Body Sock – Deep Pressure Stimulation For Children With Sensory Processing Disorders or Autism

It’s made out of material that is stretchy and soft but still provides enough compression to provide some good proprioceptive feedback. It is beneficial for everyone, but specifically for the sensory systems because it offers three different sorts of input: proprioception, tactile, and vestibular. By breaking it down for a child who struggles with vestibular processing and who is clumsy and uncoordinated, maybe they have a little bit of anxiety with the movements, or on the other side they seek out movements.  The body sock is a great opportunity to provide them with the right amount of movement and input to help organize their nervous system. The other side is the proprioceptive processing kid who seeks out deep pressure, jumping, and crashing. Then the body sock is the perfect item to add to their day. If a kid struggles with self-regulation or emotional regulation, a body sock is a great tool to incorporate as it provides deep pressure input, and sensory input to regulate their emotions and their nervous system, and it’s a safe place for them

How to introduce the body sock?

  • Model- show your child how to use the body sock
  • Demonstrate that you can pull the body sock over your head, or you can leave it out.
  • Put toys in the body sock while the child is in the body sock
  • Try using the body sock on a soft surface
  • Allow your kid to independently explore the body sock without positive pressure
  • Never force your child to use the body sock
  • Add some extra sensory input like playing music

Some ways that you can add body socks to your daily routine:

  • Add it in the morning, to provide some vestibular input to help them wake up
  • Use it as a sensory brain break from focussed tasks
  • Add it to their nighttime routine with some slow movements to help ground their nervous system
  • Use it as a start and stop activity, an obstacle course or to teach your child about time management.

Some therapeutic activities with body socks:

  • Animal walks
  • Incorporating toys and puzzles
  • Dance party
  • Yoga
  • Fill with heavy items and pull
  • Sensory play like sensory bin, try to find items without leaks of their vision