Sensory Assessments and Strategies for School Based Therapy
Summit
Between 5-13% of early school aged children show clinically significant difficulties processing sensory input and regulating their responses (Passarello, et al., 2022). As evidence based assessments are more plentiful and accurate this number continues to increase. It is essential for successful school based therapists to have a toolbox of strategies at the ready including sensory assessments, treatments, and recommendations for accommodations and modifications as part of the student’s IEP.
This blog provides a glimpse of the complex considerations school based therapists must include in their professional reasoning when deciding which sensory assessment is best and it must be evidence based. These complex considerations are confounded when planning evidence based treatments and considering all the sources of sensory input affecting children seen within the school environment.
Evidence Based Sensory Assessments
There are currently 15 or more sensory assessments available for therapists to use. How to decide quickly and efficiently which one is the best for you? Every Child Succeeds Act requires assessments to be evidence based. In this upcoming webinar, Oct. 20th from 5-7pm, we thoroughly review 3 evidence based assessments used in the school setting. We will review the reliability and validity of the Sensory Processing Measure-2, the Structured Observations of Sensory Integration-Motor and the Sensory Profile School Companion. While that may not seem essential to your school practice, your district will appreciate and benefit from your knowledge on this information because high reliability and validity scores is what allows districts to purchase these assessments with Every Child Succeeds Funds. In short these assessments are evidence based and useful in assessing sensory processing and/or sensory integration differences.
Considerations of Things Influencing Students’ Ability to Successfully Engage in School Occupations
Lack of Movement and Exercise
Food Aversion (hunger, poor nutrition)
Sleep (Quality and Quantity)
How do we support students with sensory differences?
Most often we use or recommend sensory strategies to help support these students. Sensory strategies include: a weighted or compression vest, a fidget, taking a walk before a sustained attention task, movement breaks, etc. We also employ a range of sensory strategies to enhance therapy sessions with students who have sensory differences. For example, transitioning with a comfort item to decrease anxiety, giving deep big bear hugs to use proprioception as a helper to improve regulation and attention, wall or chair push ups, or jumping on a mini trampoline. However, do we know if these strategies are evidence based and effective? We will look at the difference between Ayers Sensory Integration intervention and using sensory strategies as part of treatment in the school system.
Sensory Strategies versus Ayers Sensory Integration Intervention
Ayers Sensory Integration was developed by Jean Ayers in the 1970s. Sensory integration therapy is the process of organizing sensations from the body and environmental stimuli to make systematic changes in the neural processing of sensory stimuli. Sensory Strategies also work to improve regulation and emotional output following sensory input, but they are intended to produce immediate change that is only short term. These strategies will not make long term neural changes whereas ASI treatment as well as some other treatment techniques have been found to make positive neural changes as the child improves with sensory regulation.
Ayers Sensory Integration Intervention for School Therapists?
Ayers Sensory Integration (ASI) treatment has long been promoted as a clinic only treatment and thought to NOT be appropriate for school practice. In the upcoming webinar we will discuss evidence and findings regarding the use of Ayers Sensory Integration in school settings. It is essential in helping our students to use high quality treatments and to understand the barriers to using those treatments in the school setting. We know from research and experience that sensory integration intervention can improve participation and performance in children with sensory integration and processing differences. In considering Ayers Sensory Integration for use in the school setting, several challenges such as the advanced training required to provide sensory integration therapy with fidelity and the space and equipment needed were deterrents for the use of ASI are notable in the school setting. We will discuss some possible solutions to these barriers.
Sensory Integration Intervention
Video on Ayers Sensory Integration therapy
It will likely take creative problem solving and professional reasoning to become trained, purchase needed tools and equipment, and implement Ayers Sensory Integration interventions into your school practice. However, with the information you learn in this Oct. 20th webinar regarding the efficacy of this intervention and the research supporting its use in school practice, will assist you in convincing your district to support you in this endeavor.
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O’Donoghue, C., O’Leary, J., & Lynch, H. (2021). Occupational Therapy Services in School-Based Practice: A Pediatric Occupational Therapy Perspective from Ireland. Occupational therapy international, 2021, 6636478. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6636478
Ouellet, B., Carreau, E., Dion, V., Rouat, A., Tremblay, E., & Voisin, J. I. A. (2018). Efficacy of Sensory Interventions on School Participation of Children With Sensory Disorders: A Systematic Review. American journal of lifestyle medicine, 15(1), 75–83. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827618784274
Passarello, N., Tarantino, V., Chirico, A., Menghini, D., Costanzo, F., Sorrentino, P., Fucà, E., Gigliotta, O., Alivernini, F., Oliveri, M., Lucidi, F., Vicari, S., Mandolesi, L., & Turriziani, P. (2022). Sensory Processing Disorders in Children and Adolescents: Taking Stock of Assessment and Novel Therapeutic Tools. Brain sciences, 12(11), 1478. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12111478
