Over the last many years sensory integration has become increasingly important in classrooms. As we continue to further inclusion and open our minds to flexible ways of educating each child for their unique strengths and struggles it is key for educators to learn about sensory integration. Sensory integration is not new by any means but has often been seen as a support level strategy rather then a main stream education strategy however much of the research tells us sensory integration into our classrooms is important for all students, especially in their infant, toddler, and primary years.
Sensory encompasses everything we do between dressing, eating, moving about, socializing, and learning or working. We process sensory through seven different channels which include vision, auditory, tactile, gustatory, olfactory, proprioception, vestibular, and interception. For most of us sensory integration occurs in our young years as part of our normal development however others integrate sensory and develop sensory less and need further assistance with developing sensory integration fully. Sensory integration is imperative for students in classrooms to develop to continue to grow and learn academically, physically, emotionally and spiritually.
As educators providing sensory experiences and integrating sensory spaces into our learning environment will further help students to develop and grow in all areas. Emotionally students can develop, recognize, and regulate emotions more clearly when provided with sensory experiences and having a deeper development in sensory pathways. This allows for students to be engaged in academic learning and handle excitement, disappointments, and the full scope of a community of learners with greater ability. Sensory supports greater opportunity for social emotional learning and students abilities to have empathy, sympathy, emotional regulation, and communication skills which in the past has been focused on as more of a tier two or higher level of support in RTI and MTSS intervention scales. In recent understanding, we know that all students can benefit from social emotional learning lessons and direct instruction.
One of the great resources we can use in our classrooms are sensory bins and think spaces. It can be as simple as a school box with some sensory items in it and a bath mat that allows students to go to the space to calm, meditate and using breathing exercise, use the sensory items for input and output, and a timer. Timers are so important because if you want to develop the positive use of this tool a timer ensures students are taking a few minutes, normally five to ten minutes to self regulate and return to their work. This allows for the use of the sensory and think space to be used as a tool. If the timer and explicit instruction on recognizing when to return to classroom activities isn’t taught or monitored it easily could become a distraction and have negative effects on students work, but with instruction and the use of a timer there is great understanding that these sensory breaks and think times are positively correlated to higher academic and emotional growth in the classroom.
Part of having a good sensory set up is giving options. Each child has different need for sensory input and output and therefore different types of sensory items are important to have in your sensory space.
References
What is sensory integration?. Sensory Integration Education. (n.d.).
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