1. Sensory Solutions for Children at School and Home
Marvin Williams, Director of Ed.
Michaela Parker, MOTR/L
Intermountain School

2. What is Sensory Integration?
Sensory integration is the organization of sensation for use. Our senses give us information about the physical conditions of our body and the environment around us.
Jean Ayres
The brain must organize all of these sensations to function successfully in our daily activities.

3. Neurodevelopment How the brain receives and interprets information
Five main senses
Taste, touch, smell, vision, hearing
Two other senses important
Vestibular (Movement Sense)
Proprioception (Muscle Sense)

4. Intermountain and SI Emotionally Challenged
Reactive Attachment Disorder
Autistic Disorder
Sensory Processing Disorder
Goal is to promote children’s ability to know their sensory needs and how to address them on their own.

5. Stress and Anxiety Effects on Sensory Processing
A child’s ability to successfully process sensory information is greatly interrupted by stress and anxiety.
Symptoms of Anxiety: Sweating, Loss of Appetite, Headaches, Tremors, Butterflies in Stomach, etc.
Stress prevents the creation of learning and memory.

6. Occupational Therapy and SI
OT will evaluate a child’s sensory
processing skills to determine if
intervention is necessary.
Ex: Sensory Profile
OT can provide specific interventions
to address a child’s sensory
processing needs.
Ex: How Does Your Engine Run

7. Sensory Diets School Home
Goal is for child to use sensory diet to identify their individual sensory needs to enhance their success as a student.
Home
Goal is for child to use sensory diet as part of their daily routine to have more positive and safe experiences every day.

8. Learning Through Movement
Heavy Work
Physical Activity
Movement breaks

9. Gum and Fidgets Gum Fidgets Gum can be GOOD!
Oral motor movement
Deep pressure to jaw
Fidgets
Squishy ball, pencil toppers
Anything with texture
Rules for fidgets

10. Calming Strategies and Centers
Devoted time and space for students to calm their nervous systems
Light dimmers, turn down light
Slow swinging
Tightly wrapped in a blanket
Headphones/Soothing music

11. Calming Strategies, Cont.
Deep Pressure
Dots and Squeezes (joint compressions)
Quiet corner with large pillow/bean bag to lie on
Weighted Items
Sit in an adult’s lap

12. From Classroom to Home Routines Transitions Starting day Ending day
Visual timers
Sounds cues
Musical interludes
Countdown from 5 (or 20!)

13. BAL – A – VIS – X (BAVX) B-rhythmic balance Auditory Vision; eXercise
Originated by Bill Hubert

14. What is Bal-A-Vis-X?
A series of Balance / Auditory / Vision exercises that are rooted in rhythm
Exercises that require full-body coordination
Necessitates “focused” attention

15. Who Benefits from BAVX? Children and adults who are:
Learning Disabled: cognitive integration improves.
Behaviorally disordered: “settles”.
Diagnosed with ADD / ADHD: attention becomes more focused.
Gifted: coordination improves and stress headaches diminish.
Non disabled: academic achievement improves.

16. BAVX: founder Bill Hubert
Teacher for 30+ years – English and reading.
Tutor for math, ADHD, writing and reading.
Upward Bound summer teacher.
Martial arts instructor.
Runs a BAVX lab for 7th graders at Hadley Middle School in Wichita, Kansas.

17. So – what did Bill see?
Inability to control eyes, focus attention, sit or stand without moving
Illegible handwriting
Stiff/locked posture while sitting, standing, walking or running
Rhythm less gait while walking or running
Difficulty in distinguishing left from right
Often unclear handedness
General clumsiness
Mental and/or physical apathy

18. BAVX – Exercises
Exercises are not just for the athlete or daring. They are for everyone!
First graders are capable of more than half of them.
Nine-year-olds can master all but the most intricate.
The non-athletic and physically challenged find BAVX well within their ability range.
At least 75% of all exercises can be done while seated.

19. Quotes Movement is the door to learning – Paul Dennison
The more you move your hands, the more the brain grows – Carla Hannaford
The ear choreographs the body’s dance of balance, rhythm, and movement - Don Campbell

20. Resources Out of Sync Child Sensory Integration and the Child
How Does your Engine Run?
Sensory Profile
S’cool Moves
DSM-IV-TR
BAVX – Bill Hubert developer
phone: