1. SENSORY IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHING ASD STUDENTS

2. Characteristics of the Sensory System  7 basic sensory stems within nervous system –SoundMovement –TouchBody Position –SmellVision –Taste

3. Location of Systems  Tactile  Vestibular  Proprioceptive  Visual  Auditory  Touch - Skin  Balance – Inner Ear  Body Awareness – Muscles and Joints  Sight – Retina of Eye  Hearing- Inner Ear

4. Location of Sensory Systems  Gustatory  Offactory  Taste – Chemical Receptors in tongue  Chemical Receptors in tongue.

5. Dunn’s Model for Sensory Processing  Model characterizes patterns of responding  Based on: –1, neurological thresholds- continuum runs from low to high thresholds –2. Self regulation strategies – a behavioral continuum runs from passive to active strategies

6. Neurological Threshold  Represents amount of input nervous system requires before responding. –High threshold = takes considerable input –Low threshold = takes very little input

7. Self Regulation  Represents range of strategies used in responding to: task and environmental demands. –Passive strategies – lets things happen –Active strategies – generates responses to control input

8. Intersections of Continuums  Creates 4 basic patterns of sensory processing: 1.Low registration 2.Sensation Seeking 3.Sensory Sensitivity 4.Sensation Avoiding

9. Low Registration  Uninterested  Self absorbed  Sometimes dull affect

10. Sensation Seeking  Very Active  Continuously engaging and excitable  Pleasure from Sensory experiences  Generate sensory experiences for themselves.  These students need to move and pace while others are seated

11. Sensory Sensitivity  Distractible  Notice and comment on sensory events  Low threshold enables them to have hyper awareness of what is around them.  Have passive strategies – allow things to happen rather than move themselves away.  Sound and sight sensitive

12. Sensation Avoiding  Rule bound  Ritual driven and appear uncooperative  Engage in behaviors that limit sensory input  Engage in active self-regulatory strategies to understand and organize the sensory input.  This sensory input is often threatening

13. Combinations  Children do not have a single sensory processing pattern  Rather have several patterns in their repertoires  Sensation avoider for auditory stimuli but have moderate responses for other sensory system input.

14. Sensory Processing Concerns  Present in: –Autism –OCD –ADHD –Tourette-Syndrome –Schizophrenia

15. Implications for School  School environments include sensory information that is familiar but different in intensity and duration.

16. Difficulties Elementary Classroom furniture – need for movement visually stimulating environments- distracting Cafeteria – smell

17. Difficulties Middle and High School  Multiple passing periods  Myriad hallways  Lockers opening and closing  Different numbers of teachers  Different teaching styles and expectations  Cooperative learning activities -

18. Strategies  5 strategies 1.Priming 2.Working Independently 3.Visual Supports 4.Home Base 5.Social Stories

19. Priming  Priming – preview activity – presents materials and task process in advance of instruction (predictability)  Decreases anxiety and subsequent behavioral responses to anxiety

20. Working Independently  Initial instruction of strategy  Plenty of practice  Adjust if necessary  Complete a task without assistance or reliance from anyone to initiate, persist, and terminate

21. Visual Supports  Supports which are a concrete representation –Reduce ambiguity –Help anticipate –Organize physical space –Help with transition –Help to understand expectations –Can convey directions

22. Home Base  Access to a place apart from routine environment  A positive atmosphere not punishment or escape from tasks  May have to have more than one across contexts  Allows person to: –Plan – Regroup – Recover

23. Social Stories  Short stories from child’s perspective\  Describe social situations  Include relevant social cues  Very visually descriptive  Less directive  Help address – fears, obsessions, anxiety

24. Summary  ASD kids have complex needs  Necessitate creativity to recognize reasons and think of solutions  Use their strengths  Recognize their weaknesses  Resist giving up