Building Sensory Friendly Classrooms

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We were introduced to Sensitive Sam by Marla Roth-Fisch and discovered how difficult it is for a child with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) to make it through his day. We learned that a sensory-sensitive child is affronted by an array of input that can put his senses on overload. Children with learning disabilities, autism, and bipolar can all experience sensory-dysfunction, as well as gifted or typical children. When a child spends a minimum of six hours a day at school, it is critical for parents to know what accommodations their  child will require in school in order to be successful.

Parents need to understand SPD and how it affects their child so they can advocate for specific adaptations in the classroom. In Rebecca Moyes fourth book, Building Sensory Friendly Classrooms to Support Children with Challenging Behaviors, sensory coping strategies are explored and their implementation within the school setting are discussed.

About the Author

Rebecca provides us with a unique insight because she has the perfect blend of experience to understand what a child needs in a classroom. She is not only a former public and private school teacher, but she has experienced sensory sensitivities her whole life and  is also the mother of two children, one of whom has Asperger’s Syndrome (AS). Rebecca is now an autism consultant and trainer for school districts in Pennsylvania.

When Rebecca was growing up, no one really understood her sensory sensitivities. With regards to her home life, Rebecca revealed, “My parents were old school.  We weren’t allowed to avoid certain activities just because we didn’t like them.  For example foods–we had to eat what was put down in front of us. In some respects I think the pendulum has spun the other way.  Kids seem to have a lot more control!”

The school setting presented different sensory challenges for Rebecca. She explained:

In the school setting, for the most part, I hid them.  But physical education class was a challenge….  a lot of physical ed involves coordination-type activities.  That was difficult!  Another thing that was hard for me, even today, is sitting for long periods of time.  I just can’t maintain attention more than fifteen minutes.  There is an old saying that children can only sit (at optimal attention levels) for one minute per their age. Thus, a six year old can be expected to sit six minutes at optimum attention.  When one observes typical first-grade classes today, he/she will find that first graders may be sitting anywhere from 20 minutes to over an hour without a sensory break!  Teachers who pair their instruction with opportunities to chant, move, touch, or smell will get kids who master concepts better.  For instance, today, I observed a teacher who was reviewing spelling words with her first-graders.  She had them stand and do spelling chants with motion to encourage memory skills.  The word “down” was chanted “D-O-W-N  while the kids gradually crouched down with each letter.”

I realized that Rebecca was describing a more multisensory teaching approach. Although this teaching approach is often prescribed for children with dyslexia, I have posted about how successful I believe this method can be for many kids. Now Rebecca is describing why it is good for kids with sensory and attention issues. So I asked Rebecca when she was growing up, what kinds of classroom modifications she would have liked. Here is her response:

I think P.E. classes should be completely noncompetitive.  I think these classes should be reworked so that the emphasis is wellness, not competitiveness.  In the regular classroom, I would have appreciated teachers who practiced more “show” and “do” type teaching activities, rather than “talking”-type teaching. One thing that I think helps all kids is recess.  All kids need a break to recharge!  It upsets me when teachers withhold recess to do extra academics or as a punishment.  If you have to have the child sit in the grass for five minutes of recess as a consequence for poor behavior, that’s completely different, but keeping them inside is NOT appropriate.”

Rebecca is a woman after my own heart. As she put it, “I’m a data girl. Show me the data has become my personal mantra.” (p.10) As a social science researcher and a gatherer of information, I like her approach! She is the only SPD author to present data-driven strategies, making her book critical for all parents who desire to advocate for their children with SPD. When completing an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) or 504 for your child with the school district, you need the data.

Building Sensory Friendly Classrooms

The first two chapters in Building Sensory Friendly Classrooms defines SPD and reviews the research. The third chapter explains how to make decisions for your child based on data. Rebecca walks us through a functional behavioral assessment “designed to discover what is causing the problem behavior” (p. 27). Examples of problem behaviors are provided, along with the best type of data to collect and ways to visually represent the data. Rebecca then explains how to use the results to get the accommodations your child needs.

Strategies to create a sensory friendly classroom are presented in an entire chapter. Rebecca acknowledges though that it can be difficult to make changes to a classroom that will be suitable for all children. She proposes that a school may want to create a sensory friendly room that is separate from the classroom that could be used by all children with SPD. Children can then visit this room and participate in activities that will help their sensory needs. Two lists are provided to help develop a room: one list contains sensory items to relax a student and reduce his sensory input and another list contains sensory items to provide additional sensory input.

Rebecca had the following advise for parents when seeking classroom accommodations for their sensory challenged child:

You really need to know how your child learns best.  Is he a visual learner?  Does he love to ‘get in the game’ and try things out?  Does he like to move when he is learning?  Take a look at where he is seated in the classroom.  Are the desks pushed up against each other to form a table?  Would that arrangement cause him some problems?   What sort of visual distractions are there — ex.  mobiles, bright colored posters, etc.?    It is very common today to see every square inch of the classroom walls covered with some decoration, poster, or learning activity.  Some children just can’t handle all that visual clutter!  It interferes with their attention.  How does the classroom sound and smell?  You may also find yourself acting as an advocate for your child.  Your child’s teacher can not make adaptations or accommodations unless he/she knows what your child needs!”

Some SPD accommodations can make a child stand out from their peers, e.g., fidget toys and seat cushions. I know from personal experience that when my daughter was younger and could have benefited from accommodations, she refused some items because she did not want to look different. Rebecca recommends:

Generally, children who receive these accommodations at a younger age are less likely to refuse them.  It also helps when the teacher adopts a proactive approach.  For instance, one child was complaining that another child was getting mints to eat at his desk.  The mints were found to be effective in ‘revving’ him up.  The teacher looked him point-blank in the eye, using a matter-of-fact voice and said, ‘Everyone gets what they need in my classroom.  Some day you will need something too, and I will give it to you.  Now, since this is not your concern, let’s get back to work.’  When kids who need accommodations see other kids getting them too, they are less ‘shy’ about having their own.  When presenting an intervention that a child may object to, it also helps to present two and ask him/her to make a choice which one he or she wants to try.  Use a matter-of-fact tone.  Empowering the child with a choice will also make him/her less reluctant to try the sensory item.”

A very interesting chapter is titled “Teaching Stress Management and Self-Advocacy through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.” Rebecca does a wonderful job of presenting various strategies that can be used to help a child learn to deal with the stress and anxiety that can result from sensory issues.

My daughter has always had high anxiety and can jump into a “fight-or-flight” mode at a moments notice. Biodots is apparently a new product that can be placed on the fingertips of children. They are heat-sensitive and will change color when a child’s temperature drops in response to stress. The color change in the Biodots helps to alert the child that she is beginning to experience stress. I love it when I learn about a new technique or product!

An entire chapter addresses goals for an IEP or 504. If a child does not qualify for an IEP, she may still qualify for a 504 if she requires accommodations to help her succeed at school. An IEP is enforceable under special education law and a 504 is enforceable under the American with Disabilities Act. A thorough list of possible accommodations that can be written into an IEP or 504  is provided, as well as possible personnel supports.

Conclusion

Although this book is geared towards teachers, I see it being highly valuable for parents. It can help parents to better understand SPD and to create a more effective IEP. The information will also  help parents to work with their child’s teacher to become more familiar with what types of changes can be made to a classroom to make it more sensory friendly.

For parents who are just embarking on the SPD journey, Rebecca advised:

Seek the advice of an occupational therapist with sensory integration training.  Once you learn the techniques, you will be able to apply them at home.  Make your home sensory friendly.  Think about all the ways you can engage your child’s senses.  Try to make a daily chart where you can list one activity for each sense to do with your child. Although you want to be compassionate if your child wants to avoid certain sensory experiences, it’s important to realize that very quickly, a child who escapes can become very isolated.  Gentle exposure with lots of praise and reinforcement is helpful.  So is helping your child learn stress management techniques.“

In conclusion, Rebecca offered the following insight:

Sensory integration has been considered by some to be “junk science.”  However, even those interventions that are odd or unusual can suddenly be very influential when they are backed by data.  Keep data about what works or doesn’t work!  You won’t have so much trouble convincing teachers that using one of the strategies is a way to go when you can show concrete data that backs your request!”

I would like to offer a big “thank you” to Rebecca Moyes for providing her unique insight into developing classrooms to better serve children with SPD. You can purchase Rebecca’s book at Future Horizons.

Note: Future Horizons provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for being featured on Help! S-O-S for Parents.  The opinions expressed in this post are mine and have not been influenced in any way.