1. Sensational Little Works in Progress: Sensorimotor Development, Preferences, and Learning Elise Spronk, OT Brenda Nugteren, Teacher

2. Sensory Systems  Hearing  Taste  Smell  Sight  Touch  Movement/Vestibular  Body Position/Proprioceptive

3. What is Sensory Processing?  Definition: The everyday neurological procedure of organizing the information we take in from our bodies and the world around us for use in daily life.

4. What is Sensory Processing Disorder?  Neurological Disorganization results in 3 ways:  Brain does not receive or detect messages  Brain is inefficient in integrating, modulating, organizing, and discriminating sensory messages  Brain sends out inaccurate messages to direct child’s actions

5. Sensory Profile  Poor Registration  Sensation Avoiding  Sensory Seeking  Sensitivity to Stimuli

6. Sensation Avoiding  Low neurological thresholds; tendency to counteract these thresholds  Sensory thresholds are met too often. This can be uncomfortable or frightening. Child either withdraws or has an emotional outburst to get out of the situation.  Resistant to change  Reliant on rigid rituals  Limit unfamiliar input and broaden the sensory processing range within acceptable rituals

7. Poor Registration  High neurological threshold; act in accordance to those thresholds  Low energy levels and appear overly tired.  Brain requires increased stimulation to generate a response.  Recommend experiences concentrated with sensory information so that threshold can be met and child will notice and respond appropriately to cues.

8. Sensation Seeking  High neurological threshold; act in accordance to the need to meet those high thresholds  Active  Continuously engaging  Fidgety, and excitable  Incorporate additional sensory input into the child's routines so that thresholds can be met while conducting daily life

9. Sensitivity to Stimuli  Low neurological thresholds and a tendency to act in accordance with those thresholds  Distractible, hyperactive.  Respond to the newest stimulus, drawing their attention away from current task  Provide child with sensory experiences as part of ongoing performance that supports him to continue task, and minimize chances for thresholds to be fired separately

10. Modulation  Scores are scattered between high and low thresholds  May require increased time to get used to new task or environment

12. Arousal/Alert Theory  Self-regulation  The ability to attain, maintain, and change arousal appropriately for a task or situation

13. The Alert Program  Help children learn to monitor, maintain, and change their level of alertness so that it is appropriate to a situation or task.  SI and cognitive approach  Ages 8-12, but can be adapted for younger children  Used with other appropriate therapies

14. The Alert Program is designed to:  Teach children, parents, and teachers how to recognize arousal states as they relate to attention, learning, and behavior  Help children recognize and expand the number of self-regulation strategies they use in a variety of tasks and settings  Give therapists, parents, and teachers a framework to help children recognize and regulate their own arousal states

15. Stages of the Alert Program  Stage One: Identifying Engine Speeds  Stage Two: Experimenting with Methods to Change Engine Speeds  Stage Three: Regulating Engine Speeds

16. Stage One—Identifying Engine Speeds 1. Students learn the engine words. 2. Adults label their own engine levels. 3. Students develop awareness of the feel of their own engine speeds, using the adults’ labels as guides. 4. Students learn to identify and label levels for themselves. 5. Students label levels for themselves, outside therapy sessions

17. Stage Two: Experimenting with Methods to Change Engine Speeds 6. Leaders introduce sensorimotor methods to change engine levels. 7. Leaders identify sensorimotor preferences and sensory hypersensitivities. 8. Students begin experimentation with choosing strategies.

18. Stage Three: Regulating Engine Speeds 9. Students choose strategies independently. 10. Students use strategies independently, outside therapy sessions. 11. Students learn to change engine levels when options are limited. 12. Students continue receiving support.

20. Organizing Sensory Input and Activities for the Classroom/Childcare center--Environment  Limit extraneous visual material  Cubbies  Labeled places and desk organization  Tape number or letter line on desk  Limit extraneous auditory input  Reduce the loud “surprise” factor

21. General Organizing Sensory Activities  Safe, firm pressure  Quite corner/Hide out  Quite music during independent work  Breathe before transitions  March from one activity to the next  Oral input  Wall push ups, chair push ups  Hand fidgets  Movement breaks

22. Reading Wagon

23. Auditory/Hearing Activities to Enhance Sensory Lifestyle Music Environmental sounds Instruments Ear phones The Listening Program Metronome  Rhyming  Soft/rhythmical v. loud/irregular  Instruction variations  Ear dominance  Phonics phones  Reading Wagon

24. Associated Oral Movements

25. Oral Activities to Enhance Sensory Diet Chewy Necklace Cotton ball math or alphabet games Drink or chew Bubble gum Straws Camelbak water bottles

26. Use the mouth to stay alert

27. Tactile Activities to Enhance Sensory Diet Hot Dog Roll Clothing Hand fidgets Deep pressure hand hugs Deep/firm/ predictable versus light/ticklish/ unpredictable Vary textures Pencil grips Placement of kids at end of line/seating chart  Use tools with art activities

28. Proprioception/Heavy Work Activities to Enhance Sensory Lifestyle  Lifting chairs on desk  Erasing white board  Carry tasks (library, trash)  Assign recess tasks  Deep Pressure  Bottle Babies  Stretchy bands  Fabric Tube/tunnel  Obstacle Course  Gym mats and tasks

29. Balance and Movement Activities to Enhance Sensory Diet  Jumping  Rolling  Climbing  Swinging  Rocking  Spinning  Crossing midline  Upside down  Slow/rhythmical v. fast/irregular T-Stool Move ‘n Sit cushion or beach ball Theraband on legs of chair “Alive, Awake, Alert, Enthusiastic” Obstacle courses Animal walks

30. Vision/Sight Activities to Enhance Sensory Lifestyle Space: too much stuff Visual Perception Soft lights/colors v. bright/twinkling Calming tent/box Lighting Colors and Patterns Guesstimation with Objects Remove some of visual information from paper Visually separating information on a page

31. We are all unique! How does your engine run?

32. ?????? And Comments EliseS@WorkSystemspc.com nugterenb@pellachristian.net