Occupational Therapy Newsletter
Volume 7
Bring in the New Year!
Sensory Process in g an d
our s tuden ts
Sensory systems are well developed in
typically developing students so that they can
“make sense” of the school environment.
The tactile system (touch) helps children learn about
the world and alerts one to danger. The classroom
can be a very stimulating place, ideal for most
students but can be too overwhelming for others who
are not able to filter unneeded input. Students may
go into the “fight or flight” response. Think about
being bumped and jostled while shopping at the mall
on a busy Saturday. We are “on alert”, but we are
able to come back from this and function normally
afterward. Students often have problems resolving
this overstimulation in school. This may be the
student in your classroom who fidgets, overreacts to
noise or touch, speaks too loudly, is out of their seat,
or seems unaware of the teacher’s instructions.
The proprioceptive system (muscles, joints, and
tendons) tells the brain where each body part is and
the position of joints. We know that we should use
caution when giving a young child a drink in a thin
paper cup because their system is not fully
developed and may squeeze too hard or lift too
quickly. In school this is the student who pushes too
hard or too light on a pencil, jams
papers into folders, breaks pencils
or erases too little or too hard.
The vestibular system (motion)
receives information from the
inner ear and provides balance,
allowing the body to adjust to
changes in position of head, neck,
and eyes. Occasionally adults will have trouble with
the vestibular system and experience imbalance and
disorientation (vertigo). If the system is not
functioning properly, a student may fall frequently,
stumble, appear clumsy, touch walls and others
while passing through the halls.
January 2010
Sensory Strategies to use in your
classroom in 2010!
“Working muscles help regulate the brain!”
Heavy work gets a student’s nervous system in gear.
It helps promote attention and appropriate classroom
behavior. Heavy work activities are considered
resistive because they involve push, pull, lift, and
carry.
Here are some sensory based activities that can
occur naturally in the school setting. A student
can routinely be assigned one or more of these as a
classroom “job”:
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Unstack/stack chairs
Erase dry erase boards
Wash desks
Rearrange desks
Pass out papers
Sharpen pencils using individual sharpener or electric
Cutting items on heavier paper, use hole punch
Carry items to office (errand for the teacher)
Wearing/carrying a weighted backpack
Carry books to the library
Carry milk to
kindergarten
Help PE teacher with
equipment
Wall push-ups, chair
push-ups
Work on the floor:
sitting/on
stomach/hands & knees
Hold doors open
Whole class stretch
breaks, “Brain Gym”, “Drive Thru Menus”
Use fidgets in lap (see Dec. OT newsletter)
Chewy snack breaks: dried fruit, jerky, fruit
snacks/rollups, licorice, starburst, gum
Crunchy snacks: veggies, popcorn, pretzels, dry
cereal, bagel chunks
Water bottle on desk
Use seat cushions/ ball chairs
Ask your school’s OT if you are interested in
learning more or want ideas for a specific student.
Summarized from Sava, D. and Haber-Lopez, E., (2003, February 24).
All Work and Some Play. Advance for Occupational Therapy
Practitioners, p. 44-46.