Improving Impulse Control in Children with Sensory Processing Disorder

Impulse control is a skill that many children with sensory processing deficits struggle with. Children who have poor or limited impulse control are usually easy to spot – they may, for example, speak out-of-turn, interrupt, jump up, wander away, distract others, make poor safety choices, grab food or toys, push others out of the way, have tantrums, leave activities undone, or have difficulty focus and attention.

There are usually underlying reasons behind impulse control issues and related behaviors. Children with poorly developed sensory systems, communication skills, or who have challenged executive functioning skills, also typically have impulse control difficulties.

Impulsive behaviors seen in children are compounded in those who are already challenged with sensory processing delays, sensory integration deficits, unmet sensory needs, emotional maturity, overwhelming environments, stress, anxiety, or medical issues.

When a child’s sensory needs are their primary focus, it becomes extremely difficult for them to refrain from their impulsive behaviors.

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Author, Judy Benz Duncan has been an Occupational Therapist for over thirty years. She has worked with children from infants to teenagers in numerous settings that included early intervention, pre-school programs, grade school, home health, developmental training centers, and sensory integration clinics.

Judy developed the foundation for designing therapeutic activities and tasks using interactive play and creative imagination to engage the children at a level they could easily relate to while working toward the achievement of their Occupational Therapy program’s functional goals and treatment plan.

Judy attended the University of Florida, University of Kansas, and the University of Tennessee. She received New York State approval as a Supplemental Evaluator for OT with early intervention and pre-school students, and has helped develop and start an OT program for families and children in New York. Judy continues to stay up-to-date in the clinical field through her active mentoring of other OT students and new graduates.

She continues to contribute to children, families and professionals everywhere through her professional writing endeavors which include writing books and manuals, managing the therapeutic website, TheraPlay4Kids.com, writing OT blogs and topic-specific articles, and writing bi-weekly professional blogs for a pediatric orthopedic surgeon group, a psychiatrist, and an attorney at law.