General Calming Strategies [PDF 163KB]
- Sit in a blanket lined box to do an activity.
- Snuggle in a box just the size of the child.
- Put cushions around them in bed.
- Slow firm swinging in a net or blanket.
- Gentle but firm touch, eg: firm cuddle or roll a large ball over child.
- Tuck them in bed really tightly.
- Make a “sandwich” using large pillows or soft mattress as bread and the child in the middle as the filling. Provide deep pressure by pushing down on the “sandwich”.
- Sit back to back on the floor with a partner and move sideways. Hold a ball or book.
- Gently swing on a booster/hammock “How slow can you go”.
- Pretend to be a mouse, fish, etc ie , something that doesn’t speak.
- Slow mirroring.
- Slow rocking on large ball, in a hammock in a rocking chair, on a rocking horse.
- Slow orbital spinning in hammock.
- Tactile, stroking, icing, battery brush, rolling large ball or inner tube over the child while he/she is lying down.
- Invert child over large swiss ball.
- Stroking down either side of vertebral column, either having the child lying on the ground or over a ball, using powder to facilitate movement.
- Counting quietly while child is carrying out an activity.
- Suggest sleeping in a sleeping bag - natural warmth helps body to relax.