Category Archives: Sensory

The Guide to the Perfect Sensory Space

Autism, Occupational Therapy, Sensory, , , ,

The school and classroom provide a wealth of sensory information. Whether or not your students have special needs, processing sensory information can be a real challenge and also impact their behavior (e.g. difficulty paying attention, sitting still, working cooperatively with others, etc.).

Sensory processing difficulties arise when the brain can’t sort, organize, or integrate sensory messages. It’s like a “traffic jam” in the brain, with a few snippets of sensory information “stuck in circulation”. When this happens, certain parts of the brain don’t receive the sensory information they need to do their job1.

Providing a sensory space helps students to calm down and is a way to avoid disorganization. It’s a simple solution for improving social-emotional behaviors and beneficial for cognitive development.

What is a sensory corner?

A sensory corner is a designated area inside your classroom that is dedicated to supporting the sensory development of all students. It allows the child to take refuge there completely independently. Their withdrawal into this space helps them regulate their emotions and energy level in order to be more available to learn and interact with others.

A sensory space stimulates the primary senses, sight, hearing, smell, touch, vestibular and proprioception without creating overload because the senses are chosen on a voluntary basis.

The benefits of a sensory corner clock

The very preciouses moments, lasting at least 15 minutes, improves mood management by taking care of one’s emotions, increasing feelings of security, and help reduce agitation and apathy (lack of energy). No wonder they allow for the improvement in attention and quality of concentration.

Regulating our senses is important in maintaining our mental and physical well-being and self-esteem. The sensory space allows for wonderful one-on-one or supports a moment of guided learning, if the space is sufficient to accommodate the adult and the child.

How to design a classroom sensory space tools

  • It must be welcoming, comfortable and a defined space. The area has boundaries and is large enough to accommodate at least one seat (armchair, cushion, carpet, etc.).
  • Make sure the child will be isolated from ambient noise or the hallway.
  • Make sure you can adjust the light intensity or filter it. Some children will seek intense light while others will benefit from dim lighting.
  • Try to find a corner of the class where the student can have some privacy, out of sight of their peers. To enclose this space, you could use a curtain or furniture such as a bookcase or shelf.
  • Ideally, provide storage for the items or equipment that your corner will offer. The space should not be overloaded with things.

The objective is to be able to immerse yourself in a “cocoon-bubble” atmosphere in order to experience better sensory stimulation and enjoy all the benefits.

The effectiveness of a sensory corner has nothing to do with your allocated budget. It’s therefore not necessary to invest in expensive and sophisticated equipment.

What equipment should you provide in your sensory corner?

Your sensory corner can evolve over time and according to the needs of your students. Here are some suggested items that can stimulate the senses.

Touch

Smell

  • An accessory or cushion that you can put a few drops of essential oils on (ex: lavender)
  • Scented putty
  • Small cotton sachet (for the bottom of a drawer) with different smells

Sight

Hearing

Oral

Vestibular (balance and movement)

Proprioception

You could display or make available inspirational thoughts, relaxing music, pictures to color, breathing strategies, a timer to give child perspectives about time.

And the most important part …

Once your sensory space has been established, take the time to show it to your students and teach them how to use it, when, and why so that they understand the purpose of this space.

It’s also important to display the tools and resources available in the space. Don’t hesitate, for example, to demonstrate breathing techniques in a large group so that they know how to repeat them when alone.

Having a space like this is a great way to implement social-emotional learning strategies in your classroom.

And now, play on!

-The manimo team

1Sensory Spaces in School 2021. National Council for Special Education, NCSE-Sensory Spaces in Schools

Tips for Back to School Success

Activities, Daily Living, Sensory, , ,

The transition from the relaxed summer schedule to the more structured school schedule can be tough for everyone involved. Here are some tips for making the transition back to school, a little easier.

Add Structure Back Into The Schedule

Schkidules a visual schedule used to help transition to back to school, blue board with picture icons depicting daily tasks and yellow board depicting stars earned

As the long days of summer start to wind down, slowly adding more scheduled events into the daily schedule will make the transition into a fully scheduled school day much easier. This could be as simple as a set time for breakfast or adding in a scheduled chore time during the day. Try using SchKidules to make a daily visual schedule.  The easy to use magnetic schedule lets you slowly add in more and more structured activities to the daily lineup and it is in a similar format most kids will see in their classrooms. Once the school year gets going a weekly schedule will be a great way to keep track of school activities and extra curriculars.

Practice Important Self Help Skills

Green dinosaur Busy Bee Lacing Sensory Activity showing lacing through loops numbered one to five used to prepare fine motor skills needed for back to school

Kids will be expected to do many of their daily self care activities independently or with minimal assistance once they return to the classroom. Lots of practice at home will help kids be ready for this! The resource Self Care With Flair is a great way to teach children important skills like handwashing, putting on coats, and managing their clothing in the bathroom. The Busy Bee Sensory Activity Plush is helpful for practicing the fine motor skills needed for these tasks like lacing, tying, zipping and buttoning.  Pro Tip for kids who have not yet mastered shoe tying, replace standard laces with elastic shoe laces for a slip on and go option.

Get In Tune With Sensory Needs

Cover of the product Sensational Fun a card deck of sensory based activities. used to discover sensory preferences for back to school success

Every sensory system is different, figuring out the particular needs for each system will help kids start off the school year on the right foot! Riding the bus may be hard for kids who have difficulty with loud noises or who struggle with motion sickness. These students may benefit from sensory tools for the eyes and ears. The cafeteria may be especially difficult for students with aversion to certain smells; these students may benefit from fidgets that calm and organize an over responsive sensory system. Students who are not use to early mornings or who are use to afternoon naps may benefit from fidgets that help alert or wake up the under responsive sensory system.   Sensory based activities such as playing with floof, scented dough, or any of the activities found in Sensational Fun will help give insight into sensory needs.

Refresh Academic Skills

The box and game board for the game Colorama with red green yellow and blue game pieces in various shapes used to teach colors for back to school success

 The summer slide happens but there are many ways to keep academic skills sharp. For a fun refresher try learning games. Novenops offers a quick refresh on sentence structure, Letter Treasure Hunt is great for a review of letter concepts, and Colorama offers  a crash course on colors!

Planning ahead for the first day of school can help students make a smoother transition back into the academic year!

Attachable FootFidget® Footrest

Flexible Seating Options in The Classroom & Home Learning Environments

Autism, Sensory, , , , , ,

Allyson Locke M.S., OTR/L

In this post we take a dive into flexible seating options that are available for classroom and home  learning environments.

First, What Does Flexible Seating Mean?

Sometimes called alternative seating, flexible seating is simply a seating option that is different from ‘traditional’ seating arrangements and is often used to address a sensory need. Traditional seating arrangements may be things like the desk chair students use in a classroom, the dining room chair at the eating table or the office chair at a work desk. Flexible  seating arrangements  may be a therapy ball in place of an office chair or it may be a beanbag in place of the traditional student desk setup. Read on to learn more!

classtoom showing traditional desks attached to chairs
Traditional Classroom Seating
Flexible seating arrangement showing a boy sitting on a Kore Wobble Stool and working at a Kore Sit to Stand Mobile desk.
Example of a Flexible Seating Arrangement with the Kore Sit to Stand Mobile Desk

Next, Understand the Importance of Flexible Seating Options in Learning Environments.

Having a variety of seating options helps to ensure all learners have a setup that is most effective for their learning style. Some options may help to address underlying sensory needs while other options  provide the movement that has been shown to be preferred by students when learning (Cole et al., 2021, 72).   Having just the right seating arrangement can make the difference between a successful learning experience and one that is full of distractions, position changes, and learning sessions that don’t  last as long as they should.

Finally, Pick the Right Seating Options. 

Understanding the need (or needs) you are trying to address will help you determine the best seating option(s).

For the wigglers, movers, and bouncers who just need a little extra sensory input to focus and sustain attention, try a seating option that provides movement (vestibular) or light touch (tactile) input. A seating option that provides tactile or vestibular input will help the sensory system that is seeking movement, get it in a way that is more conducive to learning and working. 

chair with wobble feet attached

Wobble Feet: These are simply four, rubber domed shape ‘feet’ that slip onto a standard chair leg.  The Wobble Feet provides a subtle rocking and a soft bounce feel.  These are especially popular for users who are looking for a “low profile” option; they can be slipped onto a regular classroom chair and are small enough that they are not very noticeable in the sea of classroom chairs. 

red and blue senso spot seats, round disks to sit on with a textured side

Sensory Spots: Spot Sensory Seats and Senso Seat Pads are flat pads that have a textured side.  This textured side provides subtle sensory input without much challenge to postural stability. They can be used in just about any seating situation and can easily roll up when moving seats.

wiggle seat sensory cushion, butterfly shape, basketball shape, flower shape, and monster shape

Cushions: Air filled or foam cushions can be added to just about any chair, bench or even used on the floor.  They are usually round or wedge shaped but newer versions now offer fun shapes like monsters or flowers.  The amount of air, that can be added, to the air filled cushions is typically adjustable allowing for users to increase or decrease the amount of movement offered.  Cushions are generally portable making them a great option for those who change work areas throughout the day.  For even more convenience options with handles are now available!

Wobble Stools: The Kore Wobble Chair offers a seating option much like sitting on a stool with the exception of the innovative rounded bottom that allows the user to rock in all directions.  In addition to the rocking movement the stool shape allows more freedom to move the legs in different positions.  

the alert seat a large round ball inside a metal base with wheels for sitting

Ball Chairs: Ball chairs come in all shapes and sizes. At the most basic level a large therapy ball is used in place of a chair. This is a great option for users who need a lot of input but therapy balls are unstable and can be difficult for users with poor postural control.  A base can be added under the ball to help prevent the ball from moving out of position.  Another option is to use a peanut or egg shaped ball; these balls have an elongated shape that increases stability for the user.  The  Alert Seat puts the traditional therapy ball on a wheeled base allowing for more mobility.  The Ball Chair Deluxe  takes the shape of a traditional office chair but replaces the seat with a large inflated ball.

For the fidgeters, hair twirlers and those with a little extra nervous energy try a seating option that provides deep pressure input or gives the big muscles a chance to work. This type of input can help calm an anxious or overstimulated sensory system. Try:

foot swing, a small plastic stand that goes on the floor under a work space. it has two pedals to place the feet. the peals move back and forth

Body fidgets. Unlike smaller, handheld fidgets, body fidgets allow other parts of the body to interact with the fidget leaving the hands free for work.  Foot fidgets can be attached to chair or desk legs, allowing users to kick, push and pull the heavy elastic bands with their feet.  For users who frequently change work spaces portable foot fidgets are available; these can be placed under the workspace and interacted with in the same manner. The footroller is a unique body fidget; fidgeters place their foot on the roller, spinning it forward, backward or both ways. Another unique option is the Foot Swing; the foot swing allows for a silent swinging motion of both feet, independent of each other. 

boy sitting at a desk with ta weighted neck wrap around his neck and resting on his shoulders

Weight. Adding weight to the lap or shoulders is a great way to center, orient and calm an over responsive or anxious system. An added bonus, many offer textured covers for additional tactile input.

For those who just need a change of scenery, setting up an alternative work spot is a great way to refocus.  Some options include: 

  • Standing at a counter height work space or taping work to a wall are options to allow for standing positions while working. To add a little dynamic movement try standing on a foam wedge or air cushion.
  • Laying Down.  Working while laying on the stomach is a great way to provide proprioceptive input through the shoulders joints (perfect for those needing calming and organizing input).  This position also gives students who are struggling with postural instability to get more support so they can focus on their work and not on staying stable!  Use yoga mats or cushions to provide comfort and a clipboard or slant board as a work surface. 
  • Get Cozy.  Another option for a position change is sitting in a bean bag, Howda Designz Chairs or the Comfy Cozy Peapod Chair.  While not the best option for all types of tasks these options are great  when the activity involves reading or listening. The deep pressure input provides calming and organizing input.

Having a  variety of seating options available in any learning space is a sure way to increase focus and attention.  Identifying options that are appropriate for the user and the environment are keys for successful implementation. 

Reference:

Cole, K., Schroeder, K., Bataineh, M., & Bataineh, A. (2021, April). Flexible Seating Impact on Classroom Environment. The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 20(2), 62-74.