Regulation Rendezvous: Sensory Tips and Tricks

It is essential that school staff take into account how each student processes sensory information so that they can individualize supports to help them stay regulated and ready to learn. In today's Regulation Rendezvous, we will provide some Sensory Tips and Tricks for each of the 8 sensory systems. 

Auditory:

• Allow time to process.
• Research shows that students with autism may need up to 30 seconds of processing time when hearing verbal instructions before they may respond…are you allowing enough processing time for the students you work with?
• Noise-canceling headphones can be a great sensory support for students with auditory sensitivities. Please keep in mind that headphones should be off more than they’re on to avoid the rebound effect of loudness. For students who need this support on a consistent basis, come up with a wearing schedule and have that on their schedule to help staff and the student remember when to have them on and off.

Trotwood ELC, Trotwood

• Did you know that chewing that can be sign of being overwhelmed by auditory input? The physical act of chewing closes our external ear canal and dampens volume. Keep this in mind when working with students who engage in lots of chewing behavior!

Ann Rosenbaum
Orchard Park Elementary, Kettering

Visual:

• Visual information is often processed faster than auditory.
• A visual cue ring can be a great way to reinforce verbal instructions or prompts. Remember, your visual cue ring should have positive cues in addition to the visual reminders and prompts it may have so that the student doesn’t develop a negative association with that tool.

Tactile:

• Light touch has a direct connection to the fight/flight center of brain. If deep pressure input is recommended for a student, be sure all staff is on the same page for how to apply that pressure so we don’t accidentally provide alerting input instead of calming.
• Deep pressure input will always be a calming source of input to the tactile sensory system.
• Unexpected touch can also be very alerting. If you provide hand-over-hand assistance to a student you work with, always be mindful of how you approach the student and talk to them/warn them before you touch them so they can anticipate that touch.
• Often times students present with a low threshold to receive non-preferred tactile input. These students benefit from having alternate ways to participate in activities that may cause them to come in contact with aversive textures (e.g. use paintbrush during “finger painting”, use of a glue stick instead of liquid glue, etc.). Another option could be to have a washcloth or wipe readily available to use for clean-up while working on tasks that may make a student ‘dirty’ to help ease their anxiety during ‘messy’ task activities.

Proprioception:

Heidi Horner
Nevin Coppock, Tipp City

• Only sensory system that is always calming.
• Regulates all other sensory systems.
• When in doubt use proprioception.
• Weighted supports can be an effective way of providing calming proprioceptive input including things like weighted lap pad, weighted blanket, weighted backpack, and weighted vest just to name a few.
• When using a weighted support that a student wears the OT should meet with the team to determine a wearing schedule. This should be clearly communicated to the staff working with the student and, ideally, should be embedded into the student’s daily routine. This ensures that wearing this type of supported is being targeted during sensory rich parts of the student’s day and ensures that it is not being worn too much or too often. Keep in mind – when wearing weighted supports they should be off more than they are on. They also should be individualized for each student by weighing the student and not exceeding 10% of their body weight when using a wearable weighted support. It’s typically best practice to start at 5-7% of the student’s total body weight and then adjust based on data collected by the team.

Pam Locker
Washington Primary, Piqua

Vestibular:

• Rotation and rapid acceleration/deceleration are typically alerting types of input.
• Linear and rhythmic movement is calming.

Helke Elementary, Vandalia

Lori Lovelass
Huber Heights

• Vestibular input has a direct connection to the language center of brain. Pairing vestibular input with targeted speech skills can be a great way to motivate students to practice various language skills.

Gustatory (taste) & Olfactory (smell):

• Consistent problems processing taste and smell is sometimes reflected with over-reactivity responses which could indicate why a student may avoid certain tastes and smell experiences to the point that it interferes with social participation, such as family mealtimes or community gatherings where people are preparing or consuming food.
• Many “picky eaters” frequently insist on eating only certain foods or brands of food. They may seek very familiar food with predictable taste and smell, and have difficulty with the flexibility needed to participate in dining in public settings, where a wide range of new tastes and smells may be present.

Interoception:

• Do you work with a student who doesn’t seem to recognize their own body cues and therefore struggles with toileting, emotional control, or makes frequent somatic complaints? Interoception may be the missing link! Check out www.kelly-mahler.com to have access to additional research and free resources!