Category Archives: Sensory

Developing Sensorial Skills

May 18, 2022Sensory, Uncategorizeddevelopment, play, sensoryAllyson Locke, M.S., OTR/L

Allyson Locke M.S., OTR/L

Porch, the home services platform, recently reached out to Therapro for help with their latest article, Expert Advice to Design the Ultimate Kids Playroom at Home. The question needing an answer was, what toys and products can help kids develop sensorial skills? Therapro’s team of experts had a lot to say on this topic! Read on to see what Therapro shared and be sure to check out the full article!

Read the Full Article!

Sensorial skills encompass the five well known sensory systems tactile/touch, gustatory/taste, olfactory/smell, auditory/hearing, and visual/ sight as well as the lesser known vestibular and proprioceptive systems. With so many different systems the answer to this question is quite extensive.

Fidgets and chews are typically well known and well associated with sensory and sensorial development. Chews, as their name implies, are a category of items that are designed to be chewed. Chewing provides great proprioceptive input through the jaw area; this type of input can be very helpful for soothing but also great in the development of this system. Some chews have added textures (like bumps or ridges) that add a tactile component. Therapro offers a free handy guide, Choose Your Chew, to help make it easier to find the perfect chew. Fidgets are generally small objects that are held or manipulated. There are many fidget options available; depending on the fidget’s characteristics, they can help alert (wake up) or calm the sensory system. Therapro offers a free handy guide, Find Your Fidget, to make it easier to find the perfect fidget.

Games and activities that involve movement and body position sense are great for targeting the vestibular, tactile, and proprioceptive systems. Some examples of games include; Trunks, Spark Action Floor Game, and the Body Awareness Fun Deck. Movement based activities include playing with a parachute, riding a scooter board, completing sensory paths, doing yoga, and making obstacle courses with things like balance beams or stepping stones. Adding music enhances the movement experience by adding an auditory component. The resource Sensational Fun: Recreational Activities For Sensory Diets And Fun, includes over 100 activities for parents and teachers who are looking for some great sensory games using common objects found in the home and school (free sample activities are available!).

Games and activities that involve touching and feeling are great for targeting the tactile sense. Games and activities that have a specific tactile focus include; Tactile Search & Match, Feel ‘n Find, Sensory Collage Kit, Ruff’s House Teaching Tactile Set, and Gel Activity Pads. Playing with clay/ playdough is another great option and scented dough has the added benefit of bringing in the olfactory sense.

Multisensory environments are another option for immersing in the sensorial experience. Unlike traditional multisensory environments, the Luminea line of products offers an interactive component through its app or optional switches. With this, Luminea allows for true interaction between the user and components which is essential for sensorial development.

Play is a necessary component in the development of sensory skills. There are a vast variety of toys and products available to enhance the development of play. In choosing the most appropriate toy or activity considering a child’s interest, developmental level, and skill areas you wish to target are key!

The App That Awakens Sensory Channels: Luminea App

April 7, 2022SensorysensoryGuest Blogger

Alba Alier, SLT

In this post I want to talk about a free App which will allow you to control any Luminea lighting device in your space or a multisensory room in a very fun, creative and playful way. The Luminea App has been designed to make the most of therapeutic intervention in a space or sensory room (or even in a Snoezelen room), as it serves to control the colors of the different lighting elements in a simple manner, and facilitates development and learning.

It is free to download, and once you have it installed on your Android smartphone or tablet you can start controlling all the Luminea lighting elements of your room, such as the bubble tube, the fiber optics, a ball pool, etc. You can control them individually (by changing the device type in the menu) or in groups for a more immersive effect.

What Can I Do With The Luminea App?

The Luminea App allows you to control the Luminea lightning devices from your smartphone or tablet by changing the color of the devices when touching on a photo. In this way, the colors of the light changes according to the subject matter. Imagine, for example, that you tap on the yellow part of a rainbow image and the lights in your room turn yellow. Or, the bubble tube turns green when you tap on a photo of a kiwi fruit or all the lighting elements in the room turn red when you tap on a clown’s nose. It’s so fun!

This App includes a variety of activities and games for you to play with lighting elements and lets your users or students take control of the room. In addition, you can customize everything, record color sequences or add as many photos as you want (your own or internet ones) to make the sessions more personal.

What does it mean? Only with Luminea App you can include countless customized activities in your sessions:

Create choreographies with your favorite music and make all the elements ‘dance’ with you. You can play these choreographies whenever you want, as they are stored on your device.
Upload your own photos and play with their colors. You can upload a photo of your last holiday or your favorite animal, and by tapping on a colored point in the image, all the room will turn that specific color. ¡It works automatically!
It includes multiple games and activities, but you can also create your own unlimited activities.

We help to promote and encourage cause-effect relationships with these types of games, as well as memory, choice, interaction… In the case of group activities, it also helps to enhance communication, joint attention and social skills.

Start With A Small Corner!

With the Luminea App you can control all the Luminea light devices and become a master of light by taking control of your room like never before. If you want to get started in the sensory world, you can start with the Luminea Corner, which allows you to have a small interactive world made up of a bubble tube, and fiber optics and to add devices little by little, as they will always be compatible!

The Luminea App is fun and therapeutic; it combines the elements of your multisensory room in a group setting and takes your users into an immersive world. In this video we show you all the Luminea elements and how easy it is to use the App. In addition, you can learn about other different ways to control your devices, according to the switch your users prefer (a 6 button, a giant die (Sensory Cube), a colored mat (Sensory Step), etc.)

How Does Luminea App Work?

The Luminea App is very intuitive and easy to use.

All you need is an Android smartphone or tablet connected to the same WiFi network as your multisensory room (and all other Luminea devices). It works with one or add all of them at the same time!

Learn More about Luminea!

The Sensory Space – An Essential In Your Classroom

January 27, 2022SensoryGuest Blogger

Guest blog from The Manimo Team

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, analyze, 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 job. (1)

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
These very precious moments, lasting at least 15 minutes, improve mood management by taking care of one’s emotions, increasing the feeling 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-ones or supports a moment of guided learning, if the space is sufficient to accommodate the adult and child.

How To Design A Classroom Sensory Space

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
– Manipulative tools such as stress balls, fidgets
– Tray with play dough
– Vibrating cushion
– Massage accessory
– Homemade sheet/board with different textures on it (sandpaper, fur, silk, feathers, etc.)

Hearing
–Noise cancelling headphones
-Earphones and radio
–Rain stick

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
– Lamp (Lava type, scintillating, plasma, fiber optic, etc.)
– Mini flashlight, mini battery-operated candle
– Light tube
– Hourglass or sensory tube
– Homemade glitter bottle

Vestibular (balance and movement)
– Disc or balance board
– Air cushion
– Surfboard

Proprioception
– Weighted animals
– Ghost
– Resistance Band
– Bean bag
– Sensory peapod

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

And the most important…
Once your sensory space has been established, take the time to show it to your students and teach 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

About manimo
For 20 years, manimo has comforted thousands of children at home and school. manimo’s range of weighted animals are all equally attractive. It’ll be a must have in your sensory space to stimulate your student’s proprioception and touch senses.

Discover manimo weighted animals

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