Sensory Stress Responses: Fight, Flight, and Fright (Freeze)

One of the most complex parts of sensory processing is that it looks different on each child with SPD. When my son becomes over stimulated, he goes into “flight” mode. He escapes to a corner or under a chair and curls up into a ball and will rock or sometimes make soothing humming sounds. There have also been times where he will flee a room and run until he feels safe. My daughter, when over stimulated, goes into “fright” mode and will freeze like a deer and not make a sound or blink. Other SPD children have been known to get aggressive when over stimulated. Here is a breakdown on each response:

Fight

Children that respond in fight mode will show extreme frustration. They may be explosive or aggressive. They might even resist what you want them to do and shout, “No!” or “I don’t want to.” People will say these children act out.

Flight

Children that respond in flight mode are known to have escape behavior. They may escape physically or mentally. When escaping physically, they will run until they find a safe spot. If they escape mentally, they will be easy distractible and need redirecting.

Fright

Children that respond in fright mode will freeze. These children are known to be clingy, fearful, and avoid eye contact. They are reluctant to separate and often believe that they can’t do things on their own.

Knowing how your child will to respond to being over stimulated can help you know how to approach them and react. You cannot approach them from a discipline standpoint. They are beyond reasoning and are not doing this on purpose, but out of survival mode. It is important first to remove the child from the situation and encourage deep breathing. Once that is done, here are some ideas I have been given by our therapist over the years:

·         Hold them close and give them a big bear hug for deep pressure.

·         Have a “safe spot” in the house and in the classroom for the child to go to, such as a play tent.

·         Give them a chewy stick with some sour spray or candy to help calm them down.

·         Wrap them up in a blanket like a burrito to provide comfort

·         Lay them down with their weighted blanket

·         Give them the critter vibe

·         Provide calming music

Even though, I can’t always prevent stress response from happening with my children, I do everything I can to help them not get to the point of “fight, flight, or fright”. I do this by watching my children carefully and knowing what is going to set them off into this mode. For example, I know that doctor offices will make my son go into flight mode. To prevent this from happening, I will allow him to carry a blanket to cover up and create a safe place.

Once you learn the triggers, you can try to prevent it from happening. The hard part is learning the triggers and working through it. I hope that these ideas that therapist have given us in the past will help you as you work through this will your child too.