Best Practice for Sensory Integration

National Star College have put together advice regarding best practice for Sensory Integration.

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Introduce the approach or activity

Sensory integration is about how our brain receives and processes sensory information so that we can do the things we need to do in our everyday life. It is important to know your learner and have an understanding of their sensory challenges and have strategies in place to help them regulate and engage in learning. Best practice through lockdown may look this this:

  • Sensory assessment may have already been completed by an occupational Therapist and the learners sensory challenges may have been identified for either the home or education environment.
  • Ensure strategies in place to support the learner to enable them to regulate themselves for each of the identified areas. Tactile, vestibular, proprioceptive, auditory, gustatory, olfactory and visual.
  • Have an individualised sensory activities programme to complete.
  • Ensure a routine is established which includes sensory breaks that are planned in for the same time throughout the day, every day.
  • Use sensory ladders to help keep the student on baseline
  • Look at resources that can be used at home or signpost to low cost items that can be made or purchased on the internet e.g. Sensory direct, Amazon, sensory plus, Snozelen.
  • Look at the environment is it controlled? What are the potential distractions? Noise, light, smells….

Resource developed for the following learner cohorts

At National Star we have put the following resources into place:

  • Bespoke continuation programme provided for the learner from Therapy & Education.
  • Individualised sensory activity programme has been written by an Occupational Therapist for either home or college.
  • Sensory ladders provided for that learner.
  • Routine has agreed with home/college support, sensory breaks embedded into timetable.
  • Links to appropriate YouTube clips and sensory activities provided
  • Microsoft Teams support for learners
  • Telephone/Teams support for parents/carers/support staff
  • OT web page is being developed with a range of activities to support the learner.

Top tips and key considerations

  • Be aware of affordance… resources available at home, space, technology etc.
  • Be creative to ensure you capture the learner’s attention, make it meaningful, motivating and engaging. Dress up, use different sounds and make it fun!
  • Change it up if it’s not working, adapt the programme/session.
  • Take the time to build a rapport with the learner, because this is a different approach to Therapy.
  • Build up the length of the sessions – a learner with ASD may have the attention of 5/10 minutes initially, but aim to work up towards 30 minutes. Take what you can get it will build!
  • Record the session. This is an opportunity to review and evaluate what you have put in place, an opportunity to improve your delivery.
  • Find the right environment to learn in… is it in the living room, office, in an outside space? Is the parent happy for you to use items within the room as part of your therapy? Can you take a virtual tour of the home to look at other suitable environments and activities that could be used to support the session? You may see things differently to a parent.
  • Take the stress down for the parent, they may be worried about how untidy their house is etc. Don’t be judgemental.
  • Be mindful of how your session may impact on the rest of the learner’s day, if you over alert/dysregulate them this will impact home life.
  • Make sure the session is successful and bite sized.
  • Be flexible…. Perhaps do 2 x30 minutes sessions rather than 1 hour of Therapy.
  • Communicate with the parent via e-mail so support and set up the next session so that it’s more engaging.
  • Use appropriate language for that learner.
  • Take breaks- e.g. Movement breaks, water, food etc.
  • Use your treatment plan to guide the session, use clinical reasoning to develop session, following the principles of Therapy. Don’t just throw something and hope it sticks!
  • See this as an opportunity to put Therapy into practice at home and support the family. Coach the parents through therapy so they can apply it too!
  • Practice virtual sessions with a colleague, to see if your session can be improved

What resources are required?

  • Bespoke continuation programme provided for the learner including work from both Therapy & Education.
  • Individualised sensory activity programme has been written by an Occupational Therapist for either home or college.
  • Sensory ladders provided for that learner.
  • Routine has agreed with home/college support, sensory breaks embedded into timetable.
  • Links to appropriate YouTube clips and sensory activities provided
  • Microsoft Teams support for learners
  • Telephone / Teams support for parents / carers / support staff

How will you capture evidence of learning?

  • Photographs
  • Completed continuation packs
  • Record sessions when using Teams, recording progress in Databridge
  • Evaluation forms

Resources