Why your child's sensory modulation may cause extreme emotional reaction to unwanted sensory information.
The 8 clair senses are extrasensory abilities that allow us to perceive information about people, animals, objects and our environment.
For the third post in our series on sensory processing, we're talking about the sensory processing tactile system and why it’s so important.
Dance Divination is the practice of receiving & interpreting supernatural messages, information, or insight while observing or engaging in divinely inspired dance. I have been developing this practice for more than 2 decades. It has served as a powerful tool for spiritual growth and healing.
Sensory Integration Strategies and Tips are useful for children with sensory processing disorder. Check out these strategies that can help kids cope with sensory processing disorder.
By: Morgan Derby Have you heard of trauma-informed education? It is a new trend in education that encourages educators to take into consideration the way that trauma has impacted their students’ lives, and subsequently, their brains, learning, and behaviors. Statistically speaking, two out of three children will experience at least one traumatic event in their lives before they turn 18 - that’s over half of our students! Trauma is any negatively significant situation or event. It covers a wide range of range of experiences, including… Experiencing any type of abuse (physical, verbal, emotional, sexual) Neglect Living in a household with substance abuse Living in a parent with a mental illness Witnessing community violence Living with food insecurity and/or poverty Witnessing violence against the mother Experiencing parental divorce or separation Experiencing the death of parent Living with someone who is suicidal A family member who is incarcerated Placement in foster care and/or adoption Children of refugees House fires, car accidents, natural disasters...plus many more! These traumatic events have the power to change the wiring of children’s brains as they are developing. This affects how children learn and how they perceive the world around them. Naturally, this can also affect their performance in school. Recognizing the impact of trauma on our students is the underlying idea behind trauma-informed education. But many teachers are then left wondering, “What do I do now?” There are lots of strategies that teachers and administrators can use to create a trauma-informed classroom or school, but one super helpful strategy is to incorporate sensory-friendly tools into our classrooms. When a child struggles with sensory problems, which is fairly common among students, they do not feel always feel comfortable in their body, particularly when they are in environments that cause stress on their sensory system, such as noisy, stimulating, or crowded places. They feel so uncomfortable that their focus becomes finding ways to soothe themselves, rather than paying attention to what is happening around them - like listening to the teacher! In a classroom, we might see students try to regulate themselves by fidgeting or picking at themselves or their belongings. Other students struggle to sit still or stay seated in their desks. Some struggle with being too loud or too quiet, or they are super sensitive to noise. I have also seen students spin, twirl, flap their arms, or rock back-and-forth in their seats. It is also common for children to be adverse to certain fabrics, textures, foods, or smells. It is even hard for adults to learn something new if our environment is too noisy, our seat feels uncomfortable, or our clothing is bothering us. So by introducing sensory-friendly tools into our classrooms, we are giving students a way to meet their sensory needs in a healthy way that still allows them to focus on learning. It’s a win-win! Sensory-friendly tools often look like toys, but when they are used correctly, they can help children calm down, regulate, and focus. This can actually help to improve learning! Related article: A Space for Mindfulness and Emotional Regulation In The Classroom There are a lot of different sensory-friendly tools available. Some popular ones include stress balls, fidgets, water beads, glitter jars, mermaid blanket, and weighted blankets. But one of my favorite sensory-friendly tools is the body sack ! This is perfect for younger elementary students. The soft stretchy material is soothing and provides just the right amount of tactile input for many kids. It feels like a soft, light cocoon, but because of the stretch, students can wiggle and move all around. They can even wrap themselves up from head to toe! It is so relaxing. When I have watched different kids try it out, the first thing they do is smile when they put it on because it feels that good! The Sensory Body Sack stretches out like a blanket, but it can be kept neatly folded in a desk drawer or a bin of sensory-friendly items. The first time my six year old daughter tried the body sack, she kept it on for FOUR HOURS straight! She slept in it, ate in it, read books in it, and even wore it while she practiced the piano. Also read: Accommodating Sensory Issues In Classrooms We have found that is an awesome tool for home and school because it is great for any child with sensory needs, whether they have sensory processing disorder, fetal alcohol syndrome, autism, or ADD or ADHD. I have found it is especially useful for children who have been affected by trauma as well! Children affected by trauma often struggle with sensory problems because of the way the brain responds to trauma so incorporating more sensory-friendly items, like the body sack, into your classroom can really have a positive impact on the learning environment. Students are able to regulate themselves in a healthy way, which can reduce distracting or problematic behavior while simultaneously helping them focus more on learning! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Morgan is a teacher advocating to make every classroom to be trauma-informed. Follow her on Instagram , Facebook and her Blog to start and learn more about trauma-informed education. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Everyday Educate on
The ULTIMATE Gift Guide for FUN Sensory Toys and Games!
The psychic sense of smell is reported in various paranormal and psi phenomena. It is an unusual, rare psychic ability known as clairolfaction.
Lots of kids struggle with worries or anxiety, especially around the start of the new school year. These Worry Pets are small enough to fit in a pocket. The cuddle fabric is snuggly soft. The poly-pellets inside provide comforting sensory input and something to rub between worried fingers, and the eyes make them oh, so cute. These are not just for worriers, though! The whole family will want one.
Building an Arctic small world sensory habitat helps children to assimilate information they learn. Get inspiration for your Arctic small world sensory habitat!
This free Sensory Processing Disorder Information packet is a printable booklet of SPD info that can be passed on to parents, teachers, and anyone who works with kids with SPD. Sensory Processing Disorder Information Many times, parents notice something seems “off” about their child. They might notice little quirks, or personality traits that just ... Read more
Don't let sensory overload wreck your child's functioning, or create distressing meltdowns. Find out what is sensory overload, and what you can do about it.
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Despite years as a high school English teacher, I homeschool my gifted, sensory processing disorder child. And you know what? You can, too. Here's why - and how.rnrn
When you’re a highly perceptive person, you are able to see the world in a way that is different from everyone else. You have the incredible gift of making accurate […] More
Claircognizance or psychic knowing is arguably the most undervalued psychic perception preference, yet probably the most prevalent.
Have you ever wondered if your child's behavior is due to just being a kid or is it sensory related? Use this sensory behavior checklist!
My blogfriend Carol first introduced me to the concept of Twiddlemuffs – aka Sensory Bands or Fidget Rings. These warm woolly wonders [the picture above is from The nursing Times] are designed to help people who suffer from dementia or Alzheimer’s. The explanation is this… A sensory band is a pocket or glove that has attachments added to it, inside and out, that patients can twiddle and fiddle with. They are used to calm patients with dementia or Alzheimer’s by giving them something to do with their hands or just enjoyed by older patients. Here is a picture of the utterly fantastic one which Carol posted in 2013, a gift she had made with great love for her Mum [who sadly passed away earlier this year] Carol had put loads of detail and twiddly bits into her creation. [and she kindly sent me one later, to pass on to someone who’d value it] I have never got round to making any myself, until this week. I picked up the news on another blog that the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals [those lovely people who helped when I hurt my wrist in March, and also the place where my SIL Marion works] were appealing for some for their Integrated Dementia Services Dept. You can buy them from the internet – at around £40 each. Why pay that? Here’s the pattern [rather quirky spellings in places! link here] It needs double knit [used double] or chunky – and it is a great stash buster. Especially good for using up random balls of loopy or eyelash yarn. Do be sure to sew on beads and buttons with unbreakable yarn. On Sunday evening after church I started one as I watched ‘Home Fires’ then I took it on the train with me up to London on Monday. I knitted in the evening at Steph’s and again on the train back on Tuesday. More knitting on Tuesday evening, and then a bit of time Wednesday sewing on beads and buttons, and doing the seams. I made three in total – it certainly is a quick and easy project. With the first one, I threaded the beads onto nylon thread first and ‘knitted them in’ as I worked – but wasn’t really happy with that, and sewed them on again, more firmly, afterwards. When I got to the third band, I was using up my chunky wool – so the lining is striped and not one colour. The furry ‘eyelash’ and ‘loopy’ yarns certainly provided a variety of texture. I found a row of running stitches round the edges kept the band in good shape. My bands have a plain lining – I’m told that some people prefer to wear the band on one arm, and use the other hand for ‘twiddling and stroking’, but others turn them inside out and have both hands inside, like a Victorian lady’s muff. The gentleman opposite me in the railway carriage [who looked just like Hugh Bonneville, but sadly it wasn’t him] eventually plucked up the courage to ask what I was making, and was genuinely interested in the project. I suspect he may have been wondering about my state of mind, knitting such bizarre stripes with loops and whorls and furry bits! By the way – this is Dementia Awareness Week!you may have seen the Alzheimer’s Society Ad on TV
I am sad that we still ask - is sensory processing disorder real?
Tips and tricks from a sensory bottle addict on how to make a PERFECT sensory bottle! Includes recipes, materials, and much more.
List of 100 calming strategies for kids
This guide to sensory processing will explain sensory in an easy to digest manner, while giving you new tips and strategies to implement with your family.
Many Children Have Trouble Learning in School Due to Sensory Overload
12 CREATIVE SENSORY WALK ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS
Sensory Processing Disorder Study: A 1st of its kind study shows biological basis for Sensory Processing Disorder.
Adhd can be a challenging condition to deal with. Learn 12 strategies to help support brain health and improve focus and concentration.
ADHD and sensory processing challenges can look similar in many ways. And they often co-occur. Learn the differences between the two, including signs and how professionals and schools can help.
Don't let sensory overload wreck your child's functioning, or create distressing meltdowns. Find out what is sensory overload, and what you can do about it.
A collection of ideas for calm down bottles for a variety of seasons and themes can be used all year in a preschool, pre-k, or kindergarten classroom
Tactile Defensiveness: Why My Child Hates Hugs, Tags and is in Constant Fight or Flight Mode. Sensory issues that may affect your child's tactile.
You might be surprised to find out how gifted kids are classified in the education system and what services they really are entitled to...
I get very excited in August to create a beautiful, homey and inspiring new environment for me and my new kindergartners. Each year I look a...
There's a lot of great ideas on Pinterest...some free and some paid. I've found some great things for my classroom for FREE. Here is a coupl...
What is hyperlexia? Learn more about the hyperlexia diagnosis and the three proposed hyperlexia types
Not sure how to support your child with SPD in the home or classroom? Get some activity ideas for sensitivities with sensory processing disorder.
What a Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) looks like in adults versus children. Why teens and adults never grow out of SPD.
