Sensory Strategies within Behaviour Support Plans By Lee Frances MApplSc(OT)

My background Sensory integration at Uni Supported employment with behaviour plans and reward systems

Learning Objectives Use Functional Analysis to help create a Behaviour Support Plan Know when to use sensory strategies within a Behaviour Support Plan Include sensory strategies within Behaviour Support Plans for prevention and intervention Evaluate the sensory strategies and the behaviour

Behaviour Support Plans

Dept of Education and Dept of Human Services Plans http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/learningneeds/Pages/supportmaterials.aspx http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/about/programs/bullystoppers/bspwhatis.pdf http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/about/programs/bullystoppers/bspguidelines.pdf http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/about/programs/bullystoppers/bspquestionnaire.pdf http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/about/programs/bullystoppers/bspprint.pdf http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/school/teachers/management/improvement/SWPBSFlowC.pdf https://services.dhhs.vic.gov.au/behaviour-support-services

Behaviour – What is the Function? What to do about it? Obtain something Avoid something Gain attention Sensory stimulation Improve Communication Provide more appropriate alternative Increase Occupation – either meaningful or purely sensory?

Create Behaviour Support Plan Target behaviour – include when it occurs Triggers of the behaviour Function of the behaviour – obtain, avoid, attention, sensory stimulation Prevention strategies Reward/positive reinforcement Natural consequences/ignoring strategies 3 levels of incident response – yellow, orange, red Evaluation

Sensory Strategies

When might sensory strategies help? Sensory Processing disorders can be involved in the following: Attention Deficit Disorder Anxiety Autism Spectrum Disorder Developmental Coordination Disorder (Dyspraxia) Dysgraphia Non-verbal Learning Disorder Gifted children Sensory Processing Disorder

Frontal lobe = thinking Primitive brain = sensory

When do you use sensory strategies? Prevention – providing sensory tools so that the person stays in a calm, alert state and their behaviour doesn’t escalate. Intervention – providing sensory tools when the problem behaviour occurs

Sensory Strategies as Prevention Hokki stool Reduce distractions in the room Reduce fluorescent light Reduce noise Provide regular movement breaks and opportunities for breathing and centering Having a Sensory Activity Schedule

Sensory strategies as intervention for obtaining behaviours Provide sensory tools as a replacement option Eg. Visual computer screen for 5 mins to help calm when actually wants a game Eg. blow a balloon when want something to eat Provide sensory tools to help calm so can communicate appropriately Eg. blowing tools or a a movement break

Sensory strategies as intervention for avoiding behaviours Provide deep pressure alternatives eg. push against wall instead of people Bounce on trampoline or ball instead of throwing furniture Provide earmuffs Provide sensory tools to help calm so can communicate appropriately Eg. blowing tools, weighted lap-sack or a a movement break

Sensory strategies as intervention for attention-seeking behaviours Provide sensory tools as a replacement option Eg. pet to provide attention Eg. robot to provide attention Eg. develop movement skills so get appropriate positive attention eg. dancing or gymnastics Provide sensory tools to help calm so can communicate appropriately Eg. blowing tools or a a movement break

Sensory strategies as intervention for sensory stimulation behaviours Provide appropriate sensory tools as a replacement option Eg. chewing gum instead of chewing pencil Eg. fiddle toy instead of move at mat-time Use Archie’s School Tools book to introduce to class Provide sensory tools to help calm so can communicate needs/wants appropriately Eg. blowing tools or a a movement break

Sensory Activity Schedule Make it easy to implement Make it things the child wants to do Make it whole class activities Aim for 10 minutes every 2 hours Explain what the aim is Provide unsupervised choices Provide a chill-out or hide-out zone

Evaluation of prevention and intervention Choose 2 sensory behaviours and 2 behaviours to measure: rate behaviours out of 10 length of time of the expected behaviour number of times the expected behaviour occurs Goal Attainment Scale – comparison of performance at review with initial performance 0=achievement of goal, -1=heading towards goal, -2=no change from initial performance, 1=exceeded goal, 2=more than exceeded

Learning Objectives Use Functional Analysis to help create a Behaviour Support Plan Know when to use sensory strategies within a Behaviour Support Plan Include sensory strategies within Behaviour Support Plans for prevention and intervention Evaluate the sensory strategies