August 09th, 2022

In my classes people will often hear me talk about a sensory bucket. I have worked with many babies and children and every day I find it fascinating how different each child (and parent) is. I have never met two sensory buckets that are identical. Similar yes, but never identical. 

What is a sensory bucket from an OT perspective?

• it is the tolerance a baby, child and adult has for a particular sensory input; auditory, gustatory, olfactory, visual, tactile, proprioceptive, vestibular and interoceptive. Every baby, child and adult has a different threshold for each and this is what helps us function in every day life and drives our particular interests. This is what makes us unique. 

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Some of us have a big sensory threshold (bucket) for particular input and small sensory threshold (bucket) for other input. The important thing is that it does not affect our ability to function in every day life. 

When it affects a baby or child’s function I.e their ability to meet milestones, gain independence in activities of daily living or regulate their emotions then a specially trained Paediatric Occupational Therapist can help. 

#sensoryintegration #paediatricoccupationaltherapy #childrensoccupationaltherapy #childdevelopment #infantdevelopment #milestones #grossmotorskills #finemotorskils #socialemotionaldevelopment