Occupational Therapy and Sensory Diet

How OT helps regulate the nervous system through movement, pressure, and tactile strategies.

Feeding the Senses: The Sensory Diet

Occupational Therapy (OT) for ADHD and Autism focuses on Sensory Integration. Our brains often feel either "Too Loud" or "Too Quiet." A Sensory Diet is a list of physical activities that feed the brain the specific input it needs to reach a "Regulated State."

Examples of a Sensory Diet:

The Morning Load: 5 minutes of "Heavy Work" (carrying a laundry basket or doing wall-pushes) to wake up the muscles.

Focus Breaks: Using a weighted lap pad while studying to provide calming pressure.

The Recovery Phase: Spending 10 minutes in a sensory swing or a dark tent after a loud school day.

OT isn't about "fixing behavior"—it's about providing the biological input that makes "sitting still" and "listening" physically possible.