Does my child need to see an OT to have a sensory diet?

Ideally, yes — a sensory diet is most effective when developed by a qualified occupational therapist who has assessed your child's specific sensory profile. An OT can identify exactly which sensory systems need more input and which need calming, and tailor the activities accordingly. However, many families use general sensory regulation principles at home before or alongside formal OT support. General heavy work activities, movement breaks, and calming sensory input are widely used and generally safe for most children. Always discuss significant sensory concerns with a paediatric OT or your GP.

How much does OT for a sensory diet cost in Australia?

Paediatric occupational therapy in Australia typically costs between $180–$280 per session. You may be eligible for Medicare rebates through a Chronic Disease Management (CDM) Plan — your GP can refer you for up to five subsidised allied health sessions per calendar year. Private health insurance often covers OT depending on your level of extras cover. Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) funding may be available for children under seven through the early childhood approach under the NDIS pathway if your child meets eligibility criteria.

How long does it take to see results from a sensory diet?

Most families notice some improvement within two to four weeks of consistently implementing a sensory diet, particularly with behaviours like meltdowns, difficulty settling, and resistance to transitions. More complex sensory processing challenges may take several months of consistent implementation alongside regular OT sessions to show significant change. The key is consistency — a sensory diet works best when activities are provided at regular, predictable intervals throughout the day rather than only when the child is already dysregulated.

What are the best sensory diet activities for home?

Effective home-based sensory diet activities include: heavy work activities (carrying groceries, pushing the pram, digging in the garden), deep pressure (firm hugs, rolling in a blanket, weighted blankets at rest time), movement (jumping on a trampoline, swinging at the park, animal walks), oral input (chewing crunchy snacks, blowing through a straw, chewy toys), and calming activities (slow swinging, deep breathing, weighted lap pads during homework). The best activities for your child will depend on their specific sensory profile — seek OT guidance for a personalised plan.

What is a Sensory Diet? How to Create One at Home (2026)

Q: How do I get a sensory diet implemented at my child's school?

Work with your child's occupational therapist to create a simplified version of the sensory diet suitable for a school setting. Provide this in writing to the class teacher and learning support coordinator. Request it be documented in your child's Individual Learning and Adjustment Plan (ILP or Individual Education Plan). Practical school strategies include: movement breaks between tasks, a wobble cushion at the desk, a chewy necklace for oral input, noise-cancelling headphones during independent work, a fidget toy in the pocket, and a calm-down corner or quiet space for regulation. Many teachers are very willing to accommodate these strategies once they understand the rationale.

What is a Sensory Diet? (It's Not About Food)

Despite the name, a sensory diet has nothing to do with what your child eats. The term, coined by occupational therapist Patricia Wilbarger in the 1980s, refers to a personalised, scheduled programme of sensory activities designed to keep the nervous system regulated throughout the day. Just as a nutritional diet provides the body with the fuel it needs to function, a sensory diet provides the nervous system with the specific types and amounts of sensory input it needs to stay calm, alert, and ready to engage.

For children with sensory processing differences, the nervous system has difficulty self-regulating — moving between states of alertness in an organised way. Without adequate sensory input of the right kind, these children may become over-aroused (anxious, hyperactive, overwhelmed) or under-aroused (lethargic, disengaged, foggy). A well-implemented sensory diet helps maintain the "just right" zone of regulation — often called the optimal arousal zone — where learning, socialising, and daily functioning are possible.

Who Develops a Sensory Diet?

A sensory diet is ideally developed by a paediatric occupational therapist (OT) who has conducted a thorough assessment of the child's sensory profile. Because every child's sensory system is unique, a good sensory diet is not a generic list of activities — it is specifically tailored to address the child's pattern of over-responsiveness, under-responsiveness, or sensory seeking across each of the seven sensory systems.

To find a paediatric OT in Australia, ask your GP for a referral or search through the Occupational Therapy Australia directory. Your GP can also create a Chronic Disease Management Plan to reduce the cost of OT sessions through Medicare. For children under seven, early intervention OT may be accessed through the NDIS early childhood pathway if the child meets eligibility criteria.

Key Components of a Sensory Diet

Proprioceptive Input (Heavy Work)

Proprioceptive activities — often called "heavy work" — are a cornerstone of most sensory diets because they have a powerful calming and organising effect on the nervous system. Heavy work involves activities where muscles and joints receive significant input: carrying, pushing, pulling, climbing, and resistance activities. The nervous system responds to proprioceptive input quickly, making it excellent for settling a dysregulated child before a challenging task.

Examples of heavy work activities:

Carrying a backpack with a moderate weight
Pushing a shopping trolley or a pram
Digging in sand or soil
Wheelbarrow walking (walking on hands while an adult holds the legs)
Wall push-ups or chair push-ups
Pulling a wagon or carrying washing baskets

Vestibular Input (Movement)

The vestibular system — responsible for balance and movement — is closely connected to arousal levels. Slow, linear movement (swinging back and forth) is calming; fast, rotary movement (spinning) is alerting. A sensory diet incorporates the right type of vestibular input based on whether the child needs calming or alerting at different points in the day.

Examples of vestibular activities:

Gentle swinging at the park (calming)
Bouncing on a trampoline (alerting)
Rocking in a rocking chair (calming)
Animal walks — bear walk, crab walk, frog jumps (alerting)
Balance board activities

Tactile Input (Touch)

Tactile activities provide input through the skin and can be either calming (deep pressure, warm baths, firm massage) or alerting (cold water, light touch, varied textures). For children who are tactile-sensitive, a gradual desensitisation approach using sensory bins and textured materials — guided by an OT — can be very effective.

Oral Input

The mouth is one of the most powerful tools for sensory regulation. Chewing, sucking, and blowing all provide calming proprioceptive and tactile input to the jaw and face. For children who chew on clothing, pencils, or non-food items, a chewy necklace or chewable jewellery provides an appropriate alternative.

Crunchy snacks (carrots, apples, crackers) — alerting
Chewy foods (dried mango, gummy bears) — calming
Drinking through a straw — calming
Blowing bubbles or a harmonica — calming
Chewable jewellery or chewy tubes — portable regulation tool

Calming / Organising Strategies

In addition to specific sensory activities, a sensory diet typically includes environmental strategies and calming routines. These may include weighted blankets during rest time, a calm-down corner with sensory tools, a predictable daily routine with visual schedules, and access to noise-cancelling headphones in overwhelming environments.

Sample Sensory Diet Schedule

Below is a sample sensory diet for a school-age child who is proprioceptive-seeking and vestibular-seeking, with some auditory hypersensitivity. This is illustrative only — every sensory diet should be tailored by an OT to the individual child.

7:00am — Wake up: 10 minutes of trampolining or jumping on a mini trampoline before getting dressed
7:30am — Breakfast: Crunchy breakfast food; carry own school bag to the car
Before school: Wear noise-cancelling headphones in the car; carry heavy items into school
10:00am — Morning break: 5 minutes of wall push-ups or carrying a stack of books; play on the climbing equipment
12:30pm — Lunch: Crunchy or chewy lunch items; use chewy necklace if needed; sit away from the noisiest part of the canteen with headphones available
3:30pm — After school: 15–20 minutes of active play (bike, trampoline, playground) before any homework demands
After school — Homework: Wobble cushion at the desk; fidget toy available; weighted lap pad if needed
7:00pm — Bedtime wind-down: Warm bath; firm massage or joint compressions; weighted blanket; dim lighting; 20 minutes of quiet reading

Implementing the Sensory Diet at School

A sensory diet is most effective when implemented consistently across home, school, and community settings. Work with your child's OT to develop a simplified "school version" of the sensory diet that can be implemented without disrupting the class. Provide this in writing to the teacher and ask for it to be included in your child's Individual Learning and Adjustment Plan.

Practical school strategies include movement breaks between subjects, a wobble cushion at the desk, fidget tools, chewy necklaces, noise-cancelling headphones, and access to a quiet space when regulation is needed. Browse our sensory tools guide and weighted blankets guide for product recommendations that work well in school settings.

Tips for Success

Consistency is key: Activities are most effective when scheduled proactively, not just used reactively when the child is already dysregulated.
Timing matters: Provide alerting activities before demanding tasks and calming activities before transitions or bedtime.
Involve the child: Children who understand their own sensory needs and have input into their sensory diet are more likely to engage with it.
Communicate with school: Teachers and aides who understand the rationale are far more likely to implement strategies consistently.
Review regularly: A sensory diet should be reviewed by the OT every few months as the child's needs change.