Regulation Rendezvous--Sensory Routines and Choices

Our team believes that an important part of our students' day is proactively scheduled sensory breaks. Sensory breaks should be embedded throughout the student's day and should be viewed by staff as being as important as their scheduled academic times. This is because these breaks are a vital part of maintaining their self-regulation so that they are internally regulated in order to cope with the external sensory, social, communication, and task demands of the school environments. Additionally, sensory breaks should not be used as rewards or taken away as a punishment.

Today's Regulation Rendezvous provides examples of routines and choices that can be incorporated during sensory break times.

Some of our teams have designated sensory rooms used for students to have a calming, sensory neutral space free from the other demands of the school environment. Many of these spaces are broken into different areas in which students can choose where they want to go using a choice board.

Stevenson Elementary
Mad River 

Learning Center West
Montgomery County ESC

Smith Elementary
Oakwood

Sometimes it is difficult to designate a location, staff, and/or time to transition to a separate sensory break location so students may be given options of sensory activities that can be done in the classroom.

Robbie Whorton
Trotwood-Madison High School, Trotwood

In this example, students are scheduled to use the yellow folder for alerting activities and the blue folder for calming activities. An OT can help you determine which students are in need of alerting or calming activities and what to include when using this support.












Other classrooms have a designated routine that students follow, often incorporating yoga moves or specific exercises. Exercise is an evidence-based practice for autism so we love to see classrooms using this strategy!

Emily Ottmar
Stevenson Elementary, Mad River

Sandy Beck
Broadway Elementary, Tipp City

Recently, our team created a Daily Group Calming Sequence that teachers can use to lead a small group through a calming routine. Each day starts with an engaging Maximo Yoga activity on GoNoodle. Then, the teacher leads students through several yoga moves. Next, the teacher assists students with a different proprioceptive activity each day such as rolling a therapy ball over students, a weighted ball toss, going through the steamroller squeeze machine, being rolled in a weighted blanket, or going through a resistance tunnel. Then, students practice deep breathing. Finally, they get to make a choice of sensory activities from a separate folder. This daily sequence is a great, routine way for students to calm their bodies.