SensationALL Cupcakes!
Baking is a great activity to keep you occupied and the end result is a tasty treat!
Here is the step by step guide to make our easy and yummy SensationALL cupcakes…
Explaining CoronaVirus
At SensationALL, we want to support parents/carers by sharing useful information and resources during this unsettling time of social distancing and self-isolation.
The outbreak of CoronaVirus is confusing and worrying for everyone, but the change in routine will be particularly upsetting for children and individuals with learning disabilities or support needs. So it’s important that we talk to them openly without terrifying them!
As you probably already know, Covid-19, is a respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus. Symptoms are a fever and/or a dry, persistent (ongoing) cough.
In some people it can lead to shortness of breath and extreme cases may need hospital treatment.
If you show any of these symptoms, government advice is to stay at home for 7 days and for your entire household to self-isolate for 14 days.
Top tips:
Here are our suggestions of how to discuss the virus:
- keep it simple (avoid too much detail or speculation)
- stay positive – keep your voice light and upbeat – children will mirror your behaviour
- give practical solutions – hand washing and tissue use are things they can control – you can even turn it into a game
- end on a positive note – move onto a topic that is normal or fun for them so they don’t dwell on the virus information
Downloadable resources:
Check out the below guides and social stories that explain CoronaVirus and it’s implications in a simple, calming way:
Share your ideas with us
Whilst our normal SensationALL groups are suspended, we can still support you remotely, so feel free to contact us by phone or email for any advice or support. We also want you to tell us what resources/activities you’d like us to share – comment below or email us.
Plus, you can follow our social media channels and check the website for useful videos and posts about activities to do with your children at home during the school closures.
How to have a SensationALL summer!
The school summer holidays are long awaited by parents and children alike, but a few weeks in and they can seem never ending! If you’re running out of ideas of what to do to entertain your kids then we are here to help.
Dealing with routine change
For children with support needs the holidays not only means a huge change to routine but also warmer weather resulting in wearing different clothes, putting on suncream, glare of the sun etc. all of which can be challenging for people with conditions such as Autism.
Here are our SensationALL tips and suggestions to tackle any challenges you may be having…
- Use a social story to explain why summer items like sun cream are required. When applying sun cream start with less sensitive areas such as arms and leave the face until last. Try turning it into a game where they ‘paint’ their skin with the suncream.
- Put Winter clothes away out of sight if you can and make Summer clothes the only available choice to minimise confrontation about what to wear.
- Use timetables to provide an awareness of what they will be doing that day. Add pictures of their choices to their timetable.
- Offer a limited choice of activities maybe printing a picture of two options that you know you are able to do and let them to choose.
- Find quieter times to go out to activities such as sessions specifically for people with additional support needs or times of the day that are quieter
- Have ear defenders available at noisier times
- Introduce a visual countdown of how many sleeps there are left until school; if you feel the person would find this helpful
Activity Ideas
Run out of parks to go to and picnics to have??
It can be hard to keep coming up with things to do with that will entertain the kids and not cost a fortune. Here are fab sensory activities we use at SensationALL that you can do at home:
Cornflour Putty – this has a melting texture which can be relaxing to feel and is great fun to make and play with:
– mix 2 cups of cornflour and 1 cup of conditioner until a dough is formed
Sensory Shaving Foam Bag – once made this bag can be taken out with you and used on-the-go as a calming sensory tool:
– Take a zip lock bag and fill with shaving foam – Add a squeeze of two colours of paint – seal the bag and press to mix.
Relaxation Glitter Bottle – a brilliant sensory toy: – Using a clean, clear plastic bottle (with screw top lid) add warm water, clear glue and glitter to create relaxing shaker.
We hope you all have a wonderful summer and look forward to seeing you for the new term starting from 19th August!
The SensationALL team x
