REVIEW OF SENSORY PROCESSING AND PRACTICAL STRATEGIES FOR TEACHING SELF REGULATION

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REVIEW OF SENSORY PROCESSING AND PRACTICAL
STRATEGIES FOR TEACHING SELF REGULATION

• Lynn Fisher, OTR
• Pat Adler, OTA
• Paula Buege, District Parent Liaison

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WHAT IS SENSORY INTEGRATION?

• Sensory processing or sensory integration is a
  neurological process that occurs in all of us.
• We constantly take in sensory information through
  our bodies from the world around us. As our
  brains organize or integrate this sensory
  information it becomes meaningful to us.
• Normal sensory integration allows us to respond
  to the specific sensory input we receive
  automatically, efficiently and comfortably.

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OUR SENSES AND BRAIN PLASTICITY

• Sensations come into nerve endings in our body
  traveling to many areas of our brain.
• Our brain compares each incoming sensation with
  other incoming sensations and then decides how to
  respond.
• The brain is constantly evolving and capable of
  structural change until we die.
• The more we challenge our brain by learning and
  doing the more connections and pathways our
  nervous system makes, from stringing beads to
  playing an instrument.
• The more we repeat the new skill, the stronger
  the pathways in the brain become and the skill
  becomes automatic.
• Intervention for sensory struggles can make a
  huge difference at any age.

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EXAMPLE OF BRAIN PLASTICITY

• Learning to play the guitar
• When you first play a chord, a neural connection
  is made.
• Each time you play the chord, the connection is
  facilitated.
• Eventually, your fingers know how to play it
  without conscious thought
• You have, in effect, remodeled your brain.
• (from Raising A Sensory Smart Child)

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THE FAMILIAR SENSES

• We have 5 familiar senses that respond to
• sensory input from outside of our body.
• Auditory (sound) -Information through the ears
• Gustatory (taste) -Information through the mouth
• Olfactory (smell) -Information through the nose
• Visual-(seeing) -Information through the eyes
• Tactile (touch) -Information through the hands
  skin

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THE HIDDEN SENSES

• We have 2 hidden senses that respond
• to sensory input inside our body.
• Vestibular Information about movement through
  the inner ear
• Proprioceptive - Information from muscles,
  ligaments, and joints

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THE TWO HIDDEN SENSESVESTIBULAR AND
PROPRIOCEPTIVE

• We are not consciously aware of the hidden senses
• we cannot control them
• and we cannot see them
• Along with the Tactile (touch) system, these 2
  hidden senses are fundamental in laying the
  ground work for a childs healthy development.
• When the hidden senses operate automatically and
  efficiently a child is able to focus his eyes,
  ears and attention (familiar senses) to the task
  at hand.

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NORMAL DEVELOPMENT OF SENSORY INTEGRATION IN
INFANTS AND CHILDREN

• The development of Sensory integration is similar
  to a child building with blocks
• Each block rests on the building blocks under it.
• Level 1- Hidden senses
• (Proprioceptive Vestibular)
  Tactile
• Level 2- Perceptual Motor Foundations
• Level 3- Perceptual Motor Skills

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From Out of Sync Child
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WHAT IS SENSORY INTEGRATION DYSFUNCTION?

• The inability to take in, organize and respond
• to sensory information in a
• meaningful appropriate way.
• Also called
• Sensory Integration Disorder
• Sensory Processing Disorder
• SI Dysfunction

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From Out of Sync Child
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WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

• Some individuals may be overly sensitive,
• while others are under-responsive
• Everyone processes sensory input differently and
  thats okay.
• What matters when any sensory input is
  negatively impacting the childs life causing
  problems.
• An Occupational Therapist can guide
• programming to assist in alleviating the
  difficulties

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WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? What can we do about it?

• AUDITORY Information through the ears (sound)
• covers his/her ears during assemblies, gym and
  music classes, fire drills
• Strategies
• Ear phones or ear plugs
• Prior notice of fire drills
• Sitting away from speakers
• Bal-a-vis-x
• GUSTATORY Information through the mouth (taste)
• extremely picky eater
• puts everything into the mouth
• Strategies
• Eight introductions
• Never force
• Teach safety and cleanliness look first,
  ask second, and then insert

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WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? What can we do about it?

• OLFACTORY Information through the nose (smells)
• feels sick when strong smelling foods are served
  in the cafeteria
• smells/sniffs everything they come into contact
  with
• Strategies
• Expand repertoire of smells
• VISUAL Information through the eyes, including
  sight
• squints because light seems too bright
• trouble focusing on any one object or person/too
  many difficulties
• eye tracking activities
• Strategies
• Bal-a-vis-x program
• Sun glasses or brimmed hats
• Lighting changes
• I see a..
• Seated in front of the classroom
• Rooms near and organized
• Double doodle activities

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WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? What can we do about it?

• TACTILE Information through the layers of skin
  (touch)
• doesnt like glue, marker, or paint on their
  fingers or hands
• does not like to be touched
• child doesnt notice food on their face
• Strategies
• Shaving cream, finger paints,
• play-doh, sand play, water play,
• two hands, hammer and nails, sandpaper,
• rolling out pizza, bread or cookie dough
• Brush with towel
• Scrubby
• Wash, brush, comb hair
• Big bear hugs often

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WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? What can we do about it?

• PROPRIOCEPTIVE Information through the muscles
  and joints
• looks clumsy
• trouble learning new body movements
• Strategies for PROPRIOCEPTIVE/resistive
  activities
• Crawling games
• Brain Gym program
• Bal-a-vis-x program
• What interests them?
• Break down into smaller steps

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WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? What can we do about it?

• VESTIBULAR Information from movement
• difficulty with motion, spinning, or swinging
• craves motion, spinning, and swinging
• Strategies
• Astronaut program
• Introduce activities slowly
• Never force a child
• Repeat an activity that they like
• Bal-a-vis-x with balance board

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What happens when a child is distressed?

• Brain powers down
• Child cant process
• listen or think
• May act out aggressively

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WHAT TO DO? Strategies when in distress

• Adult needs to introduce the strategy to
  teach/help child to regulate
• Calm yourself- physiologically, mentally
  emotionally (deep breaths)
• Meet basic needs
• Food, Hydration, Health, Sleep
• Stop talking!!

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WHAT TO DO?

• Listen, and listen some more
• Validate his/her feelings
• Collaborative Problem Solving involve the youth
  in the solution
• Offer appreciations often

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Preventative Sensory Strategies GOAL REMAIN
REGULATED! When a child is regulated s/he will
have an open mind, access rational thinking and
be able to process function

• Oral Input
• Chew Gum Stride Winter Blue
• Suck applesauce, yogurt or pudding through a
  straw
• Blowing bubbles, harmonica or kazoo, singing,
  playing instrument, humming
• Proprioceptive Vestibular Input
• Bounce, stomp, jumping, running, walking,
  spinning, clapping, punch bag
• Provide naturally occurring job that involves
  heavy work
• lifting, pushing, pulling, climbing
  stairs/hills, raking, digging, sweeping,
• wrestling, crashing
• Deep pressure bear hugs, steam rolling, body
  sack,
• brushing and joint compressions (Wilbarger),
  massage
• Weighted blankets, vests, lap buddies (follow an
  Occupational Therapists recommendations)
• Compression Suits/Body Armor

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Preventative Sensory Strategies GOAL REMAIN
REGULATED! When a child is regulated s/he will
have an open mind, access rational thinking and
be able to process function

• Rhythm calms one beat per second is said to be
  the healthiest rhythm
• to slow down heart rate, speech
  respiration to relax and calm.
• Beat on a drum one beat per second.
• Swinging, rocking, walking, biking, running.
• Yoga exercises, deep breathing, meditation
• Play soft music, use white noise/fan or
  water/ocean waves.
• Stroking or walking a pet
• Dim the lights, use natural or full spectrum
  lighting
• Turn off the TV and radio
• Ask the child what he wants or needs
• (often hes telling us and we arent
  listening).

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SENSORY DIET

• Patricia Wilbarger, an occupational therapist,
  coined the term.
• A personalized schedule of sensory activities
  that gives your child the sensory fuel his/her
  body needs to get into an organized state and
  stay there.
• Provides the sensory input necessary at regular
  intervals throughout the day to maintain
  appropriate arousal and sustain attention for
  each desired activity.
• (from Raising a Sensory Smart Child)

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DEVELOPING A HOME SENSORY DIET

• Work with an Occupational Therapist if possible.
• Begin with observations, what behaviors are you
  seeing?
• Look for patterns or differences in behavior in
  various environments with different stimuli.
• Begin to give the child the sensations they are
  needing in a safer, healthier way.
• Long term goal is for child to self -regulate.
• www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/sensory-diet.h
  tml

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REFERENCES

• Williams, M.S. Shellenberger, S. (1996). How
  Does Your Engine Run? A Leaders Guide to The
  Alert Program for Self-Regulation, Albuquerque,
  NM Therapy Works, Inc.
• Yack, E., Aquilla, P. Sutton, S. (2004).
  Building Bridges Through Sensory Integration, Las
  Vegas, NV Sensory Resources, LLC.
• Miller, L.J. (2006). Sensational Kids, New York,
  NY G.P. Putnams Sons.
• Biel, L. Peske, N. (2005). Raising a Sensory
  Smart Child, New York, NY Penguin Books.
• Kranowitz, C.S. (1989). The Out of Sync Child,
  New York, NY The Berkley Publishing Group.
• Cohen, I. Goldsmith, M. (2000). Hands On, How
  to Use Brain Gym in the Classroom,
  Edu-Kinesthetics, Inc.
• Dr. Ross Greene, Lost At School, Why Our Kids
  With Behavioral Challenges Are Falling Through
  the Cracks, and How We Can Help Them.

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