Unlock Your Child’s Potential: The (Not so) Secret Power of Pediatric Occupational Therapy for Sensory and Emotional Regulation

As a parent, you want your child to feel happy, connected, and capable in their daily life. However, if your child experiences sensory sensitivities or emotional overwhelm, navigating daily activities can be challenging. That’s where pediatric occupational therapy (OT) for sensory and emotional regulation comes in.

Occupational therapy (OT) is a client-centered health profession that focuses on helping individuals engage in meaningful activities, or "occupations", that enrich their daily lives. These occupations vary depending on age and life stage. For a 5-year-old, play is a crucial occupation, as it fosters development, creativity, and social skills. For adults, occupations might include tasks such as cooking, laundry, or going to work, which contribute to their independence and well-being. For older adults, participating in favorite activities—like a bingo game or gardening—can enhance their quality of life and maintain social connections.

OT for sensory and emotional regulation supports individuals—from as young as 2 years old to older adults—in understanding and responding to their sensory and emotional needs in ways that enhance daily life. By considering the whole person, OT focuses on strengthening skills and adapting environments to support each individual's unique needs, allowing children and their families to find joy and connection in their everyday lives.

What Is Sensory and Emotional Regulation?

Sensory regulation refers to how an individual processes and interprets sensory information from their environment and body. This can manifest as sensory sensitivity, sensory seeking, or low registration of sensory information. Each pattern affects how individuals interact with their surroundings.

For example, I once worked with a child who was sensitive to certain textures and disliked wearing specific clothing. Together, we explored various textures to find comfortable options that worked for him, enabling him to wear clothing without distress. Occupational therapy provides practical and compassionate strategies tailored to each individual's unique needs—there's no one-size-fits-all solution. Therapists work to create supportive environments that cater to these sensory preferences, allowing individuals to engage more effectively with their world.

Emotional regulation is equally important. It involves managing and responding to emotional experiences appropriately. Children (and adults) can learn to recognize their feelings, understand triggers, express emotions healthily, and control their reactions. Effective emotional regulation can improve relationships, enhance coping skills, and promote overall well-being.

This connection between sensory and emotional regulation is at the heart of my work.

How Do I Approach OT for Sensory and Emotional Regulation?

As both an occupational therapist and a yoga instructor, I take a holistic approach that combines traditional occupational therapy practices—like sensory integration, interoceptive awareness, executive functioning, enhancing daily life skills—with yoga-based techniques such as breathwork, body awareness, movement, and mindfulness. This blend offers powerful tools for supporting your child and family in regulating their nervous systems and fostering deeper connections with one another.

One memorable experience involved a young autistic student who had difficulty recognizing when he needed to use the bathroom. During what seemed like small moments, he often became overwhelmed, leading to meltdowns. To support him, we focused on body awareness techniques that helped him differentiate between the sensations of needing to use the bathroom and feeling hungry.

We started by asking questions to understand his experiences before attempting to provide solutions. This process involved a lot of trial and error. When we noticed signs of dysregulation, we began asking him what his body was feeling—comfortable or uncomfortable—and if there was any area that felt off. Most times, he would say his stomach. Sometimes, based on those cues, we would suggest going to the bathroom to help him link those feelings to possibly needing to use the restroom. Upon arriving, some days we found that it was exactly what he needed, while other days he didn’t actually have to go. When we returned to the classroom, we would offer him a snack, as his signals might have indicated hunger rather than the need to use the bathroom.

This journey highlighted that there is no quick fix; it takes time and trust to build interoceptive awareness—understanding our inner signals and responding appropriately to them. However, with patience and a supportive team, we learned what strategies worked best for him, ultimately fostering greater self-awareness and emotional regulation.

If you believe your child could benefit from occupational therapy for sensory and emotional regulation, I’d love to chat and explore how we can work together to support your family. Together, we can find ways to meet your child where they are and move forward with curiosity, compassion, and a little playfulness.