Interoceptive awareness and sensory processing interventions can be integrated by selectively using the FAB Strategies® curriculum to develop a foundational body awareness for functional behavior and learning. The FAB Strategies® curriculum can help children and teenagers with Learning, Post-Traumatic Stress, Autism Spectrum, and/or other mental health disorders. However, therapist’s need to individualize FAB Strategies® to […]
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Occupational, Physical and Speech/Language therapists often include popular neurologically based approaches in their interventions for students with behavioral and developmental challenges. Brain Gym, Bal-A-Vis-X and Sensory Integration Intervention are three popular neurologically based approaches to promote neurological development for improved functional skills. While many clinicians, parents and families report that these interventions are clinically useful
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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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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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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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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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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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Classroom environmental adaptations can enhance behavior and learning. However, effectively using adaptive equipment and techniques involves more than handing out adaptive equipment. To improve learning and avoid causing additional classroom management problems it is important to specifically consider how sensory strategies can improve an individual student’s behavior for enhanced learning. Sensory Integration and Positive Behavioral
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Combining sensory processing and behavioral strategies is useful for students with complex behavior, developmental and sensory processing challenges. Integrating sensory processing and behavioral strategies is underutilized because of the theoretical rigidity of many behavioral and occupational therapists. However, I was lucky enough to work with a behavioral therapist who respected occupational therapists, and by working
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After 30 years as an occupational therapist treating sensory integration difficulties to improve functional skills in children and adolescents, I still find understanding and explaining sensory integration disorders challenging. Clearly describing and explaining sensory integration disorders promotes sensory integration intervention. This blog post provides a basic understanding of sensory integration disorders as a foundation for
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