Sensory inclusivity in educational settings involves proactively adapting environments and educational practices to meet the diverse sensory needs of students. It means recognising and addressing the unique ways individuals process sensory information, including sensitivities to light, sound, touch, and other stimuli, and the ability to plan, coordinate and carry out movement. In a sensory-inclusive educational approach, adjustments are made to classrooms, teaching materials, and activities to ensure that all students can fully engage and participate comfortably. This commitment promotes an inclusive learning environment where students with varying sensory preferences or sensitivities can thrive. Whether it's creating sensory-friendly learning spaces, incorporating flexible teaching methods, or providing resources that cater to diverse sensory experiences, a sensory-inclusive educational setting prioritises the well-being and learning success of every student.
We are all sensory beings, experiencing the external world and the internal world of our bodies via our senses. Everything you experience and do involves your senses.
The term sensory integration and processing refers to how the body receives and interprets incoming stimuli through our senses. It's our brain's way of understanding the world around us and what's happening inside us - and whether to react to or ignore that information.
Sensory integration and processing is important in everything we need to do daily, such as getting dressed, eating, moving around, socialising, learning and working.
A sense is a system in our body that gathers and sends information to our nervous system. Our nervous system (which includes the brain, spinal cord, and nerves) processes this information and uses it, in conjunction with information from our memories, to help us respond appropriately.
You will be familiar with five of our senses (sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell), but we have actually identified eight senses. The other less-familiar senses are proprioception, interoception and our vestibular sense.
Our sense of vision allows us to see and perceive the world around us using our eyes. Our eyes focus on and capture an image, but the image needs to be interpreted by our brain before we can make sense of what we're seeing. Vision helps us recognise colours, shapes, and objects.
The auditory sense enables us to hear and process sounds. Auditory processing enables us to be aware of sounds and understand what they mean. It's a complicated process where different parts of your ear and the auditory nervous system work together smoothly so we can understand spoken language, enjoy music, and be aware of our environment.
The gustatory sense helps us to detect different flavours, guiding us towards calorie-rich food and away from spoiled food or toxic substances. It helps us enjoy and distinguish between different tastes, like sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami.
The olfactory sense helps us detect different odours or scents using our nose. It helps us identify and remember various smells, such as flowers, food, or perfumes.
The tactile sense allows us to feel physical sensations through our skin. It helps us perceive textures, temperatures, vibration, pressure, and pain. We have a greater concentration of tactile sensors in our hands, feet and mouth.
Proprioception (pro-pree-uh-sep-shuhn) is the sense that helps us know where our body is in space and how our body parts are positioned without needing to look. Can you touch your right forefinger to your left elbow tip when your eyes are closed? Could you hold an egg without breaking it by squeezing too hard? Can you bring a cup of water to your mouth at the right speed so the water doesn't slosh into your face? Proprioception enables you to do all this. It helps us coordinate our movements, including their force and speed.
The vestibular sense helps us maintain balance, orientation, and spatial awareness. It involves the inner ear and provides information about movement, gravity, and changes in position. Imagine you had your eyes closed and then you tilted your body forward in your chair - you'd immediately have a sensation of how your body's position was changing in relation to gravity. This is your vestibular system at work. It also works with your vision so you can keep your eyes focused when moving.
The sense of interoception helps us perceive internal sensations and bodily functions, such as hunger, thirst, heartbeat, and body temperature. It helps us understand and respond to our body's needs. Interoception includes all the signals from your internal organs, including your cardiovascular system, your lungs, your gut, your bladder and your kidneys.
A lot of the work to understand these signals happens without you even realising it: you won't notice the behind-the-scenes communication between your brain and body that keeps things like your blood pressure stable. But there are other signals, like when your bladder is full, that you are consciously aware of. Researchers have shown that how well we notice signals from inside our bodies can affect how we manage our feelings and how likely we are to have problems with our mental health, including anxiety and depression.
These senses work together to help our brain create a picture of the world and ourselves.
We all experience differences in the way our brain and body deal with sensory input, but some people's differences make everyday activities hard, and that's when we use the term sensory integration and processing differences. You may also see the terms 'sensory integration difficulties', 'sensory issues', 'sensory processing difficulties' or 'sensory processing disorder' used.
For example, your student may be more or less sensitive to sound than you, and as a result, their sensory system may send different signals to their brain than your sensory system would send to your brain. So your student might find a noisy dining hall upsetting and distracting, whilst you may barely notice the background noise. Or they may not be aware that you are calling their name for the tenth time if they are looking at something else.
Some people may struggle with processing input from one specific sense, like vision or hearing, while others may have trouble integrating input from multiple sensory systems.
So, sometimes sensory integration and processing differences can make it hard for students to handle sensory information, make sense of it, and react appropriately. Consequently, these differences can affect how your student prefers to spend their time and what they feel able to do on a day-to-day basis.
There's a lot more to sensory integration and processing differences than finding it tough to tolerate certain noises, lights or textures.
We can think of sensory integration and processing differences as forming two broad categories, each with two subcategories. It's important to note that children can experience one or both categories.
Sensory modulation refers to the brain's ability to filter out and tune into the sensory information that it needs to make sense of the information required for participation in a task. Effective modulation means that we can ignore sensory input not relevant to the task that we are completing.
Within this broad category, there are two types of sensory modulation problems: over-responsivity and under-responsivity to sensory information. It's important to know that a person can be both over-sensitive and under-sensitive in the same sense. Also, how sensitive we are to sensations can change depending on the situation. For example, in stressful situations, we might be more or less aware of the things we feel, hear, or see.
Over-Responsivity
People with over-responsivity may have heightened reactions to sensory input. They may:
Under-Responsivity
People with under-responsivity may have a reduced reaction to sensory input. They may:
Praxis refers to how our brain plans and carries out movements we haven't done before. It's like learning to jump for children or acquiring skills such as driving or using chopsticks for adults. When sensory information is not processed effectively, it can make new movements challenging because the child has difficulty understanding their body's position and figuring out how much force, speed, and direction to use. People with praxis difficulties may appear clumsy or awkward in their movements. These motor (movement) planning difficulties are often called dyspraxia.
Again, we can think of there being two subtypes of this kind of sensory processing challenge. These are a bit trickier to understand: Vestibular Bilateral Integration and Sequencing (VBIS); and Somatodyspraxia.
Vestibular Bilateral Integration and Sequencing (VBIS)
VBIS refers to challenges in performing tasks that require using both sides of the body together effectively, such as walking, running, or maintaining good posture. Children with this kind of sensory processing challenge may
Somatodyspraxia
Somatodyspraxia relates to difficulties with carrying out new physical activities that require precise coordination and planning. Children with this kind of sensory processing challenge may
Individuals can learn techniques to better manage their self-regulation and sensory needs, and they may find this easier as they mature. There is no evidence that individuals 'outgrow' sensory integration and processing differences and there is plenty of evidence to show that adults exhibit these differences too.
More common than you may think. Because sensory integration and processing differences can co-occur with diagnoses including autism, ADHD, OCD, genetic syndromes and learning disabilities, as well as with no other diagnosis at all, it’s difficult to put an exact figure on the prevalence. A 2009 study, found that one in every six children has sensory integration and processing differences that make it hard to learn and function in school. Other studies have confirmed sensory integration and processing differences are more common in autistic children and children with special education needs; and children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Sensory integration therapy (or SI interventions) includes structured exposure to sensory input; movement therapy; balance treatments; carefully designed and customised physical activities; and accommodations (eg, changes to the environment or routine). The goal of these therapies is to improve how the child's brain processes sensory information, help them regulate their emotions and behaviour, and develop important skills they need for everyday life. These activities are customised to meet each child's unique needs and aim to make their daily experiences easier and more enjoyable. SI Therapy should only be carried out by a qualified therapist, however, there are many sensory strategies that can be safely and effectively used at home and school to help students with sensory integration and processing differences.
There is growing evidence supporting the underpinning theory of sensory integration and processing and the effective use of sensory integration based therapy (and a particular therapy called Ayres Sensory Integration or ASI).
The US-based Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, which leads the National Clearinghouse on Autism Evidence and Practice, has published an updated systematic review of literature related to interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The Evidence-Based Practices for Children, Youth, and Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder report now recognises sensory integration therapy, specifically Ayres Sensory Integration, as evidence-based practice.
There are several research studies that provide evidence that clinic-based sensory interventions, in particular Ayres Sensory Integration Therapy, may help families achieve their individual goals for their child. Here is a selection:
Research shows that 1 in every 6 children has sensory processing issues that make it hard to learn and function in school*. Other studies have found that 66% of autistic children (65-90% of autistic children, depending on the research study), and 32% of children with special education needs (who were not autistic) show definite differences in sensory behaviours**.
We all have sensory needs as we are all sensory beings, experiencing the external world and the internal world of our bodies via our senses. Everyone has a unique sensory profile and preferences. It may be finding comfort in rhythmic patterns of movement, finding joy or repulsion in certain textures, tastes, sounds or smells, or gravitating to environments with just the right level of sensory input, we often unconsciously make adjustments to our behaviour based on our sensory needs.
Acknowledging and understanding these individual differences in sensory processing needs is key to fostering environments that respect and accommodate the diverse ways in which people experience and interact with their surroundings. A better understanding of your own sensory needs as well as individual students' sensory needs contributes to a smoother school experience.
Studies have confirmed sensory processing differences are common in autistic children. However, children can experience sensory processing differences without any other diagnosis, including autism.
Research links ADHD with some kinds of sensory processing differences. It can be challenging to discern where behaviour is due to ADHD or sensory processing differences and more studies are needed in this area.
Find out about the essential information every teacher in the classroom should know, unlock your learners’ potential and manage their sensory needs. By Amy Stephens, Consultant SLT and Advanced SI Practitioner.
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