Sensory Systems Clinic West

03/06/2026

Sand play is awesome.

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧'𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬?
Playing with sand offers a variety of opportunities!

𝗦𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Stimulates multiple senses simultaneously, supporting the development of sensory integration processing abilities.

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Expands language & communication as they describe their ideas, share their experiences, and express their thoughts.

𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 & 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹: Unexpected things will happen! An opportunity to work on supporting teamwork, negotiation, turn-taking, and communication skills.

𝗣𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Digging, scooping, pouring, and shaping sand enhances hand-eye coordination, spatial planning, coordination, strength, and balance.

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Encourages both steady attention and focus as they engage in sensorimotor and creative projects.

𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Encourages imaginative thinking as they create and construct various scenarios and stories, using sand to bring their ideas to life.

03/05/2026

Hi, I'm a kid at sensory systems. Look at me. I used to be afraid of heights, and now I can hang up here and punch a flying block all at the same time.
Mr. Tyler says i'm doing really well. I guess I am, but it sure is fun learning new ways to play. This place is awwwwesome!

02/06/2026

This looks so awesome.

02/06/2026

New policy.

02/06/2026

We had so much fun supporting this event. Thank you to my staff and the field work students that helped out.

02/02/2026

We are a big part of the inclusion event Thursday night, Feb. 5th, at Steeby Elementary from 6 to 7 PM.
The clinIc staff will be following inclusion spirit week. Feel free to join us.

01/27/2026

UPDATE! Due to the weather, Sensory Systems will
CLOSED
January 27th.

01/24/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/185j5hJNYQ/

Don’t freak out, but, autistic selective eating is ✨NOT always about sensory issues.✨

Yes, texture, smell, temperature, taste, and predictability matter…BUT, research also points to RIGIDITY as a major contributor to “picky eating”.

From the autistic perspective, the rule often isn’t
❌“I can’t eat this because it feels bad.”

It’s more like:
✅“I can’t eat this because I don’t eat this.”

Once a food is categorized as “not something I eat,” that rule can be surprisingly hard to break, even if the sensory experience itself wouldn’t be terrible.

I notice this every time I travel.
Almost every trip, I come home with a new food I’m suddenly willing to eat.

Sometimes it’s a food I’ve genuinely never been exposed to before,
(most recently, clam chowder).

Other times, it’s a food I stopped eating years ago…but while traveling, the usual rules get disrupted and the rigidity breaks.

Once that rule is broken I’m often willing to eat it again at home.

The sensory experience didn’t magically change. What changed was the mental rule around it.

So when we talk about autistic eating, it’s worth remembering that…

Sometimes the most effective support isn’t avoiding new foods or assuming every refusal is sensory-based.

Rather, thoughtful exposure (done respectfully), without pressure is what actually expands flexibility.

This definitely doesn’t mean that exposure works the same way for everyone.

But it does mean recognizing that for many autistic people, rigidity can be just as powerful a barrier as sensory discomfort.

01/23/2026

We are open from 9-4 Friday, January 23rd.

01/23/2026

Sensory Systems is honored to support this awesome event. Come join in the fun.

Join us for Disability Inclusion Night on Thursday, February 5, from 6:00–7:00 PM at Steeby Elementary School. This event is open to the entire community!

Families and community members are invited to come learn, explore, and connect through:
💚 Multiple hands-on activities
💚 Informational booths featuring local services and supports
💚Disability Awareness Read-aloud

The goal of this evening is to inform our community about available services while providing students with meaningful, inclusive, and interactive experiences with their peers.

Planning to attend? RSVP here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1WlG2x36fYGY0zQFsqPX1u_olP0re9l1oH_48gaAGkcI/viewform?edit_requested=true

We look forward to learning together and celebrating inclusion with you!

01/22/2026

We are open starting at 11 am. Thursday, January 22nd. Call to update schedules.

01/21/2026