18 Tips for Calming Your Child with Special Needs

18 Tips for Calming Your Child with Special Needs
by Joan Celebi, Ed.M., CLCFounder, SpecialNeedsParentCoach.com

This article appeared earlier in my FREE Overwhelmed No More! Newsletter. To subscribe, enter your name and email address in the sign up section of my site. You'll get practical tips and inspiring ideas every month to help you successfully navigate life as a parent of a child with special needs.

Children with special needs often need help calming down, whether it's after an upsetting incident, during an anxious time, or simply when it's time to settle down before bedtime. But it's not always easy to help a child become calm! With these ideas, you can add to your bag of tricks -- and be ready next time your child needs a little soothing or a quiet moment. These are strategies that have worked wonders, for kids of all ages -- and adults too!

Choose the tips that will work best for your child, depending on his or her likes and dislikes. I hope you'll find something in this list you can use to help your child -- and your entire family -- experience more peace, harmony, and happy times!

1. A warm bath.

2. Listening to relaxing music. Try harp music!

3. If you have pet fish, watching them for a few minutes. Or watching a pet hamster. Watching any little critter will do, even ants on the ground outside. Ant farms are another good one.

4. Petting or brushing a pet dog or cat. Cuddling with and petting a nice soft plush toy works too.

5. Spending time outdoors in nature. New studies show that it's helpful for kids with a wide range of disabilities and special needs, including ADD, ADHD, sensory issues, and autism.

6. Some kids are calmed by "white noise." You can get clock radios that play sounds of rain, waves, etc.

7. Playing in sand, even indoors. Get a bin, fill it halfway with sand -- you can cover it with the lid when you're done! Even just running fingers through it helps.

8. Something warm. A warm water bottle, or a warm beanbag (like the kind filled with rice), to sit or sleep with. Heat it just to lukewarm.

9. Looking at photo albums.

10. Coloring. For older kids, try coloring mandalas. Great for adults too!

11. Tummy rubs, back rubs, foot and hand massages.

12. Playing with playdough or clay.

13. Clipping coupons! Some very high energy kids LOVE this! Let them clip any/all coupons they want to. After clipping, they can categorize and sort, too.

14. Hammering nails into a board. It's loud, but can be very satisfying and relaxing for some kids.

15. Wrapping up in a cozy soft blanket.

16. Listening to stories. Even older kids enjoy this! Read aloud, or check out your local library's books on tape/CD.

17. Lying on the ground and looking up at the sky.

18. Cooking tasks. Grating carrots, chopping veggies & fruits. Any kind of mixing, mashing, etc.!

What calms your child?