Going to the playground makes me nervous. As someone who does not like heights (or pain), I worry about my own children and I worry too much about other people's children. Without fail, there always seems to be a child who appears fearless and experiences very little pain. These children love to throw themselves on the ground, they love climbing, hanging, and navigating monkey bars. Anything that clangs, splashes, vibrates, spins or swings is, as the kids would say, "their jam." When it is time to go, they catapult themselves off the climbing frame and run full speed into their parents' arms for a bear hug. At one time, one of these kids was my own son. I feel like I lost years of my life trying to stop him from death-defying feats on the big kids' jungle gym, whereas my husband would calmly sit on the bench and let him go for it, knowing he would be fine.

Children who underreact to sensory stimuli or need more of it to function are called "sensory seekers." They can be attracted to bright lights, moving objects (my child was obsessed with fans), specific tastes, chew on their shirt or other objects (like pencils), smell everything, seek out loud sounds like the vacuum, and they want to constantly touch other people, wear tighter clothing or need to constantly fiddle with objects.

Sensory-seeking children crave proprioceptive input or the ability to have a sense of balance, body movement, and body position. These children love bear hugs and they love to crash into things. Recently at school, I watched a first-grader intentionally running at full speed straight for the couch only to ricochet off it! He felt great. The couch and his Head of School were not as happy about it. But it was clear we needed to provide this young man with another way for him to get the input he clearly was craving.

Another sensation sensory seekers look for is assistance knowing where their body is in space. They can lack the feeling of being grounded. To gain a sense of spatial orientation, students may need to spin, swing back and forth, sit in a rocking chair, jump on a trampoline, sit on a wobble stool, ride a bicycle, or hang upside down.

Often sensory processing difficulties can be mistaken for behavioral issues or even ADHD. They can be labeled as clumsy or lacking "volume control." It is important that we help these children gain the additional sensory stimulation they need.

The wonderful news is that as of March 14th, we are delighted to welcome Mrs. Julie Norton as the occupational therapist at RCS. Each Monday, she will be providing children with therapy (billed to your insurance) and serving as a consultant to our teachers. (Please see Mrs. Norton's information below.)

Wishing you a lovely long weekend,