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Project Goal

My goal with this sensory learning implementation is to have a 50% decrease in unwanted behaviors that I take data on daily for each student with a Functional Behavior Assessment plan. The majority of my students have disruptive, aggressive, and/or avoidance behaviors that I take a tally on daily to keep data on my interventions that I implement throughout the school year. This data helps me decide if an intervention and/or strategy is working or not.  

 

Category

Other -  

 

How Project Benefits Students

I am an ESE teacher that teaches in a separate ESE classroom with students that are on the Autism spectrum, have language impairment, and are intellectually disabled. 90% of autistic people have sensory processing difficulties. Sensory processing difficulties could mean they are over-reacting to sensory input, under-reacting to sensory input or excessively seeking out sensory input. Can you imagine what it is like to have your body react to the environment in such drastic ways? In over-responders, every sound is magnified to yelling, every touch is itchy or sticky, every bright color is blinding, every movement is jarring, rocking movement is dizzying, foods are strong, smells take over your emotions. Imagine as an under-responder, sounds are muffled and mixed, colors are dim and blend into each other, you are always bumping into people and things, you have slow responses to everyone and everything, food is bland, smells are light as air. Now, imagine being a sensory seeker that is obsessed with touching every surface, running in circles over and over, jumping from high places, pushing too hard on everything, trying focus on one need, needing to chew every object including furniture. With these severe reactions to their environment every day they need specific sensory input and specific sensory strategies used during learning. Under reactors need proprioceptive activities, like bouncing on an exercise ball or rolling on a scooter board, to stimulate their brain for focus and learning. Sensory Seekers need purposeful proprioceptive activities, like catching a ball while jumping on the trampoline, to meet their threshold of sensory needs to focus and learn. Over-reactors need low and slow activities, like playing with kinetic sand and deep pressure to get them ready to focus and learn.
Giving students the correct sensory input for their sensory needs is called sensory integration. Studies show significant improvement in participation and focus in ASD children after administering sensory integration techniques. (research gate)
Then, they need sensory input during the learning to participate meaningfully. When grouped by academic knowledge and non-conflicting sensory needs, I can control their environment to help them meaningfully participate, stay engaged and demonstrate their knowledge. For the under-responders I can stimulate them by creating movement while sitting at the table like a stool instead of a chair with a back, so they have to balance. I could put a blow-up seat on the chair to create balancing activities. I can have a wireless diffuser with stimulating smells like peppermint and eucalyptus oils. I can have a visually stimulating books creating engagement. For the over-responders I can have a calming sent like lavender and calming activities that require preferred items like soft textures and soothing seating options. I could have a divider to help with seeing distractions. With sensory seekers I could give them a chair that could be positioned in different ways throughout the lesson to give them focused movement. I could have sensory input like chewy toys and fidgets to engage with during activities.
Overall using multi-sensory learning approaches help all students in the school and community. Plenty of studies show that multi-sensory learning is the best way to reach all students and help them perform at their ultimate level. Just having a few brain breaks and a couple movement opportunities does not meet the needs of the students in the classroom. With this constant sensory input that is focused on the student’s specific needs I am providing specially designed support to my students all day every day.
 

 

Expected Outcome(s)

My expected outcome is my students will be getting their sensory needs met and therefore be emotionally regulated. When they are emotionally regulated, they are ready to learn new information and interact with others appropriately. They will have a decrease in aggressive, avoidance and disruptive behaviors and an increase in focused, engaged and calm behaviors. 

 

Detailed Cost Summary

We will be having activities that stimulate the muscles and joints in our body which is called proprioception activities. We will be having vestibular activities that help calm down after proprioceptive activities like rocking and rolling on a ball. We will have oral motor activities that help students also calm down students and meet sensory seekers meet their threshold of sensory needs. We will have deep tissue activities like using a roller that support sensory needs. We will use sensory fidgets to help with concentration and engagement. We will use stimulating objects for those needing stimulation and low and slow activities that need less stimulation. We will be extra safe by using the thick mats when we do these activities. 

 

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