Purpose 🎯

Help clients identify sensory inputs that support regulation, create discomfort, or contribute to overwhelm.

Let’s Talk About It 🗣️

Create three sections:

Helps Me Regulate

• Quiet spaces
• Movement
• Music
• Pressure or weighted items
• Predictable textures
• Visual structure

Can Be Overwhelming

• Loud or unpredictable sounds
• Bright or flickering lights
• Crowds
• Certain textures or smells
• Unexpected touch

What I Can Try

• Reduce the input
• Change the environment
• Use a sensory support
• Ask for a break
• Plan recovery time

Ask:

• What sensory inputs help you feel more settled?
• What sensory inputs make it harder to focus or communicate?
• What do you notice about the environments where you feel most regulated?

If the Conversation Gets Stuck 💡

• What places feel easiest for your body?
• What places feel hardest for your body?
• What is one small sensory change that could make this environment easier?

Telehealth / Whiteboard Version ⚖️

Create a three-column sensory map using a shared whiteboard. Invite the client to add words, colors, symbols, or examples to each section.

Why This Works 🌱

Sensory mapping helps clients recognize patterns, reduce shame, and identify practical supports that improve regulation and participation.

Clinical Pearl 🧠

Sensory needs are not “preferences” to overcome. They are important information about the client’s nervous system and environment.

Documentation Language 📝

Therapist utilized a sensory awareness intervention to support client in identifying regulating sensory inputs, overwhelming sensory experiences, and adaptive environmental supports.

Clinical Focus: Sensory Awareness, Emotional Regulation, Environmental Modification