School Sensory Modulation Strategies

Sensory modulation strategies, a component of sensory integration intervention, help improve behavior and reduce the need for harsh discipline in schools. Sensory modulation strategies teach students to be aware of and regulate their arousal levels for appropriate behavior and learning.  Sensory modulation strategies are particularly useful for students with behavioral, mental health, trauma history, developmental, […]

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Self-Injury is a Bad Habit

A lot of occupational therapy referrals at my psychiatric hospital are for adolescents and young adults with mental health, trauma history, developmental, and/or sensory processing challenges who repeatedly injure themselves. Individuals with trauma history and developmental challenges have greater incidences of neurological, sensory processing, and self-injury challenges. Clients with these complex difficulties benefit from integrated

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Facilitating Adaptive Behavioral Responses

Occupational therapy uses specific child-directed sensory activities to achieve adaptive behavioral responses. To achieve adaptive responses specific support is provided to assure that the behavioral demands are challenging but not too difficult to achieve. Sensory coping strategies and sensory coping areas can be used to obtain the right combination of challenges and supports for adaptive

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Coping With Hearing Voices

Hearing voices that others don’t perceive is a challenging difficulty for a small but significant number of children, adolescents, and adults. While some people who hear voices do not experience functional problems, many do.  Medications help some but not all people who have functional difficulties involving hearing voices, but do not always eliminate the problem.

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Improving Sensory Integration, Emotion Regulation, & Learning

Occupational, Speech/Language, and mental health therapists can work in conjunction with teachers to integrate sensory integration and mindfulness activities with positive behavioral support preventive interventions. Sensory Integration can help enhance emotion regulation and behavior. Synthesizing sensory integration with positive behavioral support strategies comprehensively addresses the development of sensory seeking, novelty seeking, and impulsive behaviors associated

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Occupational Therapy for Autism

Occupational therapy improves the functioning of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), behavioral, and sensory processing challenges. Inclusion of sensory symptoms (e.g., over or under-responsive to or atypical interest in sensory stimuli) in the new DSM-5 ASD diagnosis has the potential to further promote the use of occupational therapy (OT) interventions for Autism. Research currently

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Sensory Interventions for Autism

The new DSM-5 Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) diagnostic criteria finally includes sensory symptoms (e.g., over or under-responsiveness to or atypical interest in sensory stimuli) as part of the diagnosis and treatment of Autism. This inclusion of sensory symptoms under the domain “restricted repetitive behaviors” (RRB) expands sensory processing evaluation, research, and interventions related to the

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Behavioral & Sensory Strategies for Young Students

Integrated sensory processing and behavioral strategies improve the behavior of pre-school and kindergarten students. Combining Positive Behavioral Support and sensory processing adaptive equipment and techniques can help regular and special education students behave better, pay attention, and learn. A helpful initial resource for pre-school and kindergarten teachers is www.pbisworld.com which suggests behavioral strategies and classroom

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FAB Turtle Teaches Self-Control

The FAB Turtle Technique is a practical evidence-based method of teaching self-control to pre-school and kindergarten students. The turtle technique is a component of the PATHS positive behavioral support program using classroom routines, rewards, stories, puppets, crafts, and activities. The turtle technique is based on Tucker Turtle, who learns to control his aggression when he

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Classroom Sensory Integration Equipment

This post describes the FAB Procedure for using sensory integration informed adaptive equipment and techniques in the classroom to improve behavior and learning.  Strategies are individualized for regular and special education students with behavioral, developmental, and sensory processing challenges.  The procedure is described sequentially, followed by an example provided in italics. Choose one goal involving

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