Classroom Accommodations for Sensory Needs

Hey there! Welcome back to the podcast. This week’s episode is a nice complement to last week’s episode, where we talked about what kinds of preschool environments work best (or don’t work best) for a child with sensory processing disorder or sensory processing differences. So if you want to learn more about those details, make sure you head over to episode 9.

Today’s episode is perfect for parents but also if there are any OTs out there who support kids in classrooms, and also any teachers out there trying to find some solutions to help your sensory students out… this is a great one.

One quick disclaimer for you: I realize that at the time of this recording (October 2021) the school systems in the US are dealing with huge impacts from the pandemic, such as teacher shortages & resource shortages.

Also, there are changes in the way that classrooms are set up and regulations on what materials or items are allowed to be used in the classroom. The following are all suggestions I would have used in the past when I worked with schools pre pandemic.

I also want to make it clear that not all teachers or schools or classrooms have the ability to make all of these suggestions work. You can suggest them, but some classrooms just don’t allow for these modifications. 

Lastly, some suggestions require a change on your part as the parent for drop off/pick up which again, I understand is not always easy and many parents don’t have the flexibility with work schedules or other siblings- this is me just brain dumping as many solutions and accommodations as I can think of… and you can decide what would work or not work for your child/family/school. 

Want to start an open dialogue with your child’s teacher? Check out my free email template!

Sensory accommodations for the classroom 

Let’s start out by talking about some sensory tools, accommodations or strategies that might be helpful in the classroom.

Whenever I talk about what sensory tools a child should have access to in the classroom, parents always bring up a question like “well, I don’t want my kid to stand out” or “I don’t want my child to feel like they’re the only one using headphones or that special chair”.

I get this. I really do, and I’ve heard this for years. I have a couple things to offer in regards to this.

First, I ask you… what’s the alternative? If you don’t want your child to “stand out” or be “noticed” for using headphones or a fidget or a different chair… how would you feel if your child was noticed for how wiggly they always were, or always getting called out by their teacher to sit still, or for having meltdowns because the sound was too loud vs just using headphones to help?

The other thing is… this is where advocacy and spreading awareness comes into play. I would love if more teachers could have more lessons on inclusivity with different abilities and learning and playing styles.

For example, when introducing sensory tools to the classroom, a quick lesson like

“These are called sensory tools. They help some students learn. They are not toys. Everyone needs something different to help their body feel calm and ready to learn. This helps some students feel that way. If you want to try it, you can. If it becomes a distraction and doesn’t help you learn or feel calm, then it’s not the right tool for you.”

Something as simple as that can help set the stage for the idea that these are just tools for learning, not toys, not special things that one boy gets, and not something “weird” that the weird kid gets… everyone uses them if they need it.

Here’s a few of the most common sensory accommodations for the classroom I’ve recommended in the past.

• Open access to sensory tools (headphones, wiggle cushion, weighted vest, weighted lap pad, calm down jar, chewy necklace or allowing a chewy snack)

• Calm down or sensory corner- one that fits just for one person at a time and  (NOT time out) 

• Alternative seating options or preferential seating
  • Adding a theraband to the bottom of a chair for a sensory seeker to bounce their feet/legs on when they’re wiggly.
  • Allowing an under-responsive/low registration child to sit close to the teacher to help with auditory and visual cues
  • Allowing to stand at the back of circle time instead of sit
  • Allowing to use a special cube chair or other chair for more support
  • Educating the teacher that “whole body listening” is not inclusive to neurodivergent kids and that your child may be listening while fidgeting with their shoelaces
  • Being flexible with transitions between activities, usually “walk to your desk” can be changed to “crab walk” to your desk. 

 

Sensory Accommodations for Routines & Schedules in the Classroom

Aside from sensory tools and strategies within the classroom setting, I also make a few suggestions for parents/teachers/administration staff to include within the child’s overall school routine and schedule based on their needs. Here’s a few examples:

• Alternative options for school uniforms that your child may be itchy or have a hard time with (work with the school on this- maybe you could wear a red shirt even if it’s not the red polo that’s itchy for your child.

• Allowing extra time to complete assignments if they have a learning disorder or sensory challenges that make completing the task in a certain amount of time difficult.

• Being provided intermittent movement breaks– can offer a functional task with this like a delivering things to the office or passing out supplies, but finding a way to schedule in movement breaks for sensory seekers is helpful. 

• Creating special jobs/roles that integrate the child’s sensory needs with the teacher. For example- door holder, or “caboose” of the train – always last in line but this allowed the child to move freely in line without bumping into peers. Vs. a sensory sensitive child who would prefer to be at the front near the teacher

• Placement of cubby spot– mostly it’s alphabetical, but if you have a child who is sensory sensitive, placing their cubby in the middle where they’d have to sneak in between kids and deal with close bodies is hard- try placing the cubby’s at the very end of the section. 

• Being flexible with drop off/pick up routines for a sensory sensitive child- can you drop off a little later if the first few minutes of school are hectic and loud and chaotic? E.g. if the first 15 minutes of school drop off is pledge of allegiance and free choice and the classroom is bustling and loud, it may be hard for your child. Maybe the next activity is like quiet reading or art that makes drop off easier- play around with this and see if there’s an easier drop off time. For some extreme cases, where my client’s were extremely dysregulated at the end of the day, parents & teachers came to the conclusion to have the child picked up 15 minutes earlier (when the last part of the day was something not academically heavy) and made it easier for everyone. 

• Giving the parents a heads up (when possible) when scheduled fire drills will be happening. You can use this to prepare the child with a social story a few days in advance, or choose to not send your child to school that day or to pull them out early. Again, for some extremely sensory sensitive children, a fire drill can completely set them off for the rest of the day or days after. It can be very traumatic, and something not worth having your child sit through.

• Allowing a child a sit next to the door or somewhere quieter during assemblies, or offering them the option to skip assemblies altogether. Again, in some extreme cases, it was easier for my client to sit back in the classroom with a teacher’s aid or help in the office during an assembly vs deal with loud PA systems, music, clapping, etc and then be expected to go back to the classroom and be regulated to learn for the rest of the day. 

• Offering a visual checklist or visual schedule on your child’s desk that they can see and help them understand what’s coming next and how the day is flowing. This is helpful for anxious kids and sensory kids so they can anticipate louder parts or messier parts of the day. 

• Eliminating idle wait times for sensory seekers. For example, some teachers dismiss certain tables or children at different times, like they’ll call your name and say you can go line up at the door, etc…. Based on the child’s needs if it’s a sensory seeker, it would be best if the teacher can limit the amount of time the sensory seeker has to wait in line. So, calling the child to line up at the end of the line rather than lining up first where they’d be expected to stand and wait longer. And in the same vein, when children are sitting on the rug waiting for the rest of the children to join, if you have a sensory seeker who has a hard time sitting as it is, don’t call them first to sit on the rug to then have to wait for all other children to join, which would extend their sitting & waiting time. 

One huge PSA: 

Do NOT let your child’s teacher take away recess or any other form of physical movement/ sensory activity as a punishment. Or if you’re a teacher listening, please don’t do this, and please advocate or speak out against other teachers who do this.

Too many schools are doing this. “Oh you didn’t listen during story time” or “you didn’t finish your assignment you need to sit in at recess and do it” We should NOT be taking away recess. I can’t stress this enough and I hope this message gets to at least one teacher that can change their mind.

There are a lot more ways to help your child succeed in a classroom, but these were just some of the common ones I often use when supporting my clients.

I hope this information was helpful! Remember, it’s more important to adapt and modify the tasks and environments to best fit our child’s needs, vs trying to change our child to meet the environment. 

/sens

Learn how to look at behavior through an OT lens and start decoding your child’s behavior into sensory and non sensory triggers, so you can start supporting them more effectively. Check out the Sensory IS Behavior mini course.

Links

Instagram: @TheOTButterfly www.instagram.com/theotbutterfly

Website/blog: www.theotbutterfly.com

Email: LauraPetix@TheOTButterfly.com

Work with me: www.theotbutterfly.com/parentconsult

More SPD parent resources: www.sensorywisesolutions.com 

Buy me a coffee & ask me a question for a future episode: www.theotbutterfly.com/coffee