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Expert Q&A

	By Dr. Bunni Tobias Kid Detective Psychologist

Our 3-year-old twin son is very physical and at times destructive. At other times he is very sweet and loving. When he is with other children during playgroup he will be disruptive and will need to be separated. What options do we have in identifying the problem and or as a solution?

This is one of the most common concerns I hear from preschool directors in particular. Some children develop more slowly than others as pertains to sensory integration.

As an example: When they are alone playing with their toys or in a familiar, calm situation, they can be sweet and loving. When they are in a group of children, they may go into "sensory overload." What this means is that all sights and sounds hit them with the same velocity! They become over-stimulated and lose control, doing things that do not reflect their gentle nature. An analogy would be the sensation of standing in a large crowd of people when the doors open at a huge sale the day after Christmas. It's like too much for your system to process.

These wee ones need a quiet voice and a quiet place where they can pull themselves together and calm themselves down. They benefit from a "calm-down place" away from the group, perhaps with less light, some pillows to lie on and some books or an adult to put them on their lap, speak softly and rock them.

Those are some things you can do. How to resolve this is to find a good occupational therapist who specializes in sensory integration. Be very clear about the SENSORY INTEGRATION. If you can't locate someone, call my office. I have an international list of qualified professionals.

This, by the way, is termed a SENSORY MODULATION issue. It is developmental, so don't panic. These sensory sensitivities are often seen in preemies and low-weight babies. These cuties often have difficulty with transitioning from one activity to another and require notification that things are going to change and to what, like structure they can count on and need to have a room with just a few toys with which to play so they don't get overwhelmed. I hope this is helpful.

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