Sensory integration in the school setting is crucial in a special education classroom.  It involves creating an environment suitable for students with sensory processing challenges.  In a sensory supportive classroom, students can effectively process and respond to sensory input, which can significantly enhance their learning experience. By incorporating sensory integration techniques into my classroom, I can can reduce anxiety and improve learning.  Sensory integration also allows students to thrive academically and socially. Ultimately, sensory integration creates a more inclusive and supportive educational setting for all of my students. 

Sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch are the tools everyone uses to take in information, process the data, and make sense of the world around us.   For kids with special needs, sight, sound, smell, taste and touch is a different situation. Like us they take in information using their 5 senses, but they may have difficulty processing the information, which in turn affects their thoughts and behavior. It is important to meet their sensory needs in the classroom. 

 Typically kids are either over-sensitive or under-sensitive with their senses.  They have difficulty tolerating certain sensations. Sensory input is magnified and they are constantly trying to figure out how they feel in their environment.   

Sensory Needs in the Classroom

The one thing I find that never changes is the fact that a kid’s senses can make or break their day.  It’s my job as an educator to help them learn how to regulate their 5 senses so they can have a good day. I find the best way to answer this question is to go back to basics and look at the 5 senses and how they manifest in the kids I work with. Going through each sense and seeing them in action gives me a deeper understanding of each child and better equips me to take care of the sensory needs in the classroom. 

Sight - The Visual Sense

Hearing - The Auditory Sense

Touch - The Tactile Sense

Smell - The Olfactory Sense

Taste - The Gustatory Sense

Proprioceptive and Vestibular Senses

Kids that have a hard time with ________ may display behaviors such as:

Movement Activities to Help Meet these Needs

The Importance of Sensory Integration

Sensory integration is very important in special education because it addresses the unique sensory processing challenges many students face.  Sensory integration helps students navigate the world around them and understand the classroom environment.  With creating a safe environment, students will be able to access learning materials and activities better as well.  Incorporating sensory-based interventions in the classroom helps students focus with tasks at hand, reduce challenging behavior and improve social interactions.   Sensory integration also promotes emotional well-being by creating a supportive learning enviornemt and calming classroom atmosphere that reduces anxiety and frustration. Ultimately, sensory integration helps to build an inclusive classroom allowing all students to thrive and reach their full potential. 

Sensory integration and sensory input are popular phrases in the Autism community because kids on the spectrum are typically sensory seeking kiddos.  Where I may just need a quick twitch, kids with autism go from one thing to the next until their bodies feel good in their space. But, students with sensory needs bodies may only feel good for a short period, so they seek out another sensory activity.  They have difficulty with sensory integration because processing sensory input and responding appropriately is challenging. This can interfere with life in the classroom.  Having a constant need to feed the senses can inhibit learning. So how do I help students get the sensory input they are craving so they can be productive?

Enter the Sensory Diet!

Sensory Diet

A sensory diet is a program that helps organize sensory input activities a child needs to fully function throughout their daily routine.  It is personally tailored based off of a kid’s preferences or tendencies and is implemented as kids need it. Following a sensory diet helps kids get back on track because their bodies feel better. I have found that by implementing sensory diets, my students have reduced anxiety knowing they would be able to get the sensory input they need while at school.  Many of my students also knew what they needed to do without instructions because the sensory diet helps them get better with sensory integration.   

How I Start A Sensory Diet

The first step to creating a sensory diet is knowing the child and his or her sensory needs. 

Key things I look for when setting up a sensory diet:

Identify sensory seeking behaviors

Attention issues due to unmet sensory needs

Emotional regulation from impaired sensory input (points of meltdowns for example)

I spend at least a week and write down what I see.  I keep a log of things, like time of day, behaviors exhibited, triggers, and setting.

Once I assess the student, I go back to my notes and see if I can get to the root cause of the exhibited behaviors. 

I ask myself questions like:

Challenging times of day?

What were environmental triggers?

What was the child doing that led to a meltdown?

Is there a need not being met that causes a child to continually seek an activity?

After assessing and understanding the why, it’s time for me to try out different activities.  This trial and error period helps me see what works and what doesn’t for my student.  I am able to narrow down activities and only include the ones that work for my student once I formalize the sensory diet.

While I am testing out activities I look for:

What things help regulate

Do certain times help or hinder

What things have no impact

What things have a negative effect

Do certain activities have an opposite effect

The last step I take in the sensory diet process is to make a list of the activities that give me the desired results I am looking for: sensory activities that give kids the sensory input they need so that they are regulated, focused, emotionally balanced and able to learn. The activities on your list become the sensory diet. This is the foundation I build upon.  

How To Create A Sensory Diet

1. I organize the list of activities into categories that address the 5 senses (visual, auditory, tactile, smell, taste.)

• I may not have activities for all 5 senses.  Children vary on their needs and preferences.  For example, a child may only need tactile activities to feel regulated.

• Further organize activities into calming or energy boosting activities.

2.  I make a list of the time your student needs sensory input the most.  

• Do they need sensory activities after sitting for a long time?  

• Is there a time of day they are tired?  

• Is there a time when they are full of energy?

3. i make a list of environments that can be challenging or stimulates sensory seeking input.

4. I insert the appropriate activity to match the timing, environment, or the sensory input being sought.

• If a child gets upset during gym where it’s loud, offer noise canceling headphones.

• Student comes in from recess full of energy, offer a quiet time to sit in a tent

• Student can’t read a book without constantly chewing on shirt.  Give child a chew toy to use during reading time.

5. I create a visual for me and my student to follow:

• Write out daily schedule or daily activities in the first column

• List out challenges or sensory seeking behavior that occur during each activity in 2nd column

• List the sensory activities that help in third column.

6. I have flexibility with the sensory diet.  I make changes as necessary if things don’t work.  I offer variety so students don’t get bored. I am sure to re-visit the student’s sensory diet periodically to see if changes should be made.

Sensory Play in the Classroom

Sensory play in the classroom can seamlessly be integrated into a classroom.  This play involves activities that engage a child’s senses, such as touch, sight, sound, taste, and smell. Activities I use include tactile experiences like playing with sand or clay, auditory exercises such as listening to different sounds, and visual tasks like sorting colors and shapes. I incorporate sensory play into the daily schedule, work center rotations and have invidivualed sensory break schedules set up for students based on their IEP and occupational therapist recommendations.  Like most things in special education, I modify these activities to meet my students’ sensory needs.  Sensory play helps children develop fine motor skills, cognitive abilities, and emotional regulation. Incorporating sensory play into the classroom routine can help create a safe learning environment. 

Sensory play easily fits into the classroom and works for my students by doing the following:

I incorporate sensory breaks throughout the day.  If a student has been sitting or focusing for a period of time, I give them a choice of a favorite sensory activity to unwind.

I use sensory activities to help self-regulate if student needs to focus on a task.  I pick something that is calming, not stimulating, for the child.

I use sensory activities to encourage learning through exploration, curiosity, problem-solving and creativity.

My Favorite Sensory Tools