KATHERINE MILLER VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY Action Research Plan SEDP 651

Research Question How does the use of deep pressure sensory strategies affect the attention of a preschool student with developmental delays who engages in hyperactive behavior?

Rationale Sensory integration therapy has been used as a strategy which aims to decrease challenging behavior in students who may have a sensory need that is not being met. Practitioners should plan for and provide levels of support needed for the child to learn within and across activities and routines (DEC, 2014). The literature on this topic is dominated by studies researching students with autism spectrum disorder

Assessing Sensory Processing Problems in Children With and Without Attention Deficit Disorder Investigated whether children with ADHD are at a greater risk than children without ADHD for sensory problems. Participants: 20 parents of students between the ages of 5 and 10 Parents were given the Sensory Processing Measure form and Conners 3rd edition- Parent Short form.

Effects of Weighted Vests on the Engagement of Children with Developmental Delays and Autism 3 different conditions (no vest, vest with no weight, vest with weight) Participants: 3 students ages 4-5) diagnosed with either developmental delay or autism

Effects of a weighted Vest on Aggressive and Self- Injurious Behavior in a Child with Autism Investigated the effect of a weighted vest on aggressive and self-injurious behavior. Participant: 9 year old student with autism 4 different conditions were examined. In each condition, the student was observed with the vest and without the vest.

Implications Gaps This form of intervention is subjective It makes the most sense for this intervention to be tested with a single subject design Disguising the intervention? Naturalistic setting?

Participant 4 years old Diagnosed with developmental delays and ADHD Difficulty attending to tasks Constantly in motion (running, skipping, etc.) Currently placed in a self-contained ECSE classroom Receives speech therapy

Intervention During center time, several construction vests will be made available for students to wear. One of these vests will have 3 beanbags taped onto the inside of the jacket. Students will wear the vests while they play in their centers and the participant will wear the one with the extra weight. The number of times he moves around the room will be tracked using data sheets.

Data Collection Tools

Data Sheet Continued…

Data Analysis Number of movements/number of minutes Graph divided into 3 columns (Baseline, Intervention, Follow-up) Compare means

Collaboration Recommendations Involve parents Inform IEP team Imbed strategy into routine Single-Subject Design Determine a consistent way to apply the intervention

References Davis, T., Dacus, S., Strickland, E., Copeland, D., Chan, J., Blenden, K… Christian, K. (2013). The effects of a weighted vest on aggressive and self-injurious behavior in a child with autism. Developmental Neurohabilitation, 8(3). Retrieved from: / Division for Early Childhood (DEC). (2014). Recommended practices in early intervention/early childhood special education. Retrieved from: dec.membershipsoftware.org/files/Recommended%20Practices/DEC %202014%20Recommended%20Practices.pdf Pfeiffer, B., Daly, B., Nicholls, E., & Gullo, D. (2015). Assessing sensory processing problems in children with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics, 35(1). Retrieved from: informahealthcare.com.proxy.library.vcu.edu/doi/abs/ / Reichow, B., Barton, E., Sewell, J., Good, L., & Wolery, M. (2010). Effects of weighted vests on the engagement of children with developmental delays and autism. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 25(1). Retrieved from: foa.sagepub.com.proxy.library.vcu.edu/content/25/1/3