Strategies for Coping with Sensitivity to Smells

Many children with sensory problems are sensitive to smell & experience negative reactions to them. Learn 5 behavior interventions.

Example:

My grandchild is 7 years old, and I take care of them. My grandchild currently receives speech, OT, PT, and feeding programs. They have a lot of sensory problems. I try everything to help them. I can’t take them out to eat because the smells make them go wild. Please help.

Strong Negative Reactions to Smells

Many children experience strong negative reactions to smells that surround them. This can happen in restaurants and school cafeterias. Consequently, children may react with adverse behaviors when faced with sensory sensations that are unpleasant to them, and/or they may just refuse to enter these triggering settings.

5 Strategies for Sensory Sensitivities

A number of strategies may help such children to cope in settings where they are reacting to a sensory sensitivity (like a smell). Social stories, mini-schedules, environmental and choice control, and sensory tools used together may decrease the negative sensations and the connotations these settings have for children. Try the following 5 behavior interventions.

1. Sensory Tools are items that can negate a sensory issue, help a child cope with a sensory issue, and/or provide the child with a more appropriate behavior to use in a particular situation. In this case, pre-teaching coping strategies and incorporating more favorable or tolerable smells within an aversive environment can help a child cope with sensory stimuli that may be overwhelming.
2. A Social Story is a simple description of an everyday social situation, written from a child’s perspective. The situation is described in detail and focuses on the important social cues, events, expectations, and ways for the child to react in the situation. Social stories are intended to be used with a child prior to an event. It is rehearsed with an adult so that when the event actually occurs, the child can use the story as a guide for behavior.
3. A Mini-Schedule is a listing of the events that will occur in a situation, in order or simply as a listing. A mini-schedule can be a listing in words or pictures or both. Children often like to check off or cross off each item as it occurs or is finished. This can provide a sense of control over a situation, thus reducing problem behaviors due to anxiety about what is to occur.
4. Environmental Control is changing the environment to prevent negative behaviors.
5. Choice Control is a strategy that gives children control over situations when they feel at a loss or ‘out of control’.

Quick Facts

• Child’s Age: 3-17
• Planning Effort: Moderate
• Difficulty Level: Easy

Pre-requisites

• Child’s ability to understand simple stories, words, or pictures.

Process

1. The situation indicates the child is receiving speech, OT, PT, and feeding programs. First, check with these specialists (primarily the Occupational Therapist) who know your grandchild best to offer suggestions and strategies. Share these Watson Resources strategies to receive their feedback regarding your grandchild.
2. Determine smells that your grandchild likes and involve them in the decision-making process of selecting something that smells good to take to the restaurant. An example could be an orange, or an orange with cloves in it. Your grandchild could help you make this and easily carry it with them to the restaurant. Have them smell the item along the way. “Smelly” necklaces can be easily made with clay, yarn, and pleasurable essential oils. Make a small heart or ball shape with clay. Add a hole for the string and let it dry. Once dry, add a few drops of a preferred essential oil (e.g., citrus, lavender, vanilla) to the clay. This can be used as a necklace the child can smell when needed to help mask more unpleasant odors.
3. Create or adapt a social story and review it with your grandchild before going to a restaurant. This can be a guide for the child.
4. Provide as many choices as you can regarding the event, such as ‘Where would you like to sit? What will you order for dessert?” Write these down. Making such decisions may help to redirect their thoughts of the smells and give them control over the event.
5. List what will happen in the restaurant such as:
   1. Pick a place to sit
   2. Get out my favorite toy or book
   3. Choose my meal and dessert – tell the waiter
   4. Eat my meal
   5. Go home
6. Have your grandchild check off each item as it occurs.
7. When you arrive at the restaurant, ask for an area away from the kitchen or near a window or near a ventilated area to help decrease negative smells.
8. As you introduce these strategies, you may want to start with short visits to the restaurant, such as just ordering a drink or milkshake, then leaving. Then, next time, order the drink but sit and drink it there to extend the time in the restaurant.  Then, eventually you can increase the time to eating a full meal in the restaurant. Start with restaurants that are quick to deliver the food, such as fast food, and then move on to restaurants that are not “fast food”.

Resources

Smells in the Cafeteria (Behavior Story – Word document)

This resource was authored by Watson Institute Special Education Consultant, Katie Bentz, M.Ed.

If you have questions or concerns about the Watson Institute’s use of this information, please contact us.