Video

This video was created by a mother who has learned some tricks to help her child with Sensory Processing Disorder, it's very interesting!

velcro

The feeling of Velcro can have a great calming affect on students with sensory processing issues. Velcro can stick to the bottom of a desk, so students can rub their hands across it during lessons.  Also, young children with Velcro shoes could be allowed to rub their shoes during circle time.

Gross Motor

I have observed many different (free!), gross motor techniques in the classroom which help stimulate students.  In my class we do gross motor activities in the morning and in the middle of the day to help students control their bodies.  Running around on a playground is one of the easiest things to do, a child is excited to be on a playground and is willing to do things like monkey bars and climbing walls, because it is fun.  Other things which work include yoga in the classroom and mini exercise breaks.  Things like catching and throwing a ball allow students to be awware of where their bodies are in response to a stimuli.  Playtime isn't just for a break, its a way for students to "ready" their bodies for the rest of the day.

Multisensory Environments

The reason I am talking about Multi-Sensory Environments (MSE), is because the local children hospital just added one and now is the second place in New York which has one.  These are which regulate noise, lighting and sometimes temperature.  There are also things inside which promote relaxation and stimulation of the senses.

MSE is a relatively knew to the United States. It originated in the 1970's in Netherlands and didn't come to the States until 1992.  In 2006 a group of professionals created The American Association of Multi-Sensory Environment (AAMSE). " according to the AAMSE Web site, "as a way to bring together different disciplines to improve education, research, training, and awareness in the use of MSE. It was also a way for those interested in MSE to network with each other and find out where MSE rooms are located throughout the nation (Carter Hollingsworth)."'

Because these are such a new phenomenon, it seems to some professionals to be unbelivable. The idea, that just a quiet room can change a person, can be hard to believe. Dr. Christoper C. Giza wrote, "MSE and many other rehabilitative strategies have been viewed with some skepticism in the medical community. This is due in part to the difficulty in standardizing these therapies and also because it is difficult to demonstrate that
these therapies work distinct from a person's normal course of recovery (Carter Hollingsworth)."

I have a feeling that as more research is done, the more people will understand how important MSE are for community members with sensory motor impairments.

Hollingsworth, J. C. (2007, December). The American Assiciation of Multi Sensory
     Environments. The Exceptional Parent, 37(12), 47-48. Retrieved from
     http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.libezproxy2.syr.edu/hww/results/
     getResults.jhtml?_DARGS=/hww/results/results_common.jhtml.35

Worry Stones

Worry stones are oval shaped stones with a thumbpring indentation.  People use them as calming devices.  A middle school teacher told me they allow their students to use them in the classroom and keep them in their desks. "They work well for students with test anxiety, and those who always need something in their hands."
 Also, these are relatively cheap and small to keep in pockets or in desks.

The hugger

My friend Annie is an ESL teacher in a suburb of Buffalo.  She pushes into a classroom which has some great adaptions.  One in particular, which they call The Hugger.  It is simply excercise bands which the students put around their stomachs and twist or on their legs and pull.
I also have hear of putting them on the bottom of a chair to use while sitting at a desk.

Mr. Fuzzy

These were all the rage when I was student teaching last semester.  Pretty much all they are, are fuzzy little toys that move easily across a child's arm. This is a great form of stimulation for children and also it is something cool! Andy, a teacher in the Onondaga County, he allows students bring these into the classroom and hold onto them as long as they don't need become a distraction.  Also, he has some ready for rewards.

the wonders of a blanket

There are many different things that can be done with a blanket to help students who have sensory processing issues.  These come from different things I have seen in the classroom I'm interning in.
1.  If the child is young put them on a blanket and drag them across the floor, or have the child drag another child across the floor so they feel the weight.  In the school I'm in now, this is done as a part of gym time so every student has the opportunity to be pulled or to pull.
2.Make a kid burrito by rolling her tightly in a blanket. 
3. Have a blanket ready with a flashlight for students to read under.  This will help students who have a tendency to look other places other than the book to read.  It is space weeks so students are reading under a table which has stars glued to the bottom and has a blanket covering it.

corduroy

My friend Lindsey gave me this idea after talking with her aunt. She volunteers in a school in Mississippi.  "...they glued/stapled corduroy fabric to the inside/underside of the desk/table. That way the kid could rub her fingers across the corduroy but still pay attention." Corduroy is a little over 5 dollars a yard, meaning every student in the class can have some, creating a norm for the classroom.

oral motor

There are many students in classrooms who need an oral stimulation to stay calm and concentrate during class.  There are many rubber toys for young children to chew on, similar to a pacifier.

 But we all know is it socially inapprorpiate for a child to have a pacifier past preschool.  The other day in class we were talking about the use of gum to help children concentrate during school.  Although the norm is school is to not allow gum in class, it might be time to take this rule away to help students do better in school.

what's the real effect of weighted vests?

Weighted vests are used to help students with vestibular and propioceptive processing issues to keep focus and attentive during the lessons.  Because they are being widely used among special educators it is important to keep in mind how these vests works and the time length they work.

OTR Erin Morrison wrote, A Review of Research on the use of weighted vests with children on the Autism Spectrum (2007).  The article reviews the techniques of weighted vests and evidence of effectivness in the classroom.
"the weight in the vest
provides proprioception (deep pressure),
which provides calming input to the central
nervous system by promoting the
production of neurotransmitters such as
serotonin and dopamine (2007)."

Teachers have seen vast amount of improvement in attention and a decrease in anxiety while wearing the vests.  But on the other hand, the vests are found not to have lasting effects after the vest is taken off. Therefore the effects are not long term. But the article goes with mentioning that their is no true data which can gives data to the amount of time a vest should be on, and what other factors effect the child.

Morrison, E. (2007, Spring). A Review of Research on the Use of Weighted Vests      with Children on the Autism Spectrum. Education (Chula Viata, Calif),      127(3), 323-327. Retrieved from      http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.libezproxy2.syr.edu/hww/results/      getResults.jhtml?_DARGS=/hww/results/results_common.jhtml.35

seat cushions

Many teachers have suggested the use of seat cushions, in the classrooms.  I have seen them used and they work wonders for students who need to sit on the ground for a long time. This is what I normally see:

 

But if these aren't readily available, a makeshift one can be made.  Sue, a retired teacher explained, "At one point I was buying kitchen seat cushions and placing Velcro on them so students could wipe their hands back and fourth during read-alouds"

raised paper!

Line paper with raised lines allows for children with limited visibility understand where to start and stop a paper. Also, it can be very helpful for students who just don't understand the concept of writing on a line. 

Raised paper is very expensive when bought online, 10 dollars for just twenty sheets.  But with a little time to let it dry, making your own raised paper is a sinch! Plus there are multiple ways to do it to cater to your needs.

1. Use glue and crate lines that match the paper (bright colored glue would make it look nice!).
2. Puffy paint/ acrylic paint works the same way, plus students can help do this if there is spare time.
3. If you want to get high tech, use an embosser printer.  Although expensive at first the printer will allow quick, multiple copies of lined paper. 

keeping with the themes

"I have a clear plastic container with a screw on lid. I fill it with different things to match the month's theme. This month it has plastic bugs, fuzzy balls that look like flowers, butterfly beads and bells for sound."
This teacher incorporates the theme/ unit into the sensory materials.  This turns it into a normal part of the classroom.  Creating this type of environment which doesn't divide a class between special needs and general education, but rather unites the class under one theme.

pencil grips

During my student teaching experience I worked in a special needs classroom for students with emotional and behavioral disorders.  Some students in the room also had anxiety disorders, and were constantly nervous doing seat work and test.  Giving these children a pencil grip really provided something for the students to squeeze and calm themselves during the writing activity.  Also, as dual help, it aided the students with proper pencil grip!

The following website provides a list of different pencil grips which are pretty inexpensive to buy.  http://www.thepencilgrip.com/dyn_category.php?k=25774

weigh it down

A weighted vest is used to help students control their bodies.  They are used as calming mechanisms and better integrate sensory motors.  But boy are these things ugly and expensive (60 to 70 dollars)!  After discussing with  a teacher she had other ways to get the weight needed to calm their body:
carrying water jugs
weighing down a backpack
carrying books

misunderstood minds

misunderstood minds

Above is a link to a pbs.org simulation of what a student with ADHD has going through their mind during a lesson.  It really gives a sense of how teachers can create rules and lessons that will help the student concentrate on the curriculum.  Try it out!

ADHD

Every teacher will teach a child with ADHD.  Children are being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or more commonly referred to as ADHD all the time.  These students are typically diagnosed because of their inability to stay focused, impulsive behaviors, and/ or hyperactivity.  In summary, students with ADHD have difficulty sorting out what is important because of too much stimulus.  Instead of listing to you teach they are distracted by the murmurer the vent is making. Students with ADHD who have the same IQ as students in their class are more likely to score lower on a test. 

A study was done by BLANK which found three important changes of development pertaining to ADHD.  First, young children have a hard time adjusting to different demands.  For instance if you tell him/her to look at a globe then took look for a city then to the country, this narrowing and expanding of ideas might be too complicated.  Second, children become better and sifting through relevant and irrelevant data with age. Finally young children are slower and shifting between ideas than older children.

Children with ADHD cannot control their "filter" in their brain that makes only the important stuff come to the foreground.  Teachers have t become aware of the surroundings and understand the annoyances that might effect their education.

Shalev, L., & Tsal, Y. (2003, November/December). The wide attentional window: a      major deficit of children with attention diffiulties. Journal of Learning      Disabilities , 36(6), 517-527. Retrieved from      http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.libezproxy2.syr.edu/hww/results/      getResults.jhtml?_DARGS=/hww/results/results_common.jhtml.35

fuzzy slippers?

I posted on a special education forum to see what other teachers across the country are doing, and one answer just stuck out with me. "I wear fuzzy slippers during assemblies, so my student can rub the fuzzy part and sit still."

This may be just the innovation I have been looking for.  We've all hear of the Koosh Balls and widgets, but I don't think many people have thought of changing their wardrobe to meet the needs of students. Now what an adaptation! I'm not telling all special educators to wear fuzzy slippers around, but just to look at the environment which is given to you, and figuring out how it can altered to meet the needs of every student. 

things to keep in the desk

When asked for ideas, multiple ideas for things to keep in the desk were brought up. 

Different textures:

• felt
• velcro
• cotton swabs
• linen
• bubble wrap (if it doesn't bother the others around)
• sandpaper
• the fake grass
• sticky tack or play dough

Other things include:

• two sticks to rub together
• chapstick
• stress ball
• hair tie (to fiddle with)

kneading the dough

The other day at preschool, my students were making bread.  Not only were the students learning math and pre-literacy skills, but they were also providing a multisensory experience! Kneading the dough, smelling the dough, and tasting the cooked bread allows students to use multiple senses in a pleasing matter with a delicious outcome.

Ann Parrish, the founder of Alaska-based innovative Cooking Enterprise proclaimed, "Bread making engages people with special needs and motivates them to learn how to follow recipes, how to integrate math into daily living and how to develop other life skills,"

 Every single preschool in my classroom had the ability to create bread.  While making the bread we had the students stir different consistencies of the dough, and smell as each ingredient went into the mixing bowl.  For children who ne oral stimulation the could taste the dough without the fear of toxins. 

Here is a recipe that is very similar to the one we made in class, from the website http://www.cookuk.co.uk/children/bread_easy.htm :

INGREDIENTS

500g / 1lb 2oz Strong white bread flour

1¼ teaspoon salt

1½ teaspoon bread yeast

2 teaspoon sugar

300ml / 10fl oz water

DIRECTIONS: 

1. Wash hands!

2.Put the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a largish bowl and mix all the ingredients together well.

3. Slowly add the water to the mixture and blend it in.
When all the water is added, continue mixing with your hands for 5 minutes more. Place the dough on a floured surface.

4. knead the dough for about ten minutes 

5. Cover the dough with a wet  towel  and place it somewhere at room temperature. Two hours later the dough will have doubled in size and be ready for baking!

6. cook in an oven which is preheated to 450 degrees for about 35 minutes or until golden brown

7. enjoy with butter or other topping! 

Hu, S. (2005, October). A special toy for your special child may be hiding in
     the kitchen appliances section. The Exceptional Parent, 35(10), 32-34.
     Retrieved from http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.libezproxy2.syr.edu/hww/results/
     getResults.jhtml?_DARGS=/hww/results/results_common.jhtml.35  

Reinventing the Pencil

Ever been taking a test or in a high anxiety environment and all you can concentrate on is the person next to you clicking their pen or tapping their pencil? As distracting as this is, it can be stimulating for the person doing the clicking. 
A teacher has found a way to meet the needs of both the child who needs the silence and the child who needs to make the movement.  Clothespins rubber banded to the top of a pencil! This allow the student holding to pencil to get the same stimulation he got from clicking of tapping, but with less noise to interrupt the other students!

Make your own weighted blanket

I found a way to create your own weighted blanket through the website: sensory-processing-disorder.com
Here are the directions:


Materials:
Blanket sewn in a square pattern
Sand, poly pellets, beans, rice or popcorn
Heavy duty Ziploc bags
Velcro
Extra strength fabric glue

1. Buy a blanket that is a "down alternative," use regular down and you'll have feathers everywhere. Make sure it is sewn with squares, not the long channels. For example: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=108745
2. Count the number of squares. I left a 2 square border all the way around the blanket. For a twin sized blanket it was 48 squares.
3. Buy heavy duty ziploc bags.
4. Buy velcro and extra strength fabric glue.
5. Divide the weight you want the blanket to be by the number of squares. For example: a 15 pound blanket, divided by 48 squares= .3 lbs per square.
6. Put the appropriate amount (I used a food scale) of material in each ziploc bag. There are a lot of different materials you can use-poly pellets, beans, rice, popcorn or sand. I used sand because it was the cheapest. 25 pound bag for $1.50 at the hardware store.
7. Cut one side of the seam for each square on the blanket you will put a bag in. In my case 48.
8. Measure the opening and cut that length of velcro for each square. Again for me 48.
9. Glue the velcro strips to the top and bottom of the opening.
10. Put in a ziploc bag full of material and secure the square with the velcro.


Making a smaller version of this blanket so students could keep on their laps during desk time or carpet time, would be a great adaption for the classroom.

Too Much Stimulation

Some children cannot handle the touch of the sand or the touch of others.  Sensitivity to touch can lead to children becoming irritable and could cause behavior problems. Other children might be affected by smells, where their olfactory system will pick up a scent that is being irritable to them.  Bright lights may be too much for students who are oversensitive in the sight area.  Finally students can be oversensitive to taste and hearing.

Here is just an overview of things that could be done in the classroom to lessen the irritability for some of the senses:
Touch: "we can introduce firm pressure, gradually combining it with light touch (Greenspan)." This will help students ease into the feeling of touch without feeling too intimidated.
Sound: Gradually giving both low and high frequencies will do the same thing as touch by getting students used to the various sounds which they will have to overcome in real world situations.
Smell: Have something ready/  a location to go to  for the child to smell during times when smells are heightened (meal time). Exposing children to smells that might be there prior to leaving a location may allow stundents to be ready with a positive reaction.
Sight: Have sunglasses for when going outside.  Instead of florecent lights have lamps with softer lighting.   Also, use shades which can control the sunlight entering the classroom.


"We need to appreciate the way each child's sensory system is working. At the beginning of the year,consider how each child in your classroom reacts to each of the senses' pathways (Greenspan)"

Greenspan, S. (2006, March). Working with a Child Who is Sensory Reactive.      Scholastic Early Childhood Today, 20(5), 22-23. Retrieved from      http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.libezproxy2.syr.edu/hww/results/      getResults.jhtml?_DARGS=/hww/results/results_common.jhtml.35

making your own fidget

Fidgets are wonderful tools to have to use for self-regulation. They can be used to calm or alert a student.  Also, they can be used for tactile awareness.  These are great to have all over the classrooms to be used by the students. What could be a better activity for the kids to make their own fidgets!

Take a baloon and fill it with one of the various items (or something else that would work just as great!):

• sand
• rice
• lentils
• popcorn kernals

The fidget can also be bought at stores for usually less than three dollars, but I think it would be more fun to make with the children.

The Benefits of Art Therapy

art-therapist.org

My friend Alicia, works for Health and Education services as an Art Therapist. This is what she had to say about it:

"What art therapy means to me, as a professional, is the opportunity for clients to express emotions in a safe, comfortable manner. They are able to use different mediums (ie. drawing, painting, clay, etc.) in order to get their ideas across to the therapist both non-verbally and without judgement. It is a way of connecting their thoughts and feeling to real-life obstacles they face on a regular basis. Art therapy provides creativity, imagination, risk-taking, decision-making, and, most importantly, self-confidence."

The process of creating art is theraputic, it allows the mind to stop and relax. Students with sensory processing impairment could use this as a gateway to calm.  Also, Art supplies if not found in a classroom will be found in any school.
Using a variety of different mediums will let  children make their own textures and make their own masterpieces.  As a way of soothing, Art Therapy allows students to communicate through pictures.


A school day is so structured, a lesson where students are allowed to use their own creativity would give them the relaxation they need to continue the day.

Koosh Ball

The Koosh Ball was created in 1988 by a father who wanted a toy that both his five year old and eight year old could throw.  The sound of the ball when it hit the ground is what created its name (wikipedia, Koosh Ball).

"This ball is easy to grasp, stretch, and pull. Also, the ball does not bounce, making it easier to retrieve. Its hair-like features appeal to the sense of touch (Early Childhood Assistive Technology)." Anyone who has ever touch this toy can tell you how stimulating this toy can be.  Because the ball has so much color and textured it helps students who need extra stimulus and dexterity.
Also, they are very easy to integrate into lessons. Passing the ball to show that one person can talk at a time.  Or having them to play with at recess.  The Koosh Ball doesn't look out of the normal, and are very inexpensive.  Keeping multiple balls around the classroom wouldn't cost more than ten dollars. '

The University of Texas at Austiv The college of education learning technology
     center. (2005). Early Childhood Assistive Technology. Retrieved March 26,
     2011, from http://www.edb.utexas.edu/ATLab/Labinventory/EarlyChildhood/
     ec-sensoryaids.php 

The Power of Excercise

In the article, Effects of Acute Exercise on Sensory and Executive Processing Tasks,  Kate Lambourne, Michael Audiffren and Phillip Tomporowski created an experiment to find out if exercise really does help stimulate the brain.  
To do the test nineteen participants around the age of 21 were asked to perform a test before exercising, five times while exercising on an ergometer and three times during a thirty minute postexercise period. Then the same type of test was given while the participants were sitting stationary on the machine.
The conclusion of the test is, "exercise-induced arousal facilitates sensory process in stimulus detection but does not influence the updating component of executive processing (Lambourne, Audiffren, Tomporowski)" Exercise improves  performance by increasing blood flow to the brain, which adds oxygen and nutrients to the brain. It almost seems as if the brain is ready to learn, and ready to focus on the teacher.

So, as budget cuts are lessening the time students spend in gym class, it is imperative to allow students to excerxise in the classroom. Students with sensory processing disorders might already be leaving the classroom for Physical and Occupational Therapy.  With adding exercise to the classroom, they can stay in the classroom and participate with the rest of the students.
Another great thing about putting exercise in the classroom is that it is free! Have an exercise routine ready for the students in the morning and after lunch.  Something for five to ten minutes to help students "get the blood flowing."




Lambourne, K., Audifren, M., & Tomporowski, P. (n.d.). Effects of Acute Exercise
     on Sensory and Executive Processing Tasks. Medicine and Science in Sports
     and Exercise, 4(7), 1396-1402. Retrieved from
     http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.libezproxy2.syr.edu/hww/results/
     getResults.jhtml?_DARGS=/hww/results/results_common.jhtml.35

Name Tags

This idea comes from Jeffrey Baker, a student teacher from St. Bonaventure University:
Creating touch name tags for every student in the classroom.  Because lets be honest, some student who aren't classified need stimulus (ie the clicking of pens).  Using materials like sandpaper, felt, faux grass, etc... to outline a name tag that's placed on a child's desk can serve dual purposes.  First it helps students remember where they sit, and second while a student is sitting they can rub their hand on the name tag to get the extra stimulus they need.  Plus, it will make the room look asethically pleasing.

Cost: 2 to 10 dollars

What is the cost of related services?

According to the article, IEP’s, Related Services, and Third Party Billing, related services can considered anything that will help a child throughout their educational career. This includes assistive technology and extra support staff.
IDEA states: related services are described as developmental, corrective, and other supportive services that are required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education.
Also, according to the Free Approrpriate Public Education Act, these services have to be paid for by the school districts.  Which makes school districts spend a lot of tax payers dollars on things not every student in the school will use.
From 1982 to 1998 there was a 117% increase in spending on Special Education (compared 69% increase in the general education setting ).  This is for many reasons. There has become a higher percentage of students enrolling in schools with special needs because of the deinstitutionalization of children. Also, advancements in technology and medical knowledge has allowed researchers to create new and better accommodations that will help specific students (Parrish).

Schools all over are creating their budgets for next year.  They are cutting costs left and right.  I wouldn't be surprised if special education is put on the platform to cut.  To many people it is seen as a costly program, which "teaches dumb people to flip burgers."

Well in my professional opinion people who say things like this are degrading and shouldn't be allowed to even discuss the budget.  It is not just a part of special education law that students with disabilities are educated, but it is about human rights.  Everyone has the right to learn up to their fullest potential. There are many ways to cut costs in all  areas, which don't interfere with any students learning.  It's time to take a step back and remember who is really hurting during these harsh economic times: the children.  So as this blog continues I hope that people can see how little things can be done to create a bigger picture.  I'm only talking about cutting costs in the sensory motor department, I'm sure other areas of schools can find ways to decrease costs as well.













EP's, Related Services, and Third Party Billing. (2004, July). The Exceptional Parent, 34(7), 73-75.        Retrieved from http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.libezproxy2.syr.edu/hww/results/
     external_link_maincontentframe.jhtml?_DARGS=/hww/results/results_common.jhtml.44 

Parrish, T. (2000). Who's Paying the Rising Cost of Special Education.
     Journal of Special Education Leadership, 1-18. Retrieved from
     http://csef.air.org/publications/related/jsel/parrish_jsel.pdf 

The Wonders of Packing Peanuts

Packing Peanuts!

What a great excuse for buying yourself  a present! Not only will you get something new, but the packing peanuts can be used in the classroom.  So go a head and click send the next time you are debating on buying that new purse-because in the end its for the good of the children!

Tracy Durkin gave me the idea for packing peanuts, "I remember packing peanuts (the foam ones used in shipping) working well for calming many of my students.  They are soft, pliable, easily held in small hands, and pretty hard to break."

There are a ton of ways these can be incorporated into a classroom.  If they are young children putting packing peanuts into a sensory motor table for all to use would be a great way for all children to  use them.
For elementary children, having bags around the room during recess/ quiet time for students to touch and feel.  Maybe in a quiet zone, the students can have them just to start relaxing. Also, creating art out the peanuts is great way to help students and use their imagination!