Understanding sensory - Emerge & See

Alison Berkley MST and Amanda Friedman MSEd, SBL
Directors of the Emerge & See Education Center

To incorporate love of learning, trust of self
and the community, and respect into a fun
and developmentally sound educational
program for students with developmental and
emotional differences.

~
“Breakin’ through behavior since ’09”™

© Friedman & Berkley Inc. 2012

Stimuli
Our Perceptions
External &
The 5 Senses
Internal

Physiological
Response
Feelings

Behavior
Verbal, Physical,
Emotional, Social

 Many disparate parts of
the brain working
together – various
instruments playing at
the same time
 The constant flow of
inputs and outputs -
sounds played by all the
instruments
 These signals have
perfect timing and are
carefully coordinated
Envision the brain as a with one another –
beautifully sounding orchestra sounds are harmonious


 This neurological orchestration, if you will, is how we
create a coherent picture of our world
 But, what happens when the conductor doesn’t show
up??


 A faulty brain-body feedback loop results in:
◦ Mistimed signals
 It’s all just “white noise”
 The big picture can get lost: can’t coordinate signals properly
◦ Detours and misfirings
 Speech, language and motor-planning problems
 Have you seen Temple Grandin’s brain (60 minutes)
◦ Inconsistent input and output channels
 Modulation issues
 Attention issues
 Different sensory channels fighting for cortical real estate
◦ No filter vs. too much filter
◦ All of this neurological discord manifests in the body


fMRI scan of Temple Grandin’s speech pathways


 Never underestimate it !
◦ “However much brainwork may be required to play a
piano concerto or paint a picture, the playing or painting
is done by the hands and is a matter of touch.”
~ Harry Eyres
 One affects the other and vice versa
◦ Body affecting Mind: yoga, deep breathing, massage, hot
showers, long walks, rigorous exercise, etc
◦ Mind affecting Body: meditation, visualization, “vegging
out”, writing your thoughts down, etc.
 Hence, the importance of sensory supports and
physically adaptive educational programs



 Attack the puzzle of learning by taking into
account sensory processing

 Engage the senses in order to maximize and
cement learning

 “There is NO such thing as ‘non-functional’
behavior!”
◦ Every behavior is a communication or serves some
purpose
 “We are Behavior Detectives!”
◦ Put yourself in their shoes
◦ Wake up and smell the pancakes
 “Change the brain, change the behavior!”
◦ The ‘neurological discord’ of the conductor-less
orchestra manifests in the body and results in the
behaviors we see and can shape!


Type of
What it looks like What it means What can we do?
behavior

STIMMING SENSORY
ADDRESS SENSORY
Rocking, hand flapping, Coping mechanisms
Physical NEEDS
mouthing objects, for sensory
Offer supports and input!
aggression dysregulation

SELF TALK UNDERSTAND
COMMUNICATION
Humming, grunting, Let them know that you
Verbal They are trying to
scripts, echolalia, vocal see them trying to
tell us something!
utterances communicate!

FEELING
EMOTIONAL RESPONSE Happiness, anger, EMPATHIZE
Emotional Laughing, yelling, sadness, surprise, Acknowledge the
hitting, crying, etc. fear, etc. emotion!

DISENGAGEMENT
SUPPORT
Isolation, self- I want to play, but
Social Help them enter into
absorption, satellite I’m not sure how…
meaningful interactions!
effect, etc.

 Proactive and reactive interventions
 QBC – The Quick Behavioral Checklist
◦ Are they…
 Sick?
 In Pain?
 Thirsty or hungry?
 Anxious/Scared/Overwhelmed/Nervous?
◦ If none of the above, maybe they are…
 Avoiding
 Escaping
 Manipulating you
 Just giving you a hard time


 Can be physical exercises, specific movements
and sequences of movements, large equipment,
small handheld toys, everyday objects, etc
 When used properly, can satiate an intense
sensory need
 Designed to train individual sensory input/output
channels to send reliable signals
 Also coordinates multiple channels in
increasingly complex ways
 Helps make the world calm and predictable
 Primes the brain for learning


Swings, Squeeze Machines, and Snoezelen, Oh My!
 Vestibular Input
◦ Swings and Swivel Boards
 Deep Pressure/Sensation
◦ Squeeze Machine, cranial-saccral therapy
◦ Weighted Blanket
 Sensory Toys/Equipment
◦ Snoezelen light sources
 Gross-Motor Activities
◦ Trampoline, treadmill, rock climbing, Swings, Flaghouse’s Entire
Catalog
 Oral-Motor
◦ SLP massagers, fancy chewlry
 MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC!!!


If you build it, they will regulate…
 Vestibular Input
◦ Balance Boards (CHECK THIS WITH AMANDA ON DEFINITION OF VESTIBULAR), mini-
stair master (in our gym)
 Deep Pressure/Sensation
◦ Squeeze vest, body sock, massage, joint compressions, brushing
◦ Weighted Pad (ours was $10)
 Gross-Motor Activities and Proprioceptive Input
◦ Medicine ball (or any ball for that matter), High-Five game, Push-ups, jumping jacks,
wall pushes, etc
◦ Yoga (for the kids and for us!)
 Sensory toys
◦ Fidget objects, various textures and surfaces, textiles,
◦ Get creative and make a sensory experience in a box for kiddos of all different
profiles
◦ Three Magic Words: Oriental Trading Company
 Oral-Motor
◦ Chewy Tubes, hand held massager, mouth swabs, chintzy chewlry
 MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC!!!


 Our Light Therapy Room
 Sensory bins
 Constant Access
 Music
 Yoga
 Obstacle Courses
 Exercise Dice…yeah, that’s how we roll
 OT/Sensory Curricula
◦ Brain Gym
◦ Thinking Goes to School
◦ HANDLE


 Obstacle courses and the REAL PlayStations
 PlaySport: the perfect combo
 Adaptive Yoga
 Parachute Play
 Balance Beam
 Sitting, standing, and waiting – some of the
hardest goals to meet
 Scavenger Hunt – incorporating everything!


 Manageable and appropriate fidget objects
 Lap toy (i.e. abacus)
 Seat cushion
 Minimal distractions
 Environmental modifications: windows and air
conditioners
 Music
 Allow for some movement/embed movement
into the lesson plan activities.


 Art
 Music
 Self-expression
 Model your creative side for your students!
 Poetry, song, and dance
 Talking about yesterday and thinking about
tomorrow


 Sebastian
◦ Physical behavior as a way to decrease anxiety
 James
◦ Physically sick kid (GI issues, PANDAs, severe allergies, etc)
◦ Little-to-no modulation, limited control of physical
outputs, over-stimulation, hyperactivity
 Coffee Place
◦ Twice exceptional: social anxiety paired with high cognitive
functioning
◦ Separation anxiety, low confidence and poor self-image,
feels out of control/helpless
 Roman
◦ Psycho-emotional imbalance: no boundaries, no separation
of reality/fantasy,
◦ Never realized the benefit of positive behavior


 Sensory supports: as low-tech or as “on the fly”
as you need
 Social-emotional supports: embed throughout
the classroom/program culture
 Only implement what can realistically be carried
over in both the home and school environments
 Talk to the experts!
◦ Learn everything you can from OT, PT, Audiologists,
aquatic therapists, etc…
 Jargon needs to be understood by all
 Every player on the team needs to be on the
same page of the playbook!


How about a fresh approach?
Emerge & See Enlightenment

“NO CEILING
AND
NO CEMENT!”


Understanding sensory - Emerge & See

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