Welcome back to the sensory regulation series, where we continue our journey toward sensory safety. So far in this sensory series, we've explored the significant role that sensory regulation plays in our life and have honed in our sensory profiles by exploring our sensory preferences, sensory triggers, and sensory soothers. Today, we bring it all together by discussing how to combine this information to create a sensory safety or contingency plan for sensory overload and sensory emergencies. This blog post will discuss the importance of creating a contingency plan and provide step-by-step guidelines for creating your personalized sensory safety plan for managing sensory overload.

Understanding Sensory Overload and Sensory Emergencies: Navigating the Overwhelming Terrain

This section explores the profound effects of sensory overload and its potential to push us to the brink of meltdown in public settings. Whether it's a bustling mall, crowded bus, or busy classroom, the sensory demands can quickly become overwhelming, pushing our nervous system to its limits. These "sensory emergencies" require immediate action to regain balance and prevent further distress. First, let’s get clear on what sensory overload actually is and then talk about how sensory safety plans can come in handy.

What is Sensory Overload?

Deep within our neural pathways, sensory overload emerges—an intricate dance between our brains and the sensory world. This phenomenon arises when our minds are inundated with an abundance of sensory input, encompassing sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touch. Every sensation takes on an amplified intensity, overwhelming our senses.

During sensory overload, our nervous system is bombarded by an excess of sensory information, disrupting its delicate equilibrium. It's akin to turning up the volume dial on our senses to the maximum, flooding our brains with an avalanche of stimuli. Amidst this chaos, regulating our behaviors and emotions becomes a formidable task. Our stress response takes the reins until we find solace in sensory safety. When we are in a state of sensory overload, it becomes difficult to make decisions and take decisive action to help us sensory regulate. That's where sensory safety plans come in, acting as a lifeline in times of crisis.

What is a Sensory Emergency?

What I am referring to as “sensory emergencies” in this post are those moments where we are having a sensory overload in public and need to take urgent action. These sensory emergencies require us to respond swiftly to address our sensory needs and find relief from overwhelming sensory stimuli. Sensory emergencies often involve us taking urgent action to:

1. Exit and Find Space: During a sensory emergency, one crucial action is to seek an exit and create space between ourselves and the overwhelming environment. Finding a quiet, calm area allows us to regain a sense of control. Whether it's stepping outside, finding a secluded corner, or retreating to a designated sensory regulation space, creating physical distance is vital in managing the intensity of sensory overload.

2. Seek Sensory Regulation: In a sensory emergency, finding a place for sensory regulation becomes a priority. This involves identifying environments or activities that help us self-soothe and restore sensory balance. It may include engaging in deep breathing exercises, using sensory tools like fidgets or weighted blankets, or practicing grounding techniques to reconnect with the present moment. Taking the time to regulate our sensory experiences allows us to regain composure and reduce the distress associated with sensory overload.

3. Seek Support and Self-Advocate: In addition to the above actions, we may need support. This may involve communicating our needs to a trusted companion, reaching out to a support network for assistance, or employing self-advocacy techniques.

Sensory emergencies can be challenging and overwhelming, but by acknowledging their existence and understanding the necessary actions, we empower ourselves to navigate these moments with more agency.

What is a Sensory Safety Plan?

A sensory safety plan is our personalized blueprint, carefully crafted with customized strategies and accommodations to manage our sensory needs and minimize overwhelm during challenging moments. It is a proactive approach that empowers us to take decisive action and effectively communicate our needs.

The Benefits of Sensory Safety Plans

Sensory safety plans offer many benefits for people navigating sensory challenges, particularly during overwhelming situations. First and foremost, they empower us to care for ourselves and advocate for our needs with greater confidence. A prepared plan, such as a sensory safety plan, helps us to take decisive action amidst overwhelming situations.

Navigating Sensory Overload with Confidence

When faced with sensory overload, decision-making becomes incredibly difficult. It can feel overwhelming and even paralyzing in the moment. Having a proactive plan in place becomes invaluable. By identifying our self-regulation strategies ahead of time, we eliminate the need for on-the-spot decision-making.

A solid sensory safety plan allows us to navigate challenging situations with more confidence. Instead of trying to figure out what to do amidst sensory overload, we can rely on our predetermined strategies and contingency plan. This enables us to channel our energy toward managing our sensory experiences.

Key Elements of a Sensory Safety Plan

Let's break down the essential elements that make up a comprehensive sensory safety plan. Understanding our personal sensory needs and triggers empowers us to anticipate and manage potential sources of overload. Effective communication strategies, such as pre-written scripts, play a vital role in expressing our sensory needs amidst chaos. Planning exit strategies and identifying exits in advance ensures a smoother and safer exit from overwhelming environments. Additionally, strategically choosing seating or positions, like an aisle seat, can give us greater mobility and freedom.

Identify Your Sensory Profile

Getting clear on your sensory preferences, triggers, and soothers plays a significant role in addressing your sensory needs when encountering overwhelming environments. By understanding what sensory inputs are most soothing or overwhelming for you, you gain agency in managing your sensory experiences. Take the time to identify the specific sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures that affect you, enabling you to proactively respond to your sensory environment.

Get Clear on Your Self-Soothers and Sensory Regulation

In order to effectively manage sensory overload, it is essential to identify and embrace the self-soothers and sensory regulation strategies that work best for you. These are the tools and techniques that help you restore balance amidst overwhelming sensory experiences. By getting clear on your personal self-soothers and regulation strategies, you empower yourself to navigate sensory overload with greater ease and resilience. Consider creating a distress tolerance kit filled with tools that help you regulate and self-soothe.

Create an Exit Plan

Feeling stuck and trapped can quickly invoke a sense of panic, especially when experiencing sensory overload. That's why it's crucial to identify exits and establish an exit plan as part of your contingency plan. By familiarizing yourself with the layout of spaces and knowing where to find the nearest exits, you can alleviate feelings of being stuck and overwhelmed. Additionally, when possible, choosing seating or positions, such as an aisle seat, can provide a greater sense of mobility and freedom, allowing you to navigate sensory-intense environments more comfortably.

Develop Communication Scripts

Preparing a self-advocacy script in advance can be a game-changer when facing sensory-intense environments. As communication becomes more challenging during sensory overload, having a pre-written statement like "I'm feeling overwhelmed and need to go regulate myself" empowers you to express your sensory needs with clarity and confidence. This script serves as a tool for communicating your boundaries and ensuring that others understand and respect your sensory needs.

Establish Non-Verbal Cues

In situations where spoken communication becomes difficult or overwhelming, or for non-speaking Autistic people, establishing non-verbal cues with trusted individuals in your support network becomes even more invaluable. This could be a code word or a specific hand signal that conveys to others that you are experiencing sensory overload and need to step away from the situation. These non-verbal cues can bridge the communication gap when verbal expression is not readily available.

Implementing Your Sensory Safety Plan: Nurturing Your Personal Blueprint

Creating and implementing a sensory safety plan may initially feel overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. Here are some practical tips to guide you through the process. Whether you create your plan on a digital document or with pen and paper, the key is to tailor it to your needs and preferences. To assist you in crafting your Sensory Safety Contingency Plan, here are a series of prompts that can help you develop your sensory safety plan. You don't need to address every prompt, but they can help shape your plan:

Sensory Preferences

✦ List your sensory preferences (or complete a sensory preference checklist), including preferred lighting, noise levels, temperature, and textures. Identifying your sensory preferences empowers you to advocate for preferred seating and increases your awareness of your sensory needs.

Sensory Triggers

✦ Identify specific triggers that may lead to sensory overload or discomfort. You can either write them out or complete a sensory trigger checklist. By recognizing and understanding your triggers, you’ll have more awareness of when you are entering vulnerable sensory territory and how to mitigate your exposure to sensory triggers.

Sensory Soothers

✦ Compile a list of your top five sensory soothers that help calm and comfort you during distress or sensory dysregulation. While sensory soothers may overlap with sensory preferences, they are different in that soothers serve as specific tools for self-soothing when you are already sensory overloaded. For a checklist of common sensory soothers, check out the full list here.

Self-Regulation Strategies

✦Write out your top three strategies that aid in regulating and managing sensory overload. This can include deep breathing exercises, grounding techniques, listening to music, pacing, or utilizing sensory tools.

Non-Verbal Cues

✦Establish non-verbal cues, such as a signal, to communicate to your support people that you require assistance or need to step away from overwhelming situations. These cues facilitate effective communication, even in moments when verbal communication is challenging.

Communication Scripts

✦Prepare and write out scripted statements or phrases that help you effectively express your sensory needs and allow you to advocate for yourself in overwhelming situations. These scripts serve as empowering tools to communicate your boundaries and ensure others understand and respect your unique sensory experiences.

Exit Strategies

✦Determine exit strategies by identifying exits and devising plans for safely removing yourself from overwhelming environments when necessary. Proactive planning allows you to navigate challenging situations with more confidence, knowing that you have a clear path to seek sensory safety.

Support Network

✦ List trusted people who can offer support during sensory overloading situations and include their contact information. These might be people who you can call and who are comforting to talk to when overloaded or perhaps people you can contact to come pick you up in an urgent situation.

Preferred Seating or Positioning

✦ Note seating or positioning preferences that promote your comfort and ease, such as sitting near an exit, selecting an aisle seat, or facing a specific direction. These preferences allow you to navigate sensory-intense environments with a greater sense of control.

Soothing Strategies

✦ Identify specific activities or items that bring you calm and help soothe sensory overload, such as listening to calming music, using sensory fidgets, or engaging in deep pressure techniques. Consider putting together a sensory kit with your top five sensory soothers.

Emergency Contacts

✦ Include important emergency contact information, such as crisis hotlines (this is especially important if sensory overload tends to result in depressive spirals, self-harm, and suicidal ideation), healthcare providers, or trusted friends and family members who can be reached in case of emergencies or moments of severe distress.

Your sensory safety plan is a living document meant to evolve and adapt as your needs change. You can regularly review and update your plan to align with your current sensory experiences, situations, and needs.

Conclusion

Navigating the world with sensory sensitivities can present challenges, particularly when facing overwhelming situations. By implementing a sensory safety plan, we can empower ourselves with personalized strategies and accommodations to more effectively manage sensory overload.

Throughout this blog post, we've explored the impact of sensory overload, the benefits of sensory safety plans, and the key elements to include in your own plan. By understanding your sensory preferences, triggers, and soothers, you can create a customized blueprint that supports you in challenging moments. Additionally, having communication scripts, exit strategies, a support network, and non-verbal cues in place further enhances your ability to navigate overwhelming environments with greater confidence.

Implementing your sensory safety plan may initially feel overwhelming, but with practical tips and guidance, you can approach the process with clarity and purpose. By prioritizing your sensory well-being and incorporating these strategies into your daily life, you can reclaim a sense of control and agency over your sensory environment. By prioritizing your sensory well-being, you are laying the foundation for a more harmonious connection with the world around you.

You are not alone on this journey. Reach out for support, connect with like-minded people, and advocate for your sensory needs! Together, we can foster a world that recognizes and celebrates the beautiful diversity of sensory experiences.

If you want detailed guidance on implementing these steps and crafting a personalized sensory safety plan, check out the Sensory Safety Plan workbook available here. As part of the ongoing Sensory Regulation Series, the workbook is currently on sale until mid-July 2023. This workbook provides step-by-step directions and practical exercises to support you on your journey toward sensory regulation.