What Is a Sensory Diet? A Practical Guide for Parents

What a sensory diet is

A sensory diet is a personalised plan of sensory activities spread through the day. The aim is to help a child reach and stay in a calm, alert state where they can learn, play and cope with daily routines. The term was first used by occupational therapist Patricia Wilbarger.

Just as we all have ways to feel more alert (a coffee, a walk) or calmer (a warm shower, a quiet space), children with sensory processing differences often need more deliberate strategies to regulate their nervous system.

Sensory seekers and sensory avoiders

• Seekers look for more input: crashing, spinning, chewing, touching everything, making noise
• Avoiders are easily overwhelmed: covering ears, refusing certain clothes or foods, avoiding messy play or busy places
• Many children are a mix of both, depending on the sense and the situation

Examples of sensory diet activities

Heavy work (usually calming and organising)

• Carrying the shopping, pushing a laundry basket or wheelbarrow
• Animal walks, wall push-ups, climbing and tug of war
• Chewing crunchy snacks or drinking through a straw

Movement (can be alerting or calming)

• Swinging, trampoline, scooter board or rocking
• Slow, rhythmic movement is usually calming; fast, spinning movement is usually alerting

Touch and deep pressure

• Firm hugs, a "burrito" roll in a blanket or a weighted lap pad
• Messy play with sand, rice or playdough for children building touch tolerance

Calm spaces

• A quiet corner with cushions, dim light and noise-reducing headphones

How an OT builds a sensory diet

1. Sensory assessment: standardised questionnaires such as the Sensory Profile 2, plus observation at home or school.
2. Understanding your day: where the hard moments are and what already helps.
3. A practical plan: a short list of activities matched to your child and your routine, often with a visual schedule.
4. Review and adjust: we check what's working and change the plan as your child grows.

Research on sensory-based interventions is still developing, so we focus on practical, measurable goals, such as smoother mornings or fewer meltdowns after school and track whether the plan is helping.

Funding

If your child has an NDIS plan, paediatric OT is usually funded from Capacity Building – Improved Daily Living Skills (Category 15). For children younger than 9, families usually start with an NDIS early childhood partner. We can also complete a self-funded functional capacity assessment to support an NDIS application.

Evidence referenced in this article

• Sensory sensitivities and autism. Raising Children Network.
• Sensory integration therapy and autism. Raising Children Network.

Written by the Exercare allied health team. This article is general information only and is not a substitute for individual medical advice. Exercare provides mobile exercise physiology and NDIS occupational therapy across south-east and eastern Melbourne.

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