Clock Hours: 12
In this course educators will learn successful sensory solutions for students moving beyond fidgets and brain breaks! Students often struggle with the ability to maintain focus, stay engaged and alert. These are essential parts of learning but can be especially difficult for students with disabilities, trauma, or other impacts on self-regulation. Our classrooms can have environmental demands or triggers that are overwhelming for some students, but not enough stimuli for others. Do you feel that creating a sensory friendly classroom space for multiple students is like walking a tightrope? This course will help you be an advocate for an inclusive classroom setting where you have the tools and resources to observe, assess and apply strategies that can benefit the whole classroom. In this 12 hour course designed for both new and experienced educators, we learn skills for the application of sensory-based solutions to validate student experiences and support skills for learning. We will review the impacts on regulation that trauma, triggers and impaired sensory processing have on the brain as demonstrated through observable student behavior. After self reflection as a basis for learning unbiased assessment, learners continue into assessment and planning strategies. We will look at problem-solving barriers to self-regulation to the benefit of the entire classroom, incorporating UDL concepts. Coursework also includes ideas for collaboration with teams including caregivers and teaching self-advocacy to students in all educational stages. Educators will be given time to learn how to collect, review and process data for their specific case study with instructor and peer discussions for successful strategies to use right away.”