By Gina Gibson, Fraser Sensory Inclusion Specialist • April 16, 2020
Many parents are now working from home and trying to juggle distance learning for their children. As Minnesota’s largest and most experienced provider of autism and early childhood mental health services, Fraser understands that many families are struggling to adjust to new situations.
Here are some easy resistance activities to help prevent meltdowns and calm and soothe children (and adults) of all abilities. Like a weighted blanket, the activities increase our sense of body awareness, attention span and overall feelings of calm.
These twelve resistance activities help soothe children with both typical and special needs. And bonus, these can be performed with everyday household items!
Basically, any activity where your child can push or pull against resistance is helpful. These activities provide calming and soothing sensations for the body. It also increases their endorphin levels, aka happy hormones, and decreases heart rate and blood pressure.
These activities work for people of all ages and abilities, so pick a few you think may work for your situation. Just be sure to monitor your child’s response to any resistance activities in case some exercises have an alerting rather than a calming effect. If your child seems fatigued or overheated, stop the activity.