A supermarket asks a shopper to do far more than choose food. Fluorescent or LED lighting fills a large room with few visual breaks. Refrigeration units hum continuously. Carts rattle,
The phrase sensory diet can sound more precise than it really is. In everyday occupational-therapy language, it usually refers to a planned pattern of sensory activities or environmental supports intended
A shirt tag can be a minor annoyance to one person and a constant, impossible-to-ignore source of discomfort to another. The same can be true of sock seams, stiff waistbands,
“Just cook something” can sound like a simple solution to hunger, budgeting, or nutrition. In practice, preparing a meal may require choosing what to eat, checking ingredients, remembering what is
“We should probably think about wrapping this up soon.” Does that mean the meeting is ending now, in five minutes, or whenever everyone feels finished? Is it a suggestion, an
You suddenly realize you have a headache and have not had anything to drink for six hours. Hunger seems to appear only when you are already shaky or irritable. You
An open-plan office is rarely just a room with desks and coworkers. At any given moment, it may contain several conversations, keyboards, phone calls, footsteps, chairs moving, notifications, fluorescent or
A person sits through a painfully loud meeting without covering their ears. A student keeps wearing an uncomfortable uniform without complaining. Someone maintains eye contact, stays seated, smiles politely, and
You can usually close your eyes and still know where your arm is. You can climb stairs without continuously watching your feet, adjust how hard you grip a cup, and
Someone becomes unusually quiet after an overwhelming event. Speech becomes difficult, movement slows, and answering even a simple question takes considerable effort. Several hours later—or perhaps after sleeping—the person begins