School Sensory Rooms

Educators are starting to realize the importance of addressing their students' sensory based needs in order to help them be more successful in the classroom and within the school environment in general.  Not just special educators, but regular education teachers and administrators as well.  Sometimes this is being addressed due to a known sensory processing disorder, but also because educators are recognizing the calming and organizing effects that sensory based activities have on the central nervous system. Without delving into the hows and whys of using sensory based activities, it is becoming more apparent in the school setting that ALL students (and all of us, for that matter) have sensory preferences and respond to sensory information and input from the environment- and we can use this information to influence the central nervous system to help calm, alert and organize students for learning.

One of the schools that I serve in central North Dakota has made addressing their students' sensory needs and their need for movement a priority in their school.  Washburn school has created a sensory room that kids can access with adult supervision and guidance.  They have developed parameters for which kids access the room, and collaborate with additional school staff to help identify individual student needs as applicable.  They have a variety of items in the room to address various sensory areas- tactile, auditory, visual, proprioceptive and vestibular.  New equipment is added as it becomes available.

Crash pad, therapy balls, stationary bike, shelving contains medicine balls, stepping stones,
balance beams, scooter boards, balls, etc.

visual, tactile, auditory, fine motor equipment

The room also has a calm down area for kids who need some time to re group.

All children remove their shoes and wash their hands (and face if needed) before they access items in the room.  Staff maintains the equipment by cleaning it as well.  Each student develops a visual plan of which activities they want to complete by choosing 3 activities (pictures) and then puts them on an activity strip. An adult will help guide choices as needed for maximum input, and also helps students determine the number of repetitions or amount of time for each activity. A timer is set to provide an auditory/visual cue for when it is time to transition back to class.  Shoes are put back on and hands are washed before the kids return to class. Breaks usually take no longer than 10 minutes, but can be longer depending on individual needs. Some kids have sensory breaks regularly scheduled into their day, some access on an as needed basis. 

Other schools are also seeing the benefits of providing sensory or "body breaks" as well:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/body-break-cross-fit-montessori-school-1.4061416?fbclid=IwAR1gI3gZHwAyUz0pvC1JimBbgDZJX7Lj4WueaCoY2yvsOIfcF7qW4yYu9kM

Screen time is increasing, the demands of academics are increasing and skills are expected earlier in school now than sometimes is developmentally appropriate.  Recess time and free play are decreased to meet academic demands... The following links also look at the need for movement and physical activity for kids:

https://mobile.edweek.org/c.jsp?cid=25920011&item=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.edweek.org%2Fv1%2Fblog%2F95%2Findex.html%3Fuuid%3D77019&platform=hootsuite&fbclid=IwAR0NS3G_-1hD7wgph2Wi6J8vdh544djVjs4UV-RgB_fjpZuXb2j6WVZI47c

https://returntonow.net/2016/03/28/kids-spend-less-time-outdoors-than-prisoners/?fbclid=IwAR3m7jYADt3X2eAydwZNRYptS1Jo2Tlw2O7ccxoFpT10v9u1zKxhPSrBk7U

Classroom Rules for Flexible Seating

The following addition is in reference to my post re: flexible seating from 8/21/18...I mentioned that my niece uses flexible seating in her classroom for ALL of her students, and that there are rules that her students follow for seating option use: "...there are parameters provided by the teacher to the students for use of the flexible seating options, but kids seem to learn the "rules" quickly."  Well, here are the rules that are posted in her classroom:

The bottom sentence in green states: "Mrs. Keysor can move anyone at anytime." (And she follows through with this if need be.)

Fun Fine Motor Products

Just adding a couple of fun products that I think are worth sharing...

Kwik Stix- solid tempera paint sticks
These paint sticks are one of my new favorite things- they are chunky for little hands and they dry very quickly.  No mess painting, who wouldn't love that??  My students have loved using them, there are a ton of colors, and there's even a sensory component to the way they glide on the paper.  They are fairly inexpensive and you can also get them in thin stix as well.  Find them on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Pencil-Grip-TPG-604-Tempera-Paint/dp/B07DXK36CF/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1537546895&sr=8-3&keywords=kwik+stix

PaperMate Handwriting Mechanical Pencils
These mechanical pencils are triangular in shape to encourage a better grasp pattern, are thicker in diameter than a regular mechanical pencil, and have thicker lead (so less breakage for those kids who exert pressure when writing). There are also triangular pens with washable black ink, and wood case triangular pencils as well. I picked up my pack at Staples for $2.99 on sale (reg. 3.99 for a 5 pack).  https://www.staples.com/paper+mate+handwriting/directory_paper%2520mate%2520handwriting?deptFid=Department_3A_22Pens_22

They are also available at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Paper-Mate-Handwriting-Mechanical-2017486/dp/B077PDNQJ8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537547134&sr=8-1&keywords=papermate%2Bhandwriting%2Bmechanical%2Bpencils%2Bfor%2Bkids&th=1

Smencils
I have always been a fan of Smencils, because they smell fantastic.  I have a Christmas set of holiday scents, and I recently bought a bunch of fruity scents.  Again, found these at Staples for like $1.29 a piece (which I think may have been a one time promotional back to school thing), but they are available in sets on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=smencils

Flexible Seating

I recently read an article that talked about how education has significantly changed over the last 50+ years- from what's being taught, to when it's being taught, to how it is being instructed and applied...not to mention the emergence of technology and everything that entails.  Interestingly, what hasn't changed much over time is the classroom environment, the design and arrangement.  We still see kids sitting in desks in straight rows...expected to face forward, sit still, feet planted firmly on the floor, no talking, etc.  But with the vast curriculum changes and advanced expectations of students, how is it that the classroom environment hasn't changed with the changing times and the increased needs of the students?

I have a lovely niece who is an awesome kindergarten teacher (hi Kara, love you!), and she has incorporated flexible seating into her classroom over the past few years.  Not just for a
select few (like the kids who have attention issues or behavior concerns), but for EVERY kid in the classroom to

access.  And it's so refreshing for me as an OT to see this implemented daily for ALL of her students, and to get to see the positive results for myself!  Now, as an OT I know the benefits of movement and sensory input for learning, and have recommended flexible seating for students on my caseload on many occasions throughout the years.  It is sometimes met with enthusiasm from the classroom teacher, but then sometimes it's met with a tepid response.  You know..."It's okay for him/her, but not for ALL of the students."  Granted, there are parameters provided by the teacher to the students for use of the flexible seating options, but kids seem to learn the "rules" quickly, and learn which options work best for themselves to stay alert and focused.

There is an award winning teacher in Fargo ND, Kayla Delzer, who has a fantastic website/blog- Top Dog Teaching, Inc.  She has compiled a resource list of her flexible seating work here:
http://www.topdogteaching.com/p/doghouse-digs.html  Check it out! And if you're a teacher, consider implementing flexible seating in your classroom!

Note that the kids do not have assigned desks or seating...

Kindergartners working independently in their chosen seating arrangements.

Visual timer on the white board for structured time...mini tramp available for movement,
child seated in a scoop rocker on the carpet.

        **The above photos are all courtesy of Mrs. Keysor's kindergarten classroom in Kenmare, ND

Let's Talk About Weighted Blankets

Weighted blankets- I get lots of questions about them, they are being used now for a variety of reasons...to provide sensory input, as a calming tool, etc, and they are known to be beneficial for many disorders.  But, it's not really clear how to use them...how heavy they should be? Are they appropriate for use with everybody and anybody?  There's not a ton of formal research out there right now, or really any specific standards for use.  There is not a "one size fits all" formula, which prompted me to do a bit of digging.  Rather than re invent the wheel, I will just provide a link to an article from the Growing Hands On Kids website that I found very helpful, called "The Ultimate Guide to Weighted Blankets for Kids and Adults," which also directed me toward a book called "The Weighted Blanket Guide," by Eileen Parker and Cara Koscinski.  You can find this book on Amazon using the link below.

https://www.growinghandsonkids.com/ultimate-guide-weighted-blankets.html

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1849057184/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=goldenreflec-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1849057184&linkId=3b64ea217ed8d1f2161c53cb1dbd393d

The Need to Chew

This year I have some students on my caseload who are constantly seeking oral input or who are intense chewers- fingers in their mouths, licking their hands, biting crayons/markers, putting toys and non food items in their mouths, etc.  Most of my students have access to chew tubes, T tubes or similar items, but they also get put down on surfaces, dropped on the floor or thrown.  I just came across Chewigems, and I like this option for kids who need to chew.  They have necklaces with pendants, bangles, accessories and fidgets.  Resistances for 3 types of chewers, and accessories to help keep chewing items clean... Check out their website here:  https://www.chewigemusa.com/

Amazon also has a variety of chewelry and chewing options available:
www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_6?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=chewlery&sprefix=chewle%2Caps%2C177&crid=2ZLNP7OOGLJY3&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Achewlery

And of course, one of my faves, the Therapy Shoppe has chewies and chewy jewelry available:
https://www.therapyshoppe.com/category/1088-chewies-chewy-jewelry-autism-chews-sensory-oral-motor-tools

Mental Health and IEPs

If you've followed or read my blog prior to this, you already know that I am a huge mental health awareness advocate, and that my commitment extends well beyond my profession as an OT working in special education.  My oldest daughter had a mental health diagnosis and was on an IEP, with the primary disability category of "Emotional Disturbance," which is one of the 13 disability categories in the state that we live in (ND).  Now, that being said, my daughter was very intelligent, gifted in many ways, and her cognition was not an issue.  Her academic performance was not impacted in terms of her ability.  But, her ability to carry out tasks/her executive functioning was inhibited by her disability, and her disability impacted her interpersonal relationships, both with peers and with school staff. 

I very often feel that kids with mental health issues fly under the radar, or are under served in the special education realm.  I see it a lot in my practice in the school system, and I have to admit that it really irritates me as a mom who knows the ropes a bit more than the average person does.  Even special educators have indicated to me that they don't feel a child with emotional concerns (whether there is a formal diagnosis or not) would "qualify" for an IEP because they are fine academically/cognitively.  Every state's Department of Public Instruction will have guidelines and criteria for serving students with mental health issues, and the name of the disability category that mental health fits under may vary from state to state.  But, regardless of the title of the disability category, it is IMPERATIVE that the multi disciplinary team (MDT) look at the whole picture when determining if a child's emotional health adversely effects their educational performance.  "Educational Performance" is not limited to academics and grades in this instance.  According to the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction, the following criterion must be considered when considering if a child's mental health/emotional health is effecting his/her educational performance:

"Adverse Effect on Educational Performance":
The MDT must determine that the emotional disturbance has an adverse effect on the student’s educational performance and his/her ability to receive reasonable benefit from the general education program.

The emotional disturbance has an adverse effect on the student’s educational
performance, preventing the student from receiving reasonable educational benefit from
general education, as evidenced by one or both of the following criteria:

• Academic functioning: an inability to receive reasonable educational benefit from general education that is not the result of intellectual, sensory or other health factors, but is due to the identified emotional disturbance; and/or
• Social/emotional functioning: an inability to build or maintain interpersonal relationships, which significantly interferes with the student’s social development. Social development involves those adaptive behaviors and social skills that enable a student to meet environmental demands and assume responsibility for his or her welfare.

This reminds the MDT that the definition of “educational performance” includes interpersonal relationships and social development. The team must identify that the emotional disturbance has an adverse impact on one or both of these items.

The above excerpt was taken from the following publication:
"Guidelines for Serving Students with Emotional Disturbance in Educational Settings"
SPECIAL EDUCATION IN NORTH DAKOTA
North Dakota Department of Public Instruction
Kirsten Baesler, State Superintendent
Office of Special Education
600 E. Boulevard Ave., Dept. 201
Bismarck ND 58505-0440

Be sure to look up your state or area's criteria/guidelines for determining if a child's educational performance is being impacted by a mental health diagnosis or emotional issue.