This educational handout helps parents understand why tooth brushing can be such a difficult experience for children with sensory processing differences. It explains how oral and tactile sensitivity, pressure, and loss of control can make brushing feel painful or overwhelming, even when done gently. The handout outlines common signs of sensory distress, including avoidance, meltdowns, and emotional shutdown, and reframes these behaviors as nervous system responses rather than misbehavior.
Parents are provided with practical, easy-to-use strategies such as increasing predictability, offering choices, adjusting sensory input, and pairing hygiene tasks with regulation techniques. The handout also highlights what to avoid, including rushing, forcing, or minimizing a child’s experience.
Designed for caregivers, educators, and therapists, this resource promotes empathy, reduces power struggles, and supports children in developing greater comfort, confidence, and independence with daily hygiene routines.
File Formats: PDF
Additional Info:
For clinical, educational, and private purposes
Product property of Tabletop Therapy
Do not resell or duplicate
