Some good info I found on sensory defensiveness and school.

[Guest guest]

I'm sorry I have not been able to reply to any of the other topic I started. I

did read all you had to say. For some reason I can not send replies. Here is a

site that seems to have helpful info for school.

HELP FOR...

PARENTS | TEACHERS | PROFESSIONALS | KIDS

HELP FOR PARENTS

" Home is where things need to feel right or everything feels wrong "

---The Sensory-Sensitive Child

Children with sensory processing difficulties often spend a great deal of energy

just getting through the day. Keeping themselves together at school, on the

soccer field, and in groups of children takes more conscious awareness and

energy for them than it does for sensory well-regulated children. This is why

your child may fall apart or " spin out " when he gets home. Helping him make the

transition to home and providing a " sensory refuge " when he gets there will

contribute to his well-being. Living with a high maintenance child is hard, but

there are things you can do to make it a little bit easier for everyone. Looking

at your child, the environment, and the tasks you are asking him to complete

through a sensory lens can clarify what is going on and reveal ways that you can

help him get through the day.

The Sensory Lens: A Look at the Home Environment

We all work to create a home environment where we will feel comfortable. We use

colors, decorations, music, lighting, and scents to create a space in which we

feel peaceful and secure. This is even more important for sensory sensitive

children than it is for the rest of us because they so often feel assaulted by

the outside environment. By the time they get home, their nerves are frayed and

they are " running on empty. " They need a soothing environment to restore their

sense of well-being.

Ask yourself these questions:

· Is your home calm or chaotic?

· What are the specific sensory challenges for your child in your home? For

example, are the lights too bright, music too loud, clothes too scratchy?

· Are there " sensory refuges " available to your child? For example, is there

a chill-out space that is small and quiet and which she can control?

· Do the sensory needs of different members of your family clash?

· Is your home environment structured and predictable?

· What are the sensory demands of the tasks your child must accomplish at

home on a regular basis?

First Things First: Build a Positive Relationship

The most important ingredient in creating a comfortable and secure home for your

child is your relationship with him. Research has shown that children who are

more securely attached to their parents develop better emotion regulation

skills, are more persistent and succeed more often when faced with difficult

tasks. They also develop better peer relations. A positive relationship with

your child lays the foundation for positive behavior.

· Spend time with your child every day. Give him your full attention when

you are with him.

· When you play with your child, let him take the lead. Play is one place

where it is okay for your child to be " the boss. "

· Be a good listener. Listen closely for hints about sensory-based problems

(i.e., " I hate that place. It smells yucky " ).

· Praise your child for all his accomplishments, and especially for managing

his sensory needs appropriately. The general ratio of praise to criticism should

be 10:1. Think about that.

· Catch your child being good. Notice what he is doing right rather than

what he is doing wrong.

· Let go of the little things (especially when they are a sensory challenge

for your child). Learn to live with annoying but acceptable behaviors.

Turn Down the Emotional Heat

The emotional heat tends to run high in families with children with sensory

processing difficulties. Often, by the time parents come to understand a child's

sensory processing problems, there have been months, or even years, of

frustration, power struggles, and negative family interactions. The parents we

meet often feel guilty and question whether they have caused their child's

difficulties. The good news is that children are very resilient. They will

respond to changes you make in your own behavior. And one of the first things to

work on is turning down the emotional heat in your house. The calmer your

household is, the better you will feel and the more comfortable your child will

become.

· Children with sensory processing difficulties have difficulty regulating

their emotions. Be a good model: if you are less reactive emotionally, your

child will benefit from " seeing how it can be done. "

· Practice relaxation breathing yourself, and teach it to your child.

· Change your thoughts, and your feelings will follow. How you think about

what is happening will determine how you react to it. Instead of thinking, Why

is he always so difficult? Think, I know he wants to please me. What is making

this so hard for him right now? Ask yourself, Is there a sensory component to

this?

· Take chill outs. Remove yourself from a frustrating situation before

exploding. Tell your child, " I need a chill-out. " In this way, your child will

learn to do the same.

Plan Ahead

Avoid difficult situations by planning ahead. Children who have difficulty with

self-regulation benefit enormously from structure. Predictability in the daily

routine can decrease the number of family battles and create a more peaceful

home

· Use charts and routines to build positive habits and decrease daily

battles.

· Give your child extra time to accomplish daily tasks, but set an outside

limit on that time. Using a timer can be helpful.

· Do not feel that you or your child have to participate in birthday

parties, family outings, or other activities that you know will be stressful for

him. You can choose not to go or agree to leave early if your child is having

difficulty with the sensory demands of the situation.

Analyze Struggles Through a Sensory Lens

Always keep the sensory lens in mind. Remember: your child does not experience

the world in the same way that others do. He has trouble filtering, modulating,

and discriminating sensory input. As a result, it is harder for him to respond

to people, places and the press of daily life appropriately.

· Think about your child's sensory vulnerabilities.

· Think about the sensory demands of the environment.

· Think about the sensory demands of the task.

· Modify the demands when necessary. Your child will respond best to the

" just right " challenge (not too easy, not too hard).

Prepare a Healthy Sensory Diet

Just as we need to eat the right foods to function well, we need the right

sensory input to help us feel good and behave well. Most children seek out

healthy sensory experiences automatically, without thinking about it. When we

see children running and jumping, spinning and tumbling, swinging and

somersaulting, we are watching them nourish their bodies with invigorating,

organizing, and satisfying sensory experiences. The child with sensory problems

is not so good at providing this nourishment for himself and may need help from

the adults around him to create a healthy sensory diet.

· Click on Resources (the " nose " icon) for books and other sources of

information that will teach you how to create a healthy sensory diet for your

child.

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HELP FOR TEACHERS

" School is a potential nightmare

for the child with sensory processing problems… "

--The Sensory-Sensitive Child

SCHOOL: A continuous sensory assault

As a teacher, you know your classroom better than anyone; but take a moment

right now to focus on its sensory characteristics. Turn off your internal

filters, if you can. Close your eyes, and listen, smell, taste and touch what it

is like to be a child inside a school. You are surrounded by a cacophony of

noise: perhaps you hear florescent lights humming, radiators hissing, children

talking, pages turning, doors opening and closing, pencil sharpeners grinding….

Now open your eyes and take in the lights, the colors, the movement, the

clutter, the detail. Sit still and try to concentrate. Or stand up and join a

group of kids on their way to the lunchroom, the gym, the playground or the

library. Tune in to your body and try to feel the input from your muscles,

joints and bones and your inner ear that prevents you from bumping into others,

falling off the hard edge of your seat, dropping your lunch tray, crashing into

a wall or collapsing onto the floor.

Unconsciously, the child with efficient sensory processing is registering,

filtering, organizing and interpreting all of those sensations into meaningful

information. For him, school is a place that " makes sense, " and he knows how to

respond and react to the experiences he encounters there. The child with

dysfunctional sensory processing is in a different situation. For him, the

hallways, the classroom, the cafeteria, the music and art rooms, the gymnasium

and playground and the school bus can be places of confusion, discomfort and

anxiety. He is not able to make sense of the barrage of sensory input and, as a

result, he fails to respond appropriately. He is likely to shut down or lash out

in an attempt to protect himself from the confusion, or to seek out more

stimulation by jumping, running, twirling and bumping in an attempt to make the

world make sense.

Without guidance, this student is likely to have a great deal of trouble (1)

learning new information, (2) demonstrating what he knows, (3) behaving

appropriately in the classroom, and (4) moving himself through the daily school

routine. He will need more help from you than many of his peers in the following

areas:

· Decreasing sensory arousal

· Focusing on class assignments

· Organizing himself

· Following directions

· Managing his emotions

· Getting along with peers

SENSORY PROCESSING PROBLEMS IN THE CLASSROOM: What they might look like

The children in your classroom have a range of sensory-regulatory abilities that

fluctuate depending on the circumstances. While you may be well aware of some of

the children who struggle with sensory tasks, there may be others who have

puzzled you but whose problems haven't been easy to name. Frequently, these kids

are mis-labeled as stubborn, oppositional or aggressive, and their sensory

problems go unrecognized. When you look through a sensory lens, you will gain a

new perspective on some kids' seemingly erratic, out-of-bounds behavior. This

lens is a complement to, not a replacement for, the other lenses you use to

understand your students (i.e., the educational lens, the behavioral lens, the

developmental lens).

When a student seems stuck -- unable to succeed at a task for no clear reason --

take a look at who he is, where he is and what he is being asked to do through a

sensory lens. Difficulties will arise when there is a mismatch between his

sensory capacities (he may be over-sensitive or under-sensitive to sensory

input), the sensory characteristics of the classroom and the sensory demands of

the activity he has been assigned. This can lead to tremendous frustration,

anxiety and misunderstanding. (Please refer to Chapter Three of The

Sensory-Sensitive Child for a discussion of the relationship between sensory

processing problems and common psychiatric diagnoses.)

Sensory " mismatches " frequently show up in the following ways at school:

· Difficulty with clothing (tolerating the texture, keeping it on, chewing

on neckline/collar, refusing to wear a coat in cold weather)

· Poor handwriting (grip too firm/too loose, letters poorly formed, runs out

of space on paper, erases too hard)

· Difficulty with cut-and-paste activities (dislikes messiness, cannot use

scissors competently)

· Distractibility (wanders around room, cannot screen out noise, disrupts

others, does not complete activity in given amount of time)

· Disorganization (forgets materials, does not track assignments, messy desk

and/or backpack)

· Activity level too high or too low

· Poor self-help skills (cannot open supplies, fasten clothing, operate lock

on locker, zip backpack)

· Resistance to learning a new routine or changing activities

· Problems with peers (overly " aggressive " /withdrawn, misjudges personal

space, too loud, silly, does not choose to join a group, sensitive to touch)

· Poor posture (floppy, slouches, leans on others for support, " touchy " )

· Emotional reactivity (grumpy, anxious, explosive, unhappy, out-of-sorts)

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN SENSORY PROCESSING AND LEARNING

Defining the exact relationship between sensory processing and academic

achievement would require careful, rigorous scientific study – and that research

has not yet been done. Nevertheless, we know that poor sensory regulation

distorts a child's perceptions of the world and thereby negatively influences

her responses to that world; therefore, it is reasonable to suggest that sensory

processing problems will affect her learning. In some instances, the

relationship will be direct. For example, auditory discrimination problems will

make it difficult for a child to differentiate the sounds of the letters and to

grasp phonetic concepts. In other instances, the connection with learning will

be indirect, as in the case of the tactilely defensive child who avoids hands-on

classroom activities or has to be removed from the group when he " can't get

along " with his peers. The more sensory processing problems a child experiences,

the more interference there will be in his daily learning routines!

Some of the areas where a child is likely to experience direct and indirect

interference in learning are listed below:

· Attention to task

· Organizational skills

· Written language

· Participating in group learning projects

· Dealing with transitions

· Managing homework

· Coping with stress

Once you recognize the sensory component to these tasks that students face every

day, you can begin to address the interference in learning, behavior and

emotions that occurs when a child's sensory processing is inefficient. Many

excellent suggestions for how you can do this are available in books listed in

the Resources section.

SENSE-ABLE SOLUTIONS AT SCHOOL: Some things you can try in your classroom

Decrease Sensory Assault in the Learning Environment

1. Reduce visual clutter on the walls and tabletops.

2. Help the child maintain a well-organized work space.

3. Reduce external, background noise as much as possible. Play soft music in

the background of the classroom during independent work activities

4. Create a " chill-out zone, " or sensory shelter, where kids can go if they

need to retreat from the hustle-bustle of the classroom. This should be a quiet,

darkened space: a tent, a refrigerator box, a screened-in corner of the

classroom, or a blanketed underside of a table. You may provide pillows and/or

soft music to make the space cozy and calming.

5. Provide bean bag chairs, " move-n-sit " cushions (available from

occupational therapy suppliers) and/or a rocking chair for the child who needs

to move in order to organize himself.

Establish a Kid-Friendly Routine

1. Discuss the day's schedule with the class each morning. Warn them about

changes to the regular routine in advance.

2. Consider posting a visual schedule (using pictures as well as words). For

the child with sensory processing problems, a copy of the visual schedule might

be taped to his desktop. Also, use auditory rituals (songs, bells, a rhythmic

clap) to signal upcoming transitions.

3. These children often have particular difficulty stopping and starting

tasks. To facilitate transitions, give specific directions regarding how to

finish one activity and move on to another. Mention something interesting about

what is coming next.

4. Allow enough time for the transition from one activity to another. Kids

with sensory processing problems don't do well when rushed.

5. Alternate seatwork with opportunities for movement (taking a message to

the office, carrying heavy books to another teacher, walking to the water

fountain, etc.)

Monitor and Modify the Student's Sensory Diet

1. Seat him in a quiet area of the classroom (away from doors, windows,

computer stations, etc.).

2. Allow the child to assume whatever posture is most organizing for him

(i.e., standing, sitting on a large ball or a move-n-sit cushion, propped by a

pillow). Are there activities the child can do on the floor, rather than in a

chair?

3. If a child looks " droopy, " suggest a " wake up " activity (clapping hands,

giving herself a hug, rubbing arms briskly, sitting on floor while hugging knees

and rocking back and forth, jumping, moving to music, marching, stomping,

rocking).

4. Allow him to hold " fiddle " objects in his hand while he is concentrating

on seatwork.

5. Allow chewy, crunchy snack foods and/or a sports water bottle for

sucking. These forms of oral stimulation are organizing for many children.

6. Do not use removal of recess as a punishment. Instead, make sure that the

child plays strenuously during recess – running, swinging, sliding, hanging, and

climbing -- rather than just walking around the playground.

7. Use firm pressure, not light, when touching the child (bear hugs,

downward push on both shoulders, a firm pat on the head). Never tickle!

8. Avoid touching him from behind (where he cannot see and anticipate the

tactile sensation).

9. Do not battle about clothing. Allow him to be as comfortable as possible

(he may want to keep his jacket on inside; he may use his hood as a shelter; he

may want to take off his shoes…).

10. Provide a sensory shelter for times when he is over-stimulated and needs

to relax and re-group. This is not to be used as a " time-out " or punishment.

Instead, it is a " chill out zone " where any child in the classroom can come and

go on an " as needed " basis to regulate his level of arousal.

Be a Calm and Clear Communicator

1. Wait until you have the child's attention before you start talking

(Remember: he has difficulty doing more than one thing at a time). Make eye

contact.

2. Give directions in the briefest, simplest, most positive manner possible.

Too much language can overload a child and increase stress.

3. Allow more time than you might think necessary for a response.

4. Ask the child to repeat your instructions in his own words.

5. Do not:

· yell (these kids are very sensitive to voice tone);

· use sarcasm;

· ask a child to defend or justify himself ( " What were you thinking?

Don't you know better? Why did you do that? " ).

Step In When the Social Scene is Overwhelming

1. In group situations, these kids are often so concerned about defending

their personal space that they cannot listen to you or anyone else. Help the

group get settled, and mark each child's space (laying out trays or placemats on

a table, using carpet squares on the floor, assigning seats, etc.) before

beginning the lesson.

2. Emphasize competence as often as possible. Give the child with sensory

processing problems a " teaching " role with other children in his areas of

strength.

3. These kids are easily misunderstood. Be aware of the potential for

bullying, excluding and ridiculing by other kids; and be prepared to step in

quickly if it occurs.

4. As needed, coach the child in basic friendship skills: i.e., how to start

a conversation appropriately, how to join a group on the playground, how to

respond when someone accidentally bumps or brushes up against him, how to take

turns.

5. Teach the child (and his classmates) to follow these steps when he is

faced with a problem he doesn't know how to solve:

Define the problem. Think about what you want to happen.

Think of at least five possible solutions, even if they don't seem

realistic. Be creative and let your imagination go wild.

Consider the usefulness of each idea by asking questions like, " Would my

idea make the problem bigger or smaller? Do I have what it takes to make my idea

work? Would this idea help me get closer to my goal? "

Choose a solution and try it.

Evaluate whether or not your idea worked. Would you do it again?

COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING: Some helpful people to have on your team

Most children with sensory processing problems benefit when a teacher takes a

team approach to their instruction. Depending on the nature of a child's needs

(which are likely to be related to a combination of educational, behavioral,

emotional and social difficulties), the team may include any of the following

people:

· The classroom teacher(s)

· The child's parents

· An occupational therapist

· A behavior specialist

· An LD specialist

· A speech/language therapist

· A school psychologist

· The school counselor

· A teacher's aide

· Teachers who have taught the child in previous years

· A school administrator

The purpose of such a team – whether it is a Student Support Team, an IEP Review

Committee or a grade-level planning team – is to recommend strategies that will

help you teach this child more effectively. Those strategies should focus on the

child's strengths and weaknesses and define what kinds of supervision,

assistance or modifications might be helpful to him and to you. Be sure to

include some strategies that will improve the sensory climate in the classroom

and reduce or alter the sensory demands being placed on the child. Teaching that

respects his individuality and provides the " just-right " challenge can actually

improve his ability to organize and regulate himself at school. This emphasis on

prevention is a much more constructive approach than focusing on punitive or

remedial reactions to failure experiences.

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HELP FOR PROFESSIONALS

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HELP FOR KIDS

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