TOOLS TO HELP WITH SENSORY BEHAVIORAL REMEDIATION:
A visual cue was provided just by placing two small door rug/mats in front of the Librarian’s desk. This
provides a boundary for the kids to be aware of how close to get to the desk when checking out books.
It also provides them with an orientation cue to know they need to come to the front of the desk
instead of going around to the side of the desk. Rugs were purchased at Lowes ©Sensory Scholar 2013
This watch can be a useful tool as an indicator that an individual is escalating internally toward a
behavior. It measures heart rate and is a good self monitoring tool to help the child recognize when
they are getting too upset. It provides feedback to students so that they know they need to start using
their calming strategies. Watches like this one are available online by Lifespan. ©Sensory Scholar 2013
Schedule
DO OVER
©Sensory Scholar 2013
These schedule DO OVER cards (reproducible images from the internet) I have made for students for
their individual motivational preference. When the student gets upset because there is a sudden
change in the schedule, the teacher can give them one of their special cards. They get to the keep the
card and later in the day they show the card to their teacher and they will get a special treat for being
flexible since the schedule had changed without warning. This helps the student to understand that the
teacher didn’t change the schedule that sometimes things just happen and sometimes change can’t be
predicted. So when an unpredicted change happens the teacher just tells the student it is a schedule
DO Over. ©Sensory Scholar 2013
Sensory Scholar 2013
DO OVERS
IPod APPS Jed Baker NO MORE MELTDOWNS AND ICOUNSELOR
These internet reproducible images are examples of question mark cards to hold up when students are
having difficulty negotiating. The question mark asks what are you thinking or what is your perspective.
When students begin to argue I hold up a card that stops the verbal conflict and then each student will
explain what they are thinking or what their perspective to the situation is. It is a way of acknowledging
that everyone needs to be heard. The adult then acts as the mediator to help students work or their
“theory or mind”.
©Sensory Scholar 2013
These baseball counter purchased from Academy sports are used to keep track of behaviors when doing
an FBA. The first one is a pitch counter and the second one is a four way indicator.
©Sensory Scholar 2013
Visual schedules are great for behavioral remediation since they provide structure and predictability.
The predictability helps to reduce anxiety that students sometimes feel when transitioning activities.
This visual schedule chart costs $5.00 from T.J. Maxx is a jewelry holder.
©Sensory Scholar 2013
This golf counter can also be used to keep data for FBA. It was purchased at Academy Sports.
©Sensory Scholar 2013
Labeled rugs can provide structure and help children find their place when getting up and down. This
grounding can reduce behaviors by providing structure and acknowledging that they have correctly
found their places. Rug available from School Specialty. See the visual domain for additional
suggestions for behavioral remediation.
©Sensory Scholar 2013
Visual journals for everyone in the class can be fun. Purchase some hard covered journals decorate and
let the student’s decorate them. It will help with transitions for the whole class especially at the
beginning of the year. Take a picture of the new teachers and classmates and let the put them in their
journals to learn their new classmates and teachers sooner. For this to be beneficial the student’s don’t
have to be on the spectrum they just have to be in new situations.
©Sensory Scholar 2013
Even something as simple as these bug bands from whole Foods have stopped the behavior of a student
who was scared of bugs. The bands helped his anticipatory anxiety which extinguished his screaming,
running and refusal to move around outside.
©Sensory Scholar 2013
These PSI bands are great for motion sickness when kids travel. Many of my kids with vestibular
problems have a lot of fear of traveling. These have significantly helped many of my patients. I
purchased these at Target.
©Sensory Scholar 2013
This is a pillow that my mother made for my quiet area. It is an air filled camping pillow that can be
adjusted in pressure for comfort. The top of it has cues placed on it covered with fabric plastic from
Hancock Fabrics. It is used to help kids transition from the quiet area to back to their classrooms to
work.
©Sensory Scholar 2013
Last year I had a student who kept the barometric pressure for me all year. So at the end of the year she
received The Weather Bug Award for the local trophy shop. She also received a thermometer for her
house.
©Sensory Scholar 2013
The Golden Mop Award I gave at the end of the year to the student who did the most “Uplifting our
school with beauty” while cleaning and recycling. For him it provided him with the heavy work that he
needed to stay regulated throughout the day and was part of his movement schedule.
©Sensory Scholar 2013
My perspective ticket is a useful tool when you have students arguing while in the hall transitioning to
another activity or just arguing in class. What the ticket does is stop the clock. You give the students
who are arguing a ticket. When they receive this ticket they stop the arguing. When they have free
time they write in their journal their perspective of what the argument was about and what their point
of view was. At the end of the day the teacher (in a private area) has the child read from their journal or
tell their perspective. After that the students are brought together in a small group with the teacher
facilitating and they discuss the other individuals perspective the argument was with. This is a way to
improving theory of mind skills. I made the tickets at school and the journal came from Walmart.
©Sensory Scholar 2013
This is an idea that I tried last year at school when the classes were lining up for P.E. The numbers went
all the way down the wall. When the students would stand in line they would face the wall and put their
hands on the wall and push on the wall to do upper and lower extremity stretching. This would keep a
set distance between the students and keep their hands to themselves before moving on to their next
transitional activity. You can make your own numbers and cover with clear box tape and then have
some professionally made someone who makes clear stickers. Ours were made from a local graphic
artist.
©Sensory Scholar 2013
The stickers can also be used for the floor.
©Sensory Scholar 2013
Time Tracker available from Abilitations is a nice way to keep the volume down either in the lunchroom
or a class like P.E. It has a battery charging cord and can be adjusted for sensitivity for both the light and
sound.
©Sensory Scholar 2013
Time Timer.com sells these great timers that are visual and or auditory. I love this visual timer as time
decreases the red band disappears so it is easy for even young children to understand. For me this is a
great tool because it stops negotiations such as 5 more minutes of free time.
©Sensory Scholar 2013
I love The Amazing Five Point Scale it is a great tool to use to see where kids are in terms of regulation.
You can buy it online and is a great tool for an individual student or a class. It allows you to individualize
and define the specific regulation terms for an individual.
©Sensory Scholar 2013
This is the door of my room that describes what the room can help students do. Inside the daisy border
are pom poms from Hancock Fabrics. Chill Zone words were out of a soft nubby fabric from Hancock
Fabrics. Later, I also added a pair of mittens at the top of the door.
©Sensory Scholar 2013
This bead counter is made from wooden beads, a rawhide string and a key ring. It is great to use as a
counter for FBA. ©Sensory Scholar 2013
This small blue laminated paper square is a cue that the teachers can give the students when they feel
that the student is needing to leave the classroom and take a break. It is predetermined by the teacher
and student what is to be done when the cue is shown to the student. It can be getting a drink, taking a
walk, running an errand (taking a note to the office staff) or washing their hands. It just lets the student
know when they need to take a movement break. It also is a good tool to help the students start
monitoring themselves for when they need to take a break. ©Sensory Scholar 2013
This prize box is used when the students receive a Benny Buck for getting caught doing an awesome job
at school. I have one for both primary and secondary students. They have prizes in them motivating for
that age. ©Sensory Scholar 2013