EQUIP Training Taster Sense ability
What is EQUIP? Enable Question Understand Inspire Play Our Aim To enhance Early Years Practitioners knowledge through facilitating therapeutic understanding in all aspects of child development, enabling them to improve the outcomes for all children within their setting. Our mission statement To link communication, physical development, sensory development, function and behaviour through a comprehensive training package and interactive learning
Who are EQUIP? Elaine Beattie is a State Registered Occupational Therapist. She graduated from the University of Derby in 2001 with a BSc in Occupational Therapy and has extensive experience in children's Occupational Therapy practice. Claire Lidstone is a Chartered Physiotherapist. She graduated from the Manchester School of Physiotherapy in 1999. She has a wealth of experience in the NHS and private practice and specialised in Paediatrics.
EQUIP Training Menu NDNA Online NDNA Publication Super skills interactive workshop Additional Modules - Sense ability - Motor Magic - Seeing is believing - Speak Speak
Sense ability Enhancing sensory development in key areas of play and learning This taster workshop aims to begin to promote your understanding of the development of sensory processing skills; increasing the insight into the impact these skills have on a child s world and the links between the development of the child s motor skills, language, social communication and behaviour.
Training and learning objective 1.To enhance awareness of sensory processing development and skill 2.To increase awareness and understanding of the links between a child s sensory system and their behaviour 3.To enhance understanding of external factors and learning environment and how this affects a child s sensory system and behaviour 4.To identify strategies and advice for the nursery environment to assist managing a child s sensory needs
Foundation Skills for Learning Diagram Reference: Building Blocks for Learning Occupational Therapy Approaches, Jenkinson et al 2008 Wiley-Blackwell ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING Self Care WORK Skills for School LEISURE Play BUILDING BLOCKS FOR LEARNING Language Visual Perception Motor skills Sensory
Skill areas Language Skills Visual Perception Fine Motor Skills Gross Motor Skills Sensory Processing Skills
What do you see?
What are Sensory Processing skills o Enables the child to take in senses from the world around them o Essential building blocks to all our skill development and learning o Occurs via central nervous system o It is the ability to o Take in sensory information (register) o Interpret information (discriminate) o Organise and respond appropriately (modulate)
Sensory Integration o The whole sensory processing process o Required for a child to self regulate o Refers to child s ability to: o Control activity levels o State of alertness o Control emotions o Control physical responses to sensations In essence it is self organisation
The senses There are 7 main sensory systems in our bodies. The 5 familiar senses: Auditory Where we receive information about hearing Visual Where were receive information about things we see Tactile Where we receive information about the things we feel Olfactory Where we receive information about smell Gustatory Where we receive information about things we taste
The secret senses Sensory processing also focuses on the sensation of movement. All movement starts with: - A background of sensory information about the space around us and - An understanding of the position of our body Which leads us to the 2 secret movement based senses: - Vestibular Where we receive information about movement - Proprioception Where we receive information about the position of our bodies
Difficulties o o o o o Due to inefficient or dysfunctional neurological processing, occurring in the central nervous system When a glitch occurs the brain cannot analyse, organise and connect or integrate a sensory message The result a child cannot respond to sensory information to behave in a meaningful, consistent way. They may also have difficulty using sensory information to plan and organise what they need to do, impacting on their ability to learn and perform A problem with just one sensory system can greatly affect your child's overall development.
Sensory processing difficulties
Warning signs Irritability (Difficult to comfort) Regulating their attention Regulating their control Regulating their activity levels Regulating their interactive behaviour Difficulties in developing foundation skills for learning and organising their behaviour Under or over reactive to sensory stimulation Activity level that is unusually high or low Delays in speech, language, motor skills or academic achievement Poor motor performance Poor organisation of behaviour Poor self-concept Irrational emotional outbursts Compulsive behaviour Socialisation difficulties
Function to behaviour Every day children are expected to engage in activities and complete tasks that are complex and challenging before they become automatic.. These activities may include putting on a coat, circle time, messy play and meal times Difficulties may occur at many levels while carrying out these functions as they require advanced sensory processing skills and integration of motor skills. Inability to complete these tasks may cause frustration or anxiety leading to adverse behaviours. The stimulation of the function / activity itself may also cause adverse behaviour. The adverse behaviours that may occur are: Biting, pacing and reduced engagement, sedentary behaviour, screaming and head butting or self harm.
Putting on a coat Involves advanced processing skills The child requires sufficient ability in: - Auditory processing - Visual perception - Proprioception - Bilateral integration - Functional movement - Tolerating temperature change / pressure change / sensation of 19
Where can it go wrong? Let's consider the voice of the child struggling with putting on a coat "I hate going out the door every adult I know gets cross with me. They keep telling me to do something and are cross when I don't do it but I don't know what they mean. They keep saying "put it on " but I don't know what they mean" 20
Voice of the child: Coat "Oh no it's playtime and it's cold and so they want me to put my coat on but I can't do it... "It has a top and a bottom and a front and a back and a left and a right and I can't work out what bit goes where. My tummy hurts when I have to put it on" "This is tricky I've got to stand still and reach my arms out and use my other hand to hold the coat but I am so wobbly and when I move my arms my legs feel wobbly and holding with one hand makes it harder to know where my other hand is" "I hate taking my coat off I like feeling all hugged in" 21
Voice of the child: Coat "I hate putting on my coat I just can't hold something in my left hand and then reach my right arm into the coat sleeve and it's really tricky once my arm is in to get it round my back and put my other arm in. And the zip and buttons, I can't work out how to do it. I don't want to do it" " My coat makes it feel horrible. I hate it on my body and my arms it feels tight and I can't use my hands as well as normal. I want to take it off" 22
Messy Play Messy play an essential part of play for a child's development and is included in the daily plan quite frequently. It is beneficial as it increases sensory stimulation for children It gives children opportunity to explore Children begin to mark make Proprioception of the fingers and toes can be increased It's fun for most children 23
BUT When Messy Play can be a problem Children have to be ready to engage It can be over stimulating to the touch system It can be confusing to the sensory system that can't discriminate It can be over stimulating to the sensitive sensory system It can be over stimulating in combination with meal times It can be exciting for children so they become louder and more exaggerated in their movement Normally visually and tactile stimulating together 24
Messy play... Voice of the child " oh no I feel sick. My hands are sticky with green stuff and I don't like the cold wet feeling of touching it and Sam is getting really shouty as he loves it and pushing the green stuff all over my hands too and he is jumping up and down and I don't like it and it feels funny on my hands and I want it to stop" " I am going to cry I don't like it all this stuff on my fingers I can't work out how it feels but I don't like it on my fingers and I don't know what it is and I don't like it " 25
Messy play... Voice of the child "Ugh I want my hands to be wiped and this tastes funny and they keep telling me to take my fingers out my mouth but that's where I put them to make me feel better when I feel sad and this stuff on my hands makes me feel sad" "It looks like custard and it feels like custard on my hands but it doesn't taste like custard it tastes yucky and it's made me feel all yucky and now they are wiping my hands and my face and I don't like my hands and face being wiped and I cried so now they are giving me a cuddle but I am feeling all buzzy" 26
Messy play "I love it, love it, love it my hands are squeezing through the foam and it feels sticky and I can reach across and touch it and stroke it and swirl it and roll it and press it and push it and spread it over everyone else and roll in it and walk in it and spread it on my arms and my face and in my hair and sit in it. I love it but I think I've made Gemma cross she doesn't like if everywhere and Evie is crying as I've wiped it all on her arms too and I wipe it on my face and arms again and now I can feel my tummy getting tight and my arms going everywhere and oh no I feel like I might cry and I'm lying on the floor..." 27
Messy play.. Voice of the child " I loved the foam it was such fun. I pushed the animals around and wrote my name with my finger and rubbed it on my arms and on my face and tasted it. They wiped me down and I went to the paint table. I love painting. I pushed the sponges round in the paint and painted with my fingers and then rubbed the paint on my arms and face then Fiona wiped my face and my arms and hold me not to do that with the paint. I washed my hands and it was lunch time. I pushed my fingers into the cottage pie then swirled it round and put it on the table and on my face. I got told off for making a mess but I was only making shapes" 28
Messy Play Definitely include messy play in your planning Definitely include children who naturally disengage as they will probably benefit most Be aware of how stimulating messy play can be to sensitive children Be aware of how stimulating it can be to children who are normally under stimulated Think about how children may choose other messy activities and how they may have a cumulative effect 29
What do you see now?
Question time
Remember Remember all the Senses Consider the variety of body positions the infant experiences throughout the day Be sensitive to each child s reactions to activities It is important to recognise that a child s reaction to certain situations may be due to how they are perceiving the world and not necessarily a behavioural problem Look for clues from the child Children often seek the types of sensory experience their nervous system needs. Recognise each child s abilities
What you should do if you suspect a child has sensory processing disorder Please follow your nursery policies and procedures Carry out detailed observation and record keeping All observations and records need to be considered sensitivity when discussed with parents You may wish to start the formal assessment process with consent from the parents Support form external agencies will be involved, preferable a Occupational therapist with sensory integration training Any diagnosis should only be done by experienced health professionals, following an assessment process
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