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The Learning Tree Workshop: The Learning Tree Workshop: Regulating Sensation

Series on Learning Differences, Learning Challenges, and Learning Strengths Transcript by Stanley I. Greenspan M.D. Narration by Brian MacDonald

Sensory Modulation

Reactions to different sensations

Touch, sound, smell, taste

Children with emotional and social difficulties had Children with emotional and social difficulties had

challenges with sensory modulation

Discovered by psychologists Sybille Escalona and Lois

Murphy

Sensory integration difficulties

Coined by Jean Ayers, occupational therapist

Three response patterns

Sensory seeking Hyper reactive Hypo reactive

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Three Patterns of Three Patterns of Sensory Reactivity

Hyper reactive

May be sensitive to certain variations of sounds, touch,

• r sights
• r sights

May shut down, retreat, disregulate, be impulsive

Hypo reactive

May be under reactive to touch and sound May require increased stimulation to enjoy experiences

(e.g. swinging)

Sensory seeking

May be hyper reactive or hypo reactive

M h t bl itti f l i d f ti

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May have trouble sitting for long periods of time

How Does Sensory Reactivity How Does Sensory Reactivity Affect Learning?

Hyper reactive

May act silly, retreat, or get impulsive because

• verloaded by noise

y

Hypo reactive

May zone out because no one is grabbing their

attention or energizing them attention or energizing them

Sensory seeking

May squirm or fidget because they need frequent

breaks for activity breaks for activity

Inattentive children are often labeled as

'behavioral problems' but what they have are sensory differences

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sensory differences.

Helping the Child Be the Helping the Child Be the Master of His Senses

Hyper Reactive

Provide regulating experiences, firm pressure, soothing

sounds, subdued lighting, rhythmic movement sounds, subdued lighting, rhythmic movement

Use swing for tactile and proprioceptive support

Hypo Reactive

Provide sensory support such as massage energetic voice

Provide sensory support, such as massage, energetic voice,

and movement

Sensory Craving

Pro ide limit setting and constr cti e a s to take action

Provide limit-setting and constructive ways to take action Respect the child’s need for activity, touch, sound, and

movement Help the child find ways to meet his sensory needs in an

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Help the child find ways to meet his sensory needs in an

• rganized and respectful way

Use Pretend Play

Have the child explore and verbalize

what their sensory systems feel like: what their sensory systems feel like:

What does sound feel like coming in? Does it make you feel overloaded or Does it make you feel overloaded or

• verwhelmed?

What does it feel like when you want to What does it feel like when you want to

move and you’re asked to be still?

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Using the Emotional, Social, and Using the Emotional, Social, and Intellectual Capacities: Level 1

Shared Attention and Regulation

Help the child regulate his sensory Help the child regulate his sensory

world For the under reactive child:

For the under reactive child:

Energize up in a gentle way in order not to

• verwhelmed
• verwhelmed

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Using the Emotional, Social, and Using the Emotional, Social, and Intellectual Capacities: Level 2

Engagement

Enjoy shared smiles and activities

j y

Be in synchrony with the child Meet the child at his level and then adjust Meet the child at his level and then adjust

your speed in order to help him regulate

“The relationship allows the child to regulate his sensory system through his relationship with the other person where we’re always synchronizing to some degree ”

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where we re always synchronizing to some degree.

Using the Emotional, Social, and Using the Emotional, Social, and Intellectual Capacities: Level 3

Purposeful Back-and-forth Interaction

Exchange gestures and facial expressions Counter regulate with voice, touch, signals Let the child communicate his sensory system

requirements equ e e s

Let the baby learn, through the caregiver’s

responses, that he can have an impact on the world Find an organized game where the child can be in

Find an organized game where the child can be in

control

Child realizes he can change the way the world reacts

towards him therefore mastering his sensory system

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towards him, therefore mastering his sensory system

Using the Emotional, Social, and Using the Emotional, Social, and Intellectual Capacities: Level 4

Shared Social Problem Solving

Challenge the child to use his signaling

g g g system in more complex ways

Organizing patterns Communicating with facial expressions and gestures Communicating with facial expressions and gestures Taking you to where he wants to go

Challenge the child to use their motor system

t t h t th t to get what they want

Create treasure hunts and games with

movement

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movement

Using the Emotional, Social, and Using the Emotional, Social, and Intellectual Capacities: Level 5

Creating Ideas

Child can put words to how he is feeling Pretend play can be used to explore physical

activity and different emotions W d d id b t h d t th

Words and ideas can be matched to the

sensory patterns

The child can now symbolize his inner world The child can now symbolize his inner world,

so that he can communicate his sensory needs

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Using the Emotional, Social, and Using the Emotional, Social, and Intellectual Capacities: Level 6

Bridging Ideas

The child can explain why he feels a certain The child can explain why he feels a certain

way or why he needs something

The child can feel that he is in charge of his

The child can feel that he is in charge of his sensory world

Feelings are externalized and become less

g threatening

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Through the Safety of Pretend

Expand the child’s sensory world by experimenting in a safe pretend play experimenting in a safe pretend play world

Help a sensory over reactive child become Help a sensory over reactive child become

more assertive

Help a sensory craving child become more

Help a sensory craving child become more empathetic to other people’s feelings and under more regulation and control

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Using the Emotional, Social, and Using the Emotional, Social, and Intellectual Capacities: Levels 7,8,9

Multi-causal and Gray Area, Comparative, and Reflective Thinking

Child can say which sounds are scary and how

scary they are Child h th bilit t h h lik ti it

Child has the ability to say why he likes activity

“A” better than activity “B”

Child can talk about how he feels different than

he usually does and the possible cause

Sensitive

Finicky

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Finicky Tired

In Summary

1.

Recognize how the child’s sensory system works

2.

Help regulate through engagement and counter regulation Let the child feel that he has power to have

3.

Let the child feel that he has power to have impact on the world

4

Engage the child in shared social problem

4.

Engage the child in shared social problem solving, expanding the child’s sensory world

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In Summary

5.

Help the child use ideas and words to give voice to his sensory system Help the child increase his understanding

6.

Help the child increase his understanding by combining his ideas together, reasons for the way he feels

7.

Fine tune these capacities through gray area thinking

8

Give opportunities to engage in comparative

8.

Give opportunities to engage in comparative thinking

9.

Encourage and support reflective thinking

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