Sensory Processing in the School

Presented by Yvonne Swinth

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Video Runtime: 76 Minutes, Learning Assessments: 36 Minutes

This course provides strategies for occupational therapists to effectively support students with sensory needs and increase their overall participation and performance in school. The course covers the important differences between occupational therapy in the school setting versus the clinical setting for children with sensory needs, and defines measurable school-based outcomes for students and other stakeholders as a result of occupational therapy intervention.

Meet your instructor

Yvonne Swinth

Dr. Swinth is a professor and program chair at the University of Puget Sound. She has more than 25 years of experience working in pediatrics, primarily in school-based settings. Within the schools, she has provided therapy services for children from birth to 21 years of age and has been involved in the development of several…

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Chapters & learning objectives

Overview of OT in the School

1. Overview of OT in the School

Five to fifteen percent of children in the United States have sensory processing challenges that cause them to be slower learners or have behavior problems. This chapter defines the OT’s role in schools within the context of sensory processing intervention.

Definitions

2. Definitions

This chapter defines concepts referenced throughout the course, including sensory processing, sensory integration, sensory approach, and numerous other concepts and key terms.

How Do Sensory Challenges Impact the Classroom?

3. How Do Sensory Challenges Impact the Classroom?

This chapter explores the practical effects of sensory challenges in the classroom, including the nuances of sensory responses versus more generalized behavior.

Services for Children With Sensory Processing Challenges

4. Services for Children With Sensory Processing Challenges

This chapter explores available services for children with sensory challenges, and specifics around roles for different members of the interdisciplinary team.

Specific Strategies to Support Participation

5. Specific Strategies to Support Participation

This chapter concludes the course with a discussion of practical strategies occupational therapists can use to make an immediate difference, such as multisensory teaching and zones of regulation. This chapter also discusses strategies for starting new programs and tying them to outcomes for students.