Sensory Needs & Interventions. Understanding Sensory Processing for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

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Belinda Davis
6 years ago
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1 Sensory Needs & Interventions Understanding Sensory Processing for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

2 What is Self-Regulation? The ability to attain, maintain, or change how alert we feel, which influences our ability to engage in tasks or situations we encounter each day. In short, it s integrating and modulating sensory input to get the job done. There are 7 sensory systems

3 Sensory Systems 1. Vision 2. Touch (Tactile) 3. Listening (Auditory) 4. Proprioceptive 5. Vestibular 6. Taste (Gustatory) 7. Smell (Olfactory)

4 How do you selfregulate?

5 The Visual System Typically an area of strength for students with ASD Using visual supports with clarity will reduce anxiety Expressive communication can be enhanced with visuals (e.g. PECS, scripts)

6 The Touch (Tactile) System Assists in the discrimination of objects (size, shape, texture Assists in the awareness of physical body boundaries (what is me, and what is outside of me ) Protects from harm (temperature, pain)

7 The Listening (Auditory) System Assists with the perception and discrimination of what sounds are and where they are coming from Protects through orienting responses to loud and sudden noises to alert for potential danger.

8 Movement & The Proprioceptive System Perception and discrimination of joint and muscle position and force Assists in grading motion and body awareness Activated by deep pressure

9 Movement & The Vestibular System Perception and discrimination of the position of the head in relation to gravity Awareness of motion of the head and body Protects from falls Maintains body tone Assists with eye-hand coordination

10 Taste (Gustatory) System Perception and discrimination of tastes Protects from nonedibles

11 Smell (Olfactory) System Perception and discrimination of smells Protects from noxious or dangerous odors

Developing a Sensory Diet Students with ASD

students with ASD are better able to focus

12 Developing a Sensory Diet Students with ASD have difficulty processing sensory input within their environment By threading sensory experiences into their school day, students with ASD are better able to focus and attend to learning tasks. This is a Sensory Diet

13 Teacher Friendly Sensory Diet Tools

14 How to Use a Sensory Diet Environment- set it up with sensation in mind! Interaction-sensory experiences can facilitate communication, make it fun! Daily Routine- incorporate sensation into what is already happening Develop a formal schedule of sensory activities (work system/task)

15 S cool Moves: Minute Moves for Calming Visual & Proprioceptive Tools

16 S cool Moves: I Can Calm Myself Improves Sensation Improves Posture Improves ability to sit and focus Improves laterality and crossing the midline of the brain and body- a crucial support for fluent reading and writing

17 S cool Moves: Smiley Jumps I Vestibular Tool Jumping patterns should be performed rhythmically Add complexity by using language with directional movements as this transfers to literacy tasks.

left, right, over and under correlate to math concepts.

18 S cool Moves: Smiley Jumps II Vestibular Tool Students jump from quadrant to quadrant The ability to understand concepts of up, down, left, right, over and under correlate to math concepts. Students must have these concepts internalized in the body before applying them to academics.

19 Benefits of Exercise

20 Work System for Gym

21 Safe Area Specific Location Retreat, relax recover Incorporate calming activities System for requesting Clarify beginning and end

22 How to Help: Outlets for Stress Exercise Safe areas Relaxation/calming strategies

24 Proprioceptive- Calming Strategies

25 Vestibular/Auditory/Visual/Ta ctile-calming Strategies

26 Proprioceptive/Vestibular- Focus Strategies

27 Oral/Auditory/Tactile/Visu al- Focus Strategies

28 Vestibular- Movement Strategies

29 Considerations of a Sensory Diet Individual Needs of the Child Support of Educational Staff Environment Available Equipment Schedule Needs of other Students

30 Questions & Answers

Autism Spectrum Disorder & Essential Classroom Strategies Presenter: Suzanne Donnelly

Autism Spectrum Disorder & Essential Classroom Strategies Presenter: Suzanne Donnelly Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect) 1 Overview 1. What is autism? 2. Characteristics of autism 3. Essential classroom