What Is Sensory Stimulation?

Sensory stimulation is the input and sensation you receive when one or more of your senses is activated.

This type of stimulation is important for infant development and can be used to improve the well-being of developmentally disabled adults, people with neurocognitive disorders, and older adults.

Keep reading to learn more about sensory stimulation, what exactly it is, and the benefits it provides.

The 5 human senses

Sensory stimulation is the activation of one or more of our five senses:

Seeing (visual): When light passes through your cornea (transparent eye surface) to your pupil (the opening to the inside of your eye). After passing through your pupil, it reaches your lens, which focuses it on your retina (the back of your eye), where it’s converted into a nerve signal and carried by your optic nerve to your brain.

Hearing (auditory): When sound vibrations cross your eardrum to your inner ear, change into nerve signals, and are transmitted to your brain by your auditory nerve.

Touching (tactile): When nerve endings (receptor cells located throughout your body) transmit signals to your brain and it interprets them as pain, pressure, vibration, temperature, and body position.

Tasting (gustatory): When your approximately 10,000 taste buds (receptor cells) send signals to your brain, identifying sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami (savory) flavors. Taste is also affected by also the smell, temperature, and texture.

Smelling (olfactory): When specialized cells (olfactory sensory neurons) high in your nose send signals to your brain for interpretation and identification. There are also olfactory sensory neurons on the roof of your mouth.

Sensory stimulation for babies

Because babies learn about the world around them with their senses, sensory stimulation is linked to:

->emotional development

->cognitive development

->physical development

->Repetitive activities that stimulate the senses can help babies learn and reach developmental milestones.

Examples of sensory stimulation for babies include:

->rattles

->mobiles

->hearing lullabies

->toys

->peek-a-boo games

->bath time

Sensory stimulation for young children

Sensory stimulation continues to be beneficial as babies progress from infants to preschoolers. Sensory play helps children engage with the world in a way that helps them grow and develop.

For young children, sensory play includes any activity that stimulates a child’s sense of touch, smell, taste, sight, movement, and hearing. This kind of play helps create connections in the brain that allow for more complex thoughts and tasks. Sensory activities also help young brains better process and respond to sensory information.

For example, a child may find it difficult to play with another child if there are other sensory stimulations — such as loud noises — in their environment. Through sensory play activities, the child can learn to block out stimulations that are not as important and focus on ones that are, such as social interactions with another child.

Sensory play also supports language development, cognitive growth, motor skills, and problem-solving skills.

Sensory stimulation activities for children include:

->banging on drums (or anything that makes a noise)

->playing in a sandbox

->adding food coloring to water

->making smoothies

->blowing whistles

->making shadow puppets

->playing catch with a balloon

->comparing sweet and savory snacks

->finger painting. 

Takeaway

Sensory stimulation is the response to input from our environment by one or more of our five senses:

->visual (seeing)

->auditory (hearing)

->tactile (touching)

->gustatory (tasting)

->olfactory (smelling)

Sensory stimulation is very important for the development of infants and can be used effectively to improve the well-being of developmentally disabled adults, people with neurocognitive disorders, and older adults.

How To Teach Good Habits To Kids

It's never too early to start educating a child. Most parents are convinced that a child is not able to understand the rules until he speaks, but in reality as early as 6 months a child understands the meaning of a "no". Later it is good to start praising him when he does something right, to reinforce positive behaviors and to point out to him any wrong attitudes or behavior. The first rules to be taught are the fundamental ones, which will allow the child to become a responsible and respectful adult.

Some fundamentals of teaching good habits:

Greeting:

It is important to teach children to always greet the people we meet when they present themselves and when they leave, because it is important for everyone to feel welcome. More and more often, unfortunately, people enter and leave the premises and shops without saying goodbye and pupils in schools do not greet their teachers when they enter the classroom. This is the first sign of respect and must be taught since very young to become a habit for life.

To thank:

In addition to greeting, it is essential to teach children to express gratitude by saying "thank you" and "please" as a sign of respect and appreciation. The best way to do this is by setting a good example by taking advantage of the small daily gestures in the family. For example at the table when mum and dad pour each other's water or pass the dishes.

Being clean and tidy up:

Whether at home or at the home of friends, grandparents, uncles or kindergarten, children must learn to respect objects and environments even more so if they are at public places. After the game it is necessary to tidy up and if you get dirty you must clean up before starting any other activity. Like any other standard of good education, the example given by the parents is fundamental and can be helpful to turn these gestures into moments of play with mum and dad, using baskets, boxes and gift bags to reorder more easily.

Waiting for your turn:

Children should be taught not to interrupt others when they are talking, because everyone has the right to be heard carefully and this is not possible if the voices are added up. The best way to strengthen this habit is by listening carefully to the end even the youngest when we give them the word, so that they understand the importance of being heard. While the child is waiting for his turn, we can hold his hand or glance at him to make him understand that we are aware of his desire to intervene.

While eating:

As for eating habits, many may seem obvious but according to data that are regularly disseminated on childhood obesity. It is not always good to repeat them: feeding the baby must be simple and nutritious and rich in noble proteins, so the snacks of any kind are to be avoided. The same goes for carbonated and very sugary drinks so better a few centrifuged fruit and vegetables that will also be useful to bring the child to new tastes. Do not be afraid if the child will make some resistance: this will be linked more to the novelty of taste than to any other so with a little 'insistence, you will get the desired result. Furthermore, it is good to remember that, especially in the field of nutrition, children learn by imitation rather than by imposition: therefore, as parents we must be the first to set an example.

Mother’s role:

The mother must always be encouraging and collaborative without ever going to criticism.So remembering that good habits are not acquired overnight and that putting excessive pressure can be counterproductive. The best thing is to make yourself part of the game, joining your child in learning good habits and showing commitment and interest in order to maintain focus and inner motivation to improve. The celebrations for the progress achieved must be often and frequent even for minimal things, to make the child understand that the achievement of the objectives can be a great feeling. 

To these fundamental rules, later in the growth can be added more complex habits such as learning to have a sporting spirit, to respect the animals, to be kind to everyone, to accept the differences of culture, race or religion, etc., But if your child has learnt the first four then you are already at a good point with his education