Rethinking Behaviour in the Classroom: Understanding the Child with
Sensory Integration Disorder
Paula Aquilla (Occupational Therapist)
Isabel Killoran (Professor, Faculty of Education, York University)
Introductions:
Hi. I’m Paula. I’m an occupational therapist. I have specialized in pediatrics, specifically
in sensory processing. I am here to share information about sensory processing
difficulties in their students so that teachers can recognize it in the classroom and
accommodate their students’ needs accordingly.
I’m Isabel. Currently I am a professor at the faculty of education at York University.
Formerly, I was a teacher with the Etobicoke and Toronto Catholic Boards of Education
where I came across many students who had sensory processing difficulties. I believe that
addressing sensory processing in the classroom will help teachers manage their
classrooms more effectively, while better meeting the needs of their students.
What is Sensory Processing?
Sensory Integration is a function of our central nervous system and it is the process of
taking in, sorting and interpreting sensory information for functional use. Sensory
processing is the ability to take in sensory information through each of our senses and
process that information so that meaning can be given to it. Sensory processing takes
place in our brain stem; a part of the central nervous system that sits under our brain and
behind our nose. Sensory information travels from the brain stem to the brain itself
where meaning is attached to the sensation and motor memories are stored.
The ability to process sensory information is vital to our function and our interaction with
the world. When we think of senses, we think about touch, vision, hearing, smell and
taste. We also have two hidden senses which are less known. These senses are our
vestibular sense, our sense of balance and our proprioceptive sense, the ability to know
the position of our body. We process sensation from within our body and from the
environment every minute of every day. We even process sensation during our sleep.
When sensory processing isn’t efficient, our function, social interaction, learning and the
ability to keep ourselves in a ‘calm alert state’ can reflect our difficulty.
Dr. Jean Ayres was a talented occupational therapist from California who first introduced
us to the term ‘sensory integration’. Dr. Ayres worked with children and was motivated
to discover the ‘why’ behind some of the behaviours she was seeing in her practice. She
researched and developed the first assessment to measure sensory integration; The
Southern California Sensory Integration Test. Many dedicated and talented OTs have
followed in Dr. Ayres’ footsteps and have contributed to our present understanding of
sensory processing.
Difficulties with processing sensory information can be divided into categories according
to the most recent research:
1. Sensory Modulation Dysfunction – an extreme over or under responsiveness to
sensations
-children may have difficulty controlling their own response to sensation
-response largely depends on the state of their nervous system
-in sensory undersensitivity, the child has poor awareness of sensory stimuli
-may be ‘loose and floppy’ with their bodies and have poor postural control
-may excessively seek out sensation
-may have a poor perception of pain and therefore poor self protection
-in sensory oversensitivity, the child can have an extreme reaction to sensations that we
hardly feel
-may have a limited repertoire of clothing they can wear, food they can tolerate
-may be fearful of balance related activities
-may be extremely sensitive to sights, sounds, smells or tastes
2. Sensory Discrimination Dysfunction – this child can have difficulty differentiating
among and between stimuli
-can lead to difficulty in using sensory information to judge the value of objects,
movements, sounds, sights, distance
-difficulty making adaptive, meaningful responses
3. Sensory Based Movement Disorder – we can divide this category into two sections:
a) sensory based postural disorder – child has difficulty aligning his/her body with
respect to another person or activity
-difficulty maintaining posture, being comfortable in balance and transitional movements
b) sensory based dyspraxia -this child may have difficulty creating, planning and
carrying our an unfamiliar motor action or a sequence of motor actions
-can interfere with motor co-ordination and create disorganization, delayed responses and
unsuccessful movements
Sensory processing includes the ability to detect sensation, take it in with the correct
amount of attention, and attach meaning to it. Sensory integration enables us to process
more than one sensation at a time to give us a complete picture. This function involves
all levels of the central nervous system. Some children have a diagnosis of sensory
processing disorder. Many other children may have some symptoms of sensory
processing disorder that are not consistent; rather they reflect the state of their nervous
system.
Why is understanding sensory processing important for teachers?
Although this module is placed under special education, sensory processing difficulties
can affect all children regardless of diagnosis. Recent research has shown sensory
processing difficulties to be attached to anxiety, a much more common occurrence in our
fast-paced, over-scheduled world. Without an awareness of sensory processing, many
teachers can blame children for behaviours that they have little control over. If a teacher
incorporates sensory processing when they are setting-up their classroom and planning
their lessons (using a universal design framework; see Education for All document)
Who may be the children in your class experiencing behaviour problems due to
sensory processing difficulties?
 Children with
 Autism spectrum disorder
 Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
 Cerebral Palsy
 Learning disability
 Hearing Impairment
 Visual impairment
 Anxiety disorder
 Children who have experienced trauma
 Children who have been institutionalized
 5 – 10% of children without a specific diagnosis
Statistically, you can expect to have more than child who would benefit from
incorporating sensory processing principles into the classroom environment.
What are some classroom challenges for a child with sensory processing disorder?
Children with sensory processing disorders can find the classroom a particularly
challenging environment. Some may find it too bright, too noisy, too hot, too cluttered,
too close, etc. They may exhibit some of the following:
-poor posture
-withdrawal
-difficulty with transitions
-difficulty maintaining attention
-difficulty sitting at a desk
-trouble looking at the board and back at their paper
-difficulty holding a pencil/pen
-difficulty stabilizing the paper with the other hand
-difficulty maintaining behaviour
-trouble interaction with peers
-seems disorganized in their work
-appears to be unaware of the environment
-limited participation in activities; especially new ones
The list is long, but with creativity and problem solving, we can support the child with
sensory processing disorder in the classroom.
Paula and I have several video clips to help demonstrate sensory processing difficulties.
We will focus on tactile defensiveness, posture and body awareness. When you observe
the clips think of the students in your class. Does anything look familiar?
Tactile defensiveness:
Clip 1
Erin (JK) banged her elbow a few minutes earlier – it is just registering. Cherie rubs it
which she allows her to do but notice how she pulls it away – it’s very subtle but we have
to look for those clues – if we miss them or take them personally as a type of rejection
then things escalate.
Clip 2
Ella hands paper to Katie and it touches Katie’s hand. Katie’s response is hyper sensitive.
In a classroom, this student could become disruptive and confrontational with peers.
Often these students feel isolated and misunderstood.
Clip 3
In this clip Erin demonstrates a need for a change in activity and stimulation. She’s been
working quietly on the lite brite and then starts to reach out and poke Cherie – I’m sure
you see this often in your classes, especially in circles and groups – so and so touched
me; he poked me etc. Notice how Erin tries to engage Cherie in physical activity to meet
her own need for touch (a hypo sensitivity) – Cherie recognizes it and tickles her; Erin
flops again and then goes back to lite brite – a very brief break but if not planned in a
classroom it could become quite disruptive to a lesson and to peers. Also notice, that in
the earlier clip Erin demonstrated a hypersensitive response. This inconsistency is
common with children who have sensory processing disorder.
Posture:
Clip 4
In these two segments you will observe Katie and Ella struggling to maintain their
posture and attention to the task. They don’t have an automatic knowledge of their body
position in space.
Clip 5
In this clip, notice the awkward changing of position – Erin knows Cherie is too close but
instead of getting up and sitting down on floor or moving her chair she turns her back and
leans over to do her work on the floor – then flops onto the floor to do the work – it’s a
good thing she recognized that she didn’t want to be that close to Cherie – we must allow
kids to find the positions and places they are most comfortable and productive in – it is
not always at a desk.
Body Awareness:
This really goes hand in hand with posture. These students don’t seem know where their
body ends and the world begins. You will notice them crashing in to people and things,
walking down the halls touching the walls, and they don’t seem to have an awareness of
the personal space of others.
Clip 6
Ella bumps into Katie and then the desk. There is no grading of movement. Everything is
one size – large! These students have difficulty grading their voice, their movements and
their contact.
What can you do in the classroom?
An approach which includes environment, teaching style and specific activities, like a
sensory diet can help a child with sensory processing disorder and support success in the
classroom.
A sensory diet is an intervention approach or strategy that is designed to meet a child’s
individual sensory needs to facilitate their ability to maintain a calm alert state. Just as a
food diet includes the right type and right amount of food to maintain health, a sensory
diet includes the right type and right amount of sensation to maintain the nervous system
in a calm, organized state. Many occupational therapists have contributed to our current
understanding of sensory diet. Patricia Wilbarger created the term ‘sensory diet’ and
Bonnie Hanshu has contributed to our understanding of what happens on a neurochemical
basis when we receive certain types of sensation. We all use sensory strategies regularly
throughout the day; sipping on our water bottle, doodling on our paper, twisting our hair
and going for walks. Some children have difficulty processing the sensory input they
receive from their environment and even from their own bodies. Difficulty processing
sensory input can contribute to difficulty regulating their activity level, their mood and
their behaviour. A sensory diet can help!
A thorough assessment is essential to a custom fit sensory diet. Find out what the person
likes to do; what interests them and holds their attention. Use a combination of
information collecting strategies; formal assessments (The Sensory Profile by Winnie
Dunn for example), informal assessments (sensory checklists), interview parents,
teachers, day care providers and observation of the child in different environments.
Gathering information on the amount of support a parent/teacher has, the support of the
institution, the environment, the available equipment, time constraints and the
needs/schedules of other siblings/students. It sounds like a lot of work, but the more
research you do, the more ‘custom fit’ your sensory diet will be and the more successful
the child will be. The success of the child is what it’s all about!
Activities for a sensory diet can be scheduled at regular intervals throughout the day. For
example, every time the student prepares for table work, they do 10 push ups off their
seat. Sensory activities can be provided through daily routines; wearing a weighted
knapsack in between classes. The environment can offer specific sensation, (rocking
chair, natural spectrum lighting). Leisure and recreational activities can provide
sensation that helps organization, (swimming, rock climbing, horse back riding). Our
interaction with the child is also a source of sensory input, (our voice volume, our
proximity).
The environment, teaching style, and specific activities can contribute to a child’s ability
to stay in the calm alert state and maximize learning.
1. The environment
-is there space to move, a mini trampoline for the more active child?
-is there an opportunity to integrate movement?
-can children sit on movable surfaces to support their posture?
-are there opportunities to try a table top slant board? Pencil grips?
-can the student’s desk be adapted so that they can seek out sensory input without even
getting up?
-are the lights and sounds able to be adjusted?
-is there a quiet area with quiet calming activities?
-is there opportunities for adaptability for smell and taste sensations?
-are figit toys available?
-are weighted vests/compression vests available?
2. Teaching Style
-how does this child take in sensation? How do they learn?
-is the teacher’s voice be set for the pace and tone that the student can process best?
-how close should the teacher stand in relation to this student?
-which side does the student process information better?
-what motivates this student? Can you use it?
-if the student is sensitive to smell, consider this prior to using scented products
-if the student is easily distracted by visual input, the teacher can consider this when
putting on jewelry or choosing colours of clothing
3. Specific sensory activities
-can sensory activities be available to this student?
-can sensation be a part of the curriculum? (eg. smelly markers for colouring for the
student who loves scent, no smelly markers near the student who is sensitive to smell)
-can figit toys to used to help a student wait or to provide a focus during seated activities?
-can an exercise program/yoga/tai chi be incorporated for the entire class?
-can a sensory diet be used?
Understanding sensory processing dysfunction can assist a teacher in supporting students
with this disorder in the classroom setting. There is a ‘why’ behind behaviors and this
theory does provide some of the answers. An occupational therapist can help design an
environment, teaching style and specific activities/sensory diet to help students with
sensory processing disorder maximize their learning. Attention to the student’s ability to
process sensation facilitates learning as it helps to keep their nervous system in a calm
alert state.
Be creative when you create environments, teaching styles and sensory activities/sensory
diets! Have fun meeting the sensory needs of your students and watch your students
learn, grow and mature!
Resource List
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Web sites:
www.out-of-sync-child.com
www.SInetwork.org
www.SensoryResources.com