Page 12 - Microsoft Word - Sensory Issues Script with Section Headings 12-11-14

Imagine if a child could fall asleep quickly, yet wakes up within thirty minutes! Can you
envision the developmental consequences poor sleep may cause? Remember, sensory processing
needs can affect all developmental domains. Consequently, each targeted need must be based on
the individual developmental needs of the child. Targeted needs also must correspond with the
environmental limitations and regulations. For example, does the sleep area meet ADA
guidelines and/or licensing requirements? Do you have the time, ability, and staff to target this
need? Finally, a targeted need must be a mutually agreed upon goal. Parents, the IFSP team (if
applicable), as well as all caregivers who work with Mike regularly, should have input on the
targeted need.

The next step in sensory action planning is to identify and document strengths that can be
utilized to address the sensory need. Recognizing the strengths available to you and the child
helps you plan a sound strategy to meet the sensory need. Strengths should be child-oriented and
address a child’s development within other domains. Strengths can also be caregiver-oriented,
such as your comprehension of the importance of sensory processing, your willingness to help
the child with his sensory needs, and your strong partnership with the child’s parents and IFSP
team. Finally, strengths could also be environmental. Environmental supports can include
licensure regulations and ADA requirements, or materials or equipment readily available to you
in your program.

As you carefully observe a child and are identifying the child’s sensory needs and strengths,
consider whether the child is exhibiting any patterns of response to sensory input. Each of us
exhibits a sensory pattern. For example, before you took your first sip of coffee this morning,
did you blow on it? When you got into your car, did you immediately turn on the radio?
Although these behaviors seem inconsequential, they actually are very important. Each behavior
is a sensory processing clue. Perhaps, you are orally hypersensitive to hot temperatures. Or, you
may need background noise, such as the car radio in order to focus on your driving. Observing
sensory processing clues and patterns can help you become proactive in meeting a child’s
sensory needs.

Observations should be purposeful and include questions such as:

 What is the child’s present behavior?
 Is there a certain time during the day that the behavior is present?
 How long does the behavior last?
 What is the intensity of the behavior, and can the child regulate that intensity?
 Does the environment affect the behavior?
 Is there a specific person or object that is involved in the behavior?
 Does there seem to be a specific reason for the behavior? For example, is the child

hypersensitive to sound or temperature?
 Finally, how can the child’s sensory pattern help you choose an appropriate action or

strategy to meet the child’s sensory need?

Let’s go back to our example of Mike sleeping for more than thirty minutes at a time. After
asking the above questions, let’s imagine that Mike is able to fall asleep quickly, but typically
wakes up within thirty minutes. You have noticed that Mike seems to sleep a little longer if the

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