Introduction to the Wellbeing Passport: 8 Sensory Systems

Every day after lunch, one boy lashed out at the children around him. The behaviour team worked on his transitions and nothing changed. Then he explained that the smell in class after lunch made his nose so angry he ended up punching people. With a pot of scented therapy putty to hold, he stopped hitting anyone.

There are eight sensory systems, not five, including body sense (proprioception), balance (the vestibular system) and interoception. When a child's system misreads the world, it can set off fight or flight many times a day. You'll try the exercises yourself so you feel a little of what the child feels. The ways to help are simple, like pushing and pressing for heavy input, movement that helps eyes track across a page, rubbing hands together before holding a pencil, and smells that calm.

It's taught by an occupational therapist who leads a children's therapy service.