Wednesday, March 30, 2011

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.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

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

Monday, March 28, 2011

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.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

The Benefits of Art Therapy



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.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

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

Thursday, March 24, 2011

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

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

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 

Monday, March 21, 2011

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!