Hello my dear friends, today I want to tell you a story about my good friends who have opposite issues.
My friend Lilly the Otter cannot concentrate on her schoolwork unless she is touching something. She needs to move, jump around and feel different textures constantly.
Oscar the Owl just can’t stand anything touching his feathers. Tags on his clothing bother him, different textures make him anxious and even consistency of food makes him lose his appetite!
One day, in art class, Lily and Oscar were sitting next to each other. Lilly needed to touch all of the supplies and Oscar really needed her to keep her hands away.
Alicia, the Unicorn teacher, saw them struggling. She gently asked Lily to close her eyes.
Alicia took Lilly’s hand and gently caressed it with a feather. “How does it feel?” Alicia asked.
“It’s so soft and ticklish!” Lilly said.
“Keep your eyes closed!” Teacher Alicia grabbed a little twig and stroked Lilly’s hand with it.
“That’s not a feather!” Exclaimed Lilly. “It’s too rough!”
“I touched your hand with this twig to show you how Oscar feels things on his body.” said Alicia
“Many textures feel like twigs to Oscar! So, imagine how he feels when you touch him.”
Oscar nodded. Lilly looked into Oscar’s eyes: “I never meant to make you uncomfortable, I will pay more attention” she promised with a big smile. Oscar blushed and appreciated Lilly’s gesture.
Alicia then asked Oscar to close his eyes and use his imagination
“Imagine that you are very, very thirsty” she said, “but instead of a glass of water, someone gives you a tiny drop of water.”
Oscar opened his big wide eyes and said “What? Why just a drop?”
“Imagine that Lilly’s sense of touch is always thirsty! Very, very thirsty! But instead of water, she needs to touch and feel everything around her!
“Wow” said Oscar as he looked into Lilly’s eyes “I didn’t understand how much you need to touch and feel things.”
Lilly was so happy she wanted to hug Oscar, but now she knew that would make him uncomfortable, so she didn’t. Ever since then, as different as they are, Oscar and Lilly have been the best friends!
Are you like Oscar or like Lilly? Do you have any questions or comments about sensory issues? Please share them at hagit@makemistakes.club
