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!