Lively Learners Need A Sensory Center!

My Students

They say that when you've met one student with Autism, you have met one student with Autism. There is no such thing as a typical student in my classroom. Each and every one has unique sensory needs that must be met in order for them to access rigorous and challenging content.

All seven boys in my classroom have been diagnosed with Autism.

Every single adult in my classroom works tirelessly every day to provide my students with a high quality education. Yet, there are certain needs that cannot be met with just patience, planning, unconditional respect, and emotional constancy. My students require materials as well. While they share a disability, my students have unique sensory profiles that cannot be met solely through creative instruction. A sensory diet is designed specifically for each student to provide them with necessary input to keep them calm and ready to learn. A sensory diet for my students includes the addition of stimulus from the following areas: visual, proprioceptive (movement), vestibular (circular motion), audio, and tactile (playing with toys, putty, oddly textured items). Because no two students have the same sensory diet, I need a variety of materials with which to implement it!

My Project

Each and every item in my basket, while it may seem odd serves a very specific purpose! For Visual sensory input for one of my students, I have included in my cart what I hope to be a long lasting supply of bubbles. For Tactile sensory input I included a 15 pound bag of rice. Some of my students love the sensation of playing with a big box of rice. However I'm sure you can imagine how dirty that bucket of rice becomes after middle schoolers have had their hands in it all day! Frequent replacement of the rice will be necessary :). Proprioceptive input is the biggest concern in my classroom, which is why I am asking for both a swing, trampoline, and balance board. Especially in these winter months when students are not able to play outside, my active 6th, 7th, and 8th graders need an outlet for their energy! All of these items provide them with much needed stimulation that helps them stay focused in the classroom.

My students work hard each and every day.

I cannot control what goes on outside of the classroom - a hard lesson I've had to learn quickly. But I can, as their teacher do my best to provide them with all the resources and materials they need to be their best selves from 8:30 - 3:15. Please help me enrich their educational experience through much needed sensory activities!