Sensory Body Sock

What is the sensory body sock?

The sensory body sock from Harkla is a giant “sock” for your body! Made out of 80% nylon/20% spandex, it provides just enough stretch to move while also providing compression feedback to engage the muscles and the proprioceptive system.

Because it is soft, it also provides a pleasant tactile experience. With snaps located at the opening, it is easy to open and close without scratchy velcro—the perfect item to use for play, to help calm, and to relax in.

Who can benefit from the sensory body sock?

The sensory body sock was created with sensory inputs in mind - meaning children (and adults!) who struggle with sensory processing are the main beneficiaries of the sensory body sock.

Let’s break it down a bit more.

If a child is struggling with vestibular processing, they seek out all types of movement that interfere with daily tasks. They are clumsy, uncoordinated, or get motion sickness. The sensory body sock can be a great item to use to provide controlled movement!

If a child is struggling with proprioceptive processing, they seek out heavy work (such as pushing, pulling, jumping), they use too much force with tasks such as writing or playing, or they struggle with understanding where their body is in space (may seem clumsy or get hurt often). The sensory body sock can be a great addition to their play items to provide proprioceptive feedback!

If a child is struggling with self-regulation and attention, they get frustrated easily, they cannot sit and attend to a task for an age-appropriate amount of time, or they are unable to solve problems that are age-appropriate. The sensory body sock can be a great tool!

If a child has a diagnosis or signs/symptoms of ADHD/ADD, Autism, Down Syndrome, Developmental Delay, cognitive/learning challenges, Apraxia, SPD, or speech/language delay, the sensory body sock is a great addition to their play and development.

Different Types of Sensory Inputs Provided by the Body Sock

The two main types of sensory input the body sock provides are proprioception and tactile. It also can provide opportunities for more vestibular input.

Proprioception

Proprioception is the awareness of the position and movement of the body. Sensory receptors are located on your skin, joints, and muscles. When we move, these sensory receptors send signals to our brain, telling it about the effort, force, and heaviness of the movement. Then our body is able to provide an appropriate response.

When we think about proprioceptive movement, we can also include heavy work - any movement that works the muscles, deep pressure - any input that provides pressure to our body, and vibration. Proprioceptive input is typically calming to the nervous system.

Individuals are usually not over-responsive to proprioception, meaning they don't have over-reactions to this type of sensory input. We do, however, see individuals who are under-responsive or sensory craving, meaning they want more heavy work, crashing, hugs, etc.

The sensory body sock provides proprioceptive input through the stretchy material that can be pulled on and pushed against.

Tactile

Tactile inputis received through our skin. It includes light touch, firm touch, and the discrimination of different textures, including dry to wet and messy. The tactile system is also responsible for the processing of pain and temperature. Tactile input can be alerting, calming, or over-stimulating, depending on the person.

The sensory body sock provides tactile input that can be calming due to the soft material. It gives immediate feedback to the tactile and proprioceptive systems when worn, both in one static position or used for dynamic movement-based tasks.

Vestibular

The vestibular system is located in the inner ear. This system is directly related to balance and vision - specifically eye movements. Because of the location in the inner ear, the vestibular system is activated with head movements. When the head moves, the eyes move, and the brain and body must respond - balance!

When we think about vestibular input, we can think about running, jumping, spinning, and swinging. These movements activate the vestibular system and will provide a response - some people can tolerate more movement than others, while some become easily nauseous with movement (motion sickness). Vestibular input is typically alerting to the nervous system.

The sensory body sock provides vestibular input because you can move in it! Depending on how you position your body, you can receive linear vestibular input - back and forth or side to side, or rotary vestibular input - spinning.

Some individuals become easily over-stimulated by vestibular input. This can cause adverse reactions such as nausea/vomiting or irritability (among others). Some individuals seek vestibular input - constantly on the move, seeking out opportunities to spin and jump.

Because the sensory body sock provides proprioceptive, tactile, and vestibular input, it can be used to achieve a sense of calm or to achieve a higher arousal level.

Another Added Benefit

Another area that the sensory body sock adds to is body awareness and spatial relations. When we complete an activity that provides proprioception and vestibular input, our ability to understand our body in space better and within our environment improves. This has the added benefit of improving safety, coordination, and motor planning!

Tips For Introducing The Sensory Body Sock to Your Child

If your child is unsure about the sensory body sock, try these tips to engage them:

• Model! Get in the body sock and show your child how to climb in and out. Let your child watch you have fun in the body sock. Allow your child to help you.
• Place favorite toys in the body sock and allow your child to pull their toys around.
• Use the body sock on a soft surface such as cushions to decrease falling on a hard surface.
• Allow your child to choose how to interact with the body sock. Allow them time to explore.
• Never force your child to get in the body sock unwillingly. It will take them longer in the long run if we push them!
• Include other preferred sensory input while introducing the sensory body sock, such as essential oils, a weighted vest, favorite music, etc.
• Avoid pressuring your child to get in the body sock as well. This includes positive pressure, i.e., “If you get in the body sock, you can have a piece of chocolate!” Leave it out, let them explore, walk away (if safe) and when they get in on their own, don’t make a big deal about it! Just talk to them calmly about how it feels, what they think, etc.

Tips for Incorporating the Sensory Body Sock into Your Child’s Day

Incorporating the sensory body sock into your child’s daily routine can help with self-regulation throughout the day as well as can add a playful element into the day.

Here are some tips for incorporating the body sock into your child’s routine:

• Add the body sock to the morning routine to help “wake up”.
• Use the body sock as a “brain break” in between school/homework.
  • Offer the body sock after school, before getting started on homework, chores, or extracurricular activities to reset the nervous system.
• Use the body sock as part of a sensory diet to help with arousal level.
• Allow your child to use the body sock independently in order to de-stress or calm down when upset.
• Use a visual timer to include a start and stop. “First, we’re going to play in the body sock for 3 minutes. Then we’re going to do 30 seconds of bear crawling.”

Final Thoughts On Body Socks

The sensory body sock can be a great addition to your child’s bedroom, playroom, or living room. There are so many ways to utilize the body sock in order to help your child with self-regulation, sensory processing and integration, body awareness, and more!

If you'd like to learn more about the science behind our sensory body socks, or ways you can incorporate it into your child's life, here are some articles to check out:

• What is deep touch pressure?
• Does your child have sensory defensiveness?
• Our favorite sensory body sock activities
• Great sensory toys for children with autism
• Sensory room ideas for home
• Our favorite sensory products for autism and sensory issues
• How to use body socks in occupational therapy