Sensory Self-Care: Making a Plan

Source: Training Development Resources/Sensory — Youth Era-branded worksheet, "Sensory Self-Care: Making a Plan"

A simple, ready-to-use worksheet organized around the five senses (taste, touch, sight, smell, sound): the young person identifies what they "love" versus "hate" in each sensory category, then lists what specifically helps — calming strategies, safe spaces, and tools that comfort them — when they're feeling overwhelmed. Framed around the idea that knowing your own sensory preferences and triggers ahead of time helps you prepare for situations that might otherwise overwhelm you. Directly usable as a handout in a coaching session.

Sensory Symptoms Checklist (Home Version)

Source: Training Development Resources/Sensory — Gwen Wild / Sensational Brain LLC

An informal screening checklist (explicitly not a diagnostic tool) for spotting sensory over- or under-responsiveness, organized by sensory system: tactile (touch), proprioceptive (pressure on muscles/joints), vestibular (movement), interoception (internal body sensations), auditory, visual, and gustatory/olfactory (taste/smell). Each system lists both over-responsive symptoms (e.g., bothered by clothing tags, avoids messy play, dislikes loud/busy places) and under-responsive/sensory-seeking symptoms (marked with an asterisk — e.g., craves intense flavors, loves spinning or crashing activities, high pain tolerance, seems unaware of hunger or illness cues).

Important framing note carried over directly from the source: sensory sensitivity is normal for everyone; it only becomes something to address when it's actually interfering with a person's ability to pay attention, learn, socialize, or relax. Useful for a coach as a way to talk with a young person (or their caregiver) about sensory patterns without over-pathologizing normal variation, while still having language for when it's worth a referral.