We take sensory information from our environment and our bodies and use this information to understand the world, adjust what we do and how we respond. Everyone responds to sensations or sensory information in different ways. Information is registered through:
- sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell
- sense of self movement, force and body position in space - proprioception
- balance and spatial orientation - vestibular sense
- internal sensations – interoception.
Complete a sensory checklist for children and young people with high sensory needs to understand their preferences and identify helpful support strategies. An environmental checklist can also be useful. Further information can be found in the article ‘Sensory strategies and supports for the classroom. There are many different things that you can do to support sensory processing in learning. Sensory circuits can help individuals stay alert, organise and calm in preparation for accessing different elements of the school day. Alternatively different strategies and equipment may be more beneficial for young people with higher sensory needs to access throughout the school day.
Create predictability by informing the young person when something will happen, for how long, and when it will finish, to help with sensory overwhelm. Make sure that everyone is aware of preferred communication methods, for example signs, symbols or gestures for exiting overwhelming environments. Let the young person know where quiet spaces are in different environments.
Proprioceptive input to the muscles and joints helps to calm and organise the nervous system increasing the ability to sit still and remain focused on a task. Heavy work provides additional proprioceptive input. There are different heavy work activities that may support in school. It may be beneficial to have a proprioceptive sensory box available, or a back pack of activities that are accessible at all times and carried by the child or young person, the back pack will provide proprioceptive input in itself.
Hearing processing differences can impact learning but there are different strategies to minimise the impact of auditory processing differences in school. An auditory sensory box may also help younger children to develop auditory processing. Ear defenders or noise cancelling headphones can be beneficial for some children and teens when working and moving within the school environment. A movement (vestibular) box of activities could be useful for children and young people to support movement. Identify whether there is a preference for linear and/or rotary movement. Linear movement is movement in one direction, for example backwards and forward and up and down. Linear movement is calming and organises the nervous system. Rotary movement involves spinning and often alerts the nervous system.
This leaflet provides some suggestions for ideas to keep in a visual sensory box.
Sensory sensitivities can impact eating and a young person may experience avoidant and restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). There are additional ideas in a short blog to support sensory eating challenges in school. There is additional advice and strategies on understanding children’s eating and supporting change on the NELFT website.
Some children and young people may find it difficult to recognise internal sensations such as heart beat, breathing, hunger, thirst, and temperature. This makes it difficult for them to be able to identify what their bodies need. Interoception awareness can support recognising and linking internal sensations to a feeling or emotion and subsequent actions. There are different tips to support interoception and toileting.
Older children may struggle with sensory differences as they move less and have additional stresses with exams and their peers. You can find more sensory strategies to support an older in this PDF.
Useful resources:
For staff new to understanding the senses, sensory processing, and supporting strategies further information can be accessed at the Children’s Therapies website.
Books
- The Kids Guide to Staying Awesome and In Control: Simple Stuff to Help Children Regulate their Emotions and Senses (Lauren Brukner, 2014)
- Simple Stuff to Get Kids Self-Regulating in School: Awesome and In Control Lesson Plans, Worksheets, and Strategies for Learning (Lauren Brukner and Lauren Liebstein Singer, 2018)
- Listening to My Body: A guide to helping kids understand the connections between their sensations and feeling so they can get better at figuring out what they need (Gabi Garcia, 2017)
- Sensory Circuits: A Sensory Motor Skills Programme for Children (Jane Horwood, 2009)
- Success with Sensory Supports: The ultimate guide to using sensory diets, movement breaks, and sensory circuits at school (Kim Griffin, 2023)
- 100 Ideas for Primary Teachers: Sensory Processing Differences (Kim Griffin, 2021)
- The abilities in me: Sensory Processing Differences (Gemma Keir and Yevhenia Lisovaya, 2022)
- Interoception – How I feel – Sensing my world from the inside out (Cara N Koscinski, 2018).
- Blogs from Kelly Mahler focusing on interoception
- ARFID Workbook for Kids (Mesloub Iheb, 2021)
Videos
- What is sensory processing?
- How to teach interoception
- Videos from Kelly Mahler focusing on interoception
- Neurodiversity series: Sensory processing
- Explaining sensory processing differences to younger children.
- Listening to my body is a good resource to support interoception awareness in younger children
- Short videos to support sensory breaks and fine motor skills
- Stimming: What's that?
- How to stop your classroom being a sensory nightmare
- Sensory strategies for dysregulated children