Q&A With Lizanne du Plessis: Camping/Holiday Tips for Children with SPD

Quick Summary & “Cheat Sheet”

1. Get familiar with your child’s sensory temperament styles and know how that temperament responds to over-stimulation or under-stimulation.  (8:04)

1. Hedgehog
2. Giraffe
3. Monkey

2. Choose a camping/holiday location that suits the caregivers’ needs for remaining relaxed as well as offering the right type of setting for your child’s temperament

1. Do you prefer to be near other families in a campsite so you aren’t alone
2. Do you prefer to be out in the open wilderness, or will the vast expanse feel frightening and under-stimulating?
3. Do you prefer to be enclosed on all sides by the forest, or will the night-time sounds and darkness feel claustrophobic and frightening?
4. Do you prefer to be near the beach or will the sound of the waves and wind be too overstimulating?

3. Look up photos of your campsite in advance

• Use Google Earth Views (maps.google.com and click the tools in the bottom right corner)
• Go to the park’s website
• Look them over a few days in advance with the family, picking out where to put your tent or caravan/camper and imagining what fun it will be to build a fire or play games in the space

4. Stick to a routine

• The two pillars of the daily routine are the Morning/Waking Routine and the Bedtime routine.
• If you use routine charts at home, bring them with you and display them somewhere as an all-day reminder of the main parts of the day that will stay the same

5. Schedule some quiet time in the afternoons

• It may not be realistic to expect napping during this exciting or unusual time & place, but let everyone have some self-regulation time in the afternoons by having quiet time.
• Try 30 minutes of individual reading, doing a puzzle alone, listening to music or a story in headphones while lying in the hammock

6. Bring something to use as individual sensory refuges  (photos at 39:10)

• Lycra hammock
• Mini pup tent/beach tent
• Inflatable tube to sit in

7. Utilize sensory tools at intervals throughout day to give proprioceptive input for regulation

• Weighted blanket
• Lycra hammock  (image at 39:10)
• Backpack full of heavy items to wear on a walk or around campsite
• Use CoordiKids programs on phone for short daily sessions

Links to Lizanne’s website and books:

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(If you’d like more personalized discussion and a tailored strategy for your child’s needs, book a virtual consultation)