SENSORY PROCESSING & REGULATION
Preschool & Kindergarten
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Background Knowledge
Sensory processing refers to how a student takes in information from the environment and from their body, makes decisions about what is important, and organizes it into a movement or social response.
Self-regulation, or the ability to achieve calm and alert states appropriate to the situation and time of day, is also a function of sensory processing.
Frequently for students, difficulties in sensory processing may underlie problems in behavior, maintaining a calm state of arousal, and successful interaction with people and objects in the environment.
As students develop higher-level coordination skills, the completion of routine tasks is dependent on successful sensory processing.
For more information consider watching this short video What are the senses and why do they matter?
One Page Reference Sheets:
Sensory Registration Fact Sheet
First Steps to Supporting Students with Sensory needs:
It is often helpful to pair movement with deep pressure.
Movement/ Vestibular
Deep Pressure/ Proprioception
Tactile/ touch
Auditory, Visual, Olfactory
Oral Motor
Fidgets - Fidgets can be a great support for students who need tactile input. It is helpful to provide some time to play with the fidgets so they aren't a distraction. Try to create a time during morning meeting or after lunch to explore the fidgets available. This Sensory tracking chart can help guide students (with the support of an adult) to decide which fidgets work best for each student.
Fidgets to build
Full Class Motor Breaks
How do we know the supports are working?
Please select 1-3 supports and implement them for 3 weeks while tracking the student's response. This data will help adjust supports and during the evaluation process if that is a necessary step.
Please explore the "At Home" section of the website for helpful ideas that can be shared with families.
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