Scratchy labels,
Sock tantrums,
Can't get dirty,
Doesn't like to hug,
Needs lots of hugs,
Gets tired easily
Can't sit still...
I can think of at least one person in my family who ticks one or more of those boxes... and the list goes on.
I'm talking Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) and the challenging behaviours that it can trigger.
Sensory Integration (SI) is how we use our senses to experience and understand the world around us and how we process this 'sensory information for success in everyday activities'. Generally our SI develops during childhood as we play and explore our environment. However, sometimes this development does not occur in the way that it should and this impacts future success with learning and behaviour. This link offers a breakdown of challenging behaviours related to SI
I first was introduced to the area of SI a few years back when I had the great pleasure to meet and chat with Melanne Maddalene Randall. Melanne is an expert in this field and as I listened to her present her subject and something just clicked. I came out of the session buzzing with enthusiasm for her approach and immediately recommended to my leadership that professional development with her was the way to go. I have learned so much from my exposure to SI and apply some of the strategies that I learned every day. From having the students take movement breaks to strategically positioning myself behind a student and gently applying pressure to their shoulders and back to calm them down.
If you would like to know more I can recommend reading 'The Out-of-Sync child' by Carol Stock Kranowitz. It is an amazing resource for Sensory Processing Disorder and is jam packed with information and potential strategies to help you identify and understand. If you enjoy it then you may also like to read 'The Out-of-Sync Child Has Fun' by the same author. In this second book Kranowitz provides us with a host of activities that we can use to combat challenging behaviour which results from SPD.
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