Adolescents with sensory processing disorder face special challenges due to their stage of development and the fact that, until now, their sensory issues may not have been addressed.
1. Finding the right OT can be difficult. Few occupational therapists are trained or have experience working with adolescents with sensory processing disorder. Play-based SI therapy may seem silly and embarrassing to adolescents.
2. Low self-esteem. Teens who have had sensory issues for years will have learned at least some adaptations to get around them and are less likely to experience the extreme behaviors and responses they did when they were younger. However, years of feeling different and not knowing why, and realizing that they have never been as mature and self-controlled as their peers, take their toll. Teens with sensory processing issues often struggle with self-esteem. They need a lot of encouragement to admit that they have sensory issues and need help.
3. Need for independence. Teenagers need their independence to be respected, so if you tell them, “You have to do X, Y, and Z to manage your sensory issues,” it usually doesn’t work very well!
4. Desire to fit in. Even teens who don’t feel the need to have a lot of friends or be conformists want to have a few friends they feel like they fit in with. Sensory challenges can embarrass them and can make them feel isolated and different in a negative way.
5. Change of hormones. Teenagers have constantly changing hormones that can exacerbate sensory issues making them more sensitive to information than they were in the past. The normal changes of adolescence can also make them more moody and emotionally sensitive.
6. New expectations. People are less likely to see your teen as a young, immature person with a hidden disability and more likely to see them as a young adult whose behavior is deliberate.
What is a parent, teacher or therapist to do?
1. Modify traditional SI therapy techniques to make them more adolescent friendly. Instead of playing with a tray of shaving cream or finger paints, encourage your teen to cook, garden, do arts or crafts, and participate in other activities that challenge her tactile issues. Work with a sensory-intelligent occupational therapist who is willing to modify her approach to help your teen reduce any embarrassment or defensiveness.
2. Talk about sensory issues in a positive way. Assure your teen that sensory issues are simply a difference in the brain’s wiring that can have benefits, but can also be controlled and addressed to make life a little easier. Explain what SPD is and why, in some cases, it is good to be more sensitive or crave certain sensations, and that people with sensory issues often have other gifts as well, such as the ability to “think in pictures.” Then explain that there are “tricks” that you and/or an OT can teach them to “make their lives easier.” Everyone wants their life to be a little easier! Acknowledge how hard your teen has to work to be organized or tolerate certain feelings, and praise her for her efforts.
3. Offer sensory diet adaptations and ideas for him or her to choose from. Present accommodations and activities to teens and let them decide which one they would like to use. Honor and respect their choices and encourage them to participate in collaborative problem solving with you. If you don’t want to be seen doing a brushing protocol for tactile issues, can you do it discreetly in the school bathroom? If all the boys wear baggy clothes and prefer them to be tight, can the teen wear tight clothing, such as bike shorts, under looser clothing that looks dressier?
4. Help your teen with sensory issues feel good about who they are and find a peer group they feel comfortable with. Practical solutions to grooming, picky eating and dressing, and encouraging conversations about the benefits of being different can help your teen with sensory issues feel more comfortable with their peers. However, he may also feel better about himself if he expands his friend group. Encourage your teen to develop hobbies and participate in new activities, from individualized sports that don’t require high levels of skill and competitiveness to enjoy, to groups that are dedicated to the arts, community service, spiritual growth, and more. Extracurricular activities can help kids find their “tribe” and feel the power to make a difference in the world, too.
5. Accept that your child may be more emotionally sensitive at this stage. Be alert for signs of increased anxiety and depression, and consult a medical health professional with any concerns you may have. Remember, addressing sensory issues will reduce general anxiety that can lead to mild to moderate depression (when you feel like you can’t handle your discomfort, over time, you can develop depression). Don’t forget that some of the most effective treatments for mild to moderate anxiety and depression include physical exercise, time outside, meditation, and breathing exercises. Mindfulness practices, from yoga and tai chi to tai kwan do and karate, can also help.
6. Focus on self-awareness and responsibility for self-regulation. Poor self-regulation in an adolescent is very difficult to get others to accept, even if you educate them about hidden disabilities. So the sooner you work with your teen to create a viable sensory diet that prevents negative behaviors, the better. It will be easier for your teen to develop better self-regulation if he is trained in using specific self-soothing and self-arousing techniques that he knows will work for her. Hold him accountable for using his alert music and gum, taking time to sit in a quiet space and do breathing exercises or use a brushing protocol, etc. Ask her to participate in creating a sensory-adapted diet for her to meet her sensory needs and prevent fight-or-flight behaviors. Let her experience the natural consequences if she refuses to use her calm, focus, and alert techniques.
Above all, never forget that children with sensory issues need a “perfect” challenge, a balance of accommodations to make them more comfortable, and challenges that push them out of their comfort zone. The activities in the Sensory Diet for Teens help them develop a greater tolerance for the situations and activities they will encounter in life, and over time retrain their brains to process sensory information more frequently. Be creative and encouraging when setting up a sensory diet for a teen, and always work together to respect the teen’s need for independence.
Finally, if you’re a parent frustrated with trying to control your teen’s sensory issues, consider joining or creating an in-person or online support group. Knowing that you are not alone and having the practical and emotional support of other parents going through the same experiences with their teens can greatly help you at this stage of your child’s development.
