherever else you can! Go forth and fidget, knowing you may give a teen the confidence to do the same! (And we’ll broach the never-ending list of school rules that means they can’t another day. Arrgh…!)

Best regards

Anna

 PS If you’re interested in finding out more about how sensory processing differences can shape behaviour and impact people’s daily lives, check out SIE's free short course: Discover Sensory Processing and Integration.

Thoughts From a Therapist is a regular series written by Advanced SI Practitioner Anna Willis about something that piqued her professional interest or inspired her in some way over the last month. Anna, an occupational therapist and owner of Active Play Therapies.