Busy Hands = Calm Minds

School:: Vineyards Elementary
Subject:: Special Needs Students
Teacher:: Lori Schwab
Students Impacted:: 8
Grade:: Pre-K
Date:: September 1, 2019

Investor

Thank you to the following investor for funding this grant.

Kim Etzel - $368.13

Impact to My Classroom

# of Students Impacted: 10

My students were so excited when we unpacked the materials. Each of them showed an immediate interest in the activities. We were fortunate to have our plant manager mount and hang the alligator activity wall in the classroom. The other activities were placed near the alligator and this area was designated as the “Sensory Area”. The area was used when a student needed a sensory break or if they requested to use the area following completion of assigned classroom work. Several of the activities in the area were new and had to be taught to the students. On Friday’s we have 5th-grade mentors who work with the students on activities. I had them work with my students in the sensory area to show them the proper way to utilize the materials. This allowed my students to learn to manipulate the materials independently while also learning to share and take turns. The sensory area was used daily and found to provide the students with a fun outlet as well as a place where they could calm themselves when upset. One particular non-verbal student who frequently became upset due to various situations in the classroom benefitted the most from the area. When upset and we were unable to calm her, having her sit and play in the sensory area allowed her to regroup and self soothe. This same student would frequently run to the area upon arrival at school due to her preference for the area. I am so grateful to have these materials in my classroom to provide my students with enjoyment and sensory relief throughout the school year for years to come.

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Sensory Area

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Original Grant Overview

Goal

To provide my students with an area where they can go to calm down, regain focus or just relax. An area where students can self-regulate in hopes of decreasing disruptive behaviors in the classroom.

What will be done with my students

Students will be shown the designated “sensory area” which will include the items requested in this grant. The students will be reminded daily that this area can be used anytime when the students or the teachers feel the students, need a “break” from their current situation. In addition to individual use of the area whenever necessary, students will have access to the area prior to their quiet time in the afternoon. This will help to calm their minds after a long day of academics and assist them in relaxing prior to leaving for the day.

Benefits to my students

Many students who receive services in my type of classroom (IBI-2: Intensive Behavior Intervention: A self-contained program that provides very small group or 1:1 intervention, continuous individual assistance, monitoring or intervention for physical safety and self-care) experience problems with processing sensory input. A sensory processing disorder (SPD) is a neurological disorder that causes difficulties with processing information from the five senses: vision, auditory, touch, olfaction, and taste. This disorder can cause students to feel overwhelmed and cause the classroom to be a stressful environment. One way to ease the students stress levels and help them to return to being calm and focused is to allow them access to sensory items. According to Autism Magazine, “Exposure to sensory items can assist students in learning how to manage different sensations, which in turn can help with interactions in the world.” I want to provide my students with a learning environment where they feel safe and can be successful.

Budget Narrative

Items listed include wall-mountable manipulative boards as well as stand-alone activities and individual sensory toys.

Items

#	Item	Cost
1	EverEarth Garden Activity Cube	$74.99
2	Manhattan Toy Tree Top Adventure Activity Center	$76.99
3	Learning Advantage Crocodile Activity Wall Panels	$164.60
4	Liquid Motion Bubblers	$20.99
5	Mixed Sensory Toys	$9.99
6	Shipping & Handling	$20.57
	Total:	$368.13

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