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Glasses, an adapted chair in connection with motor problems, such adjustments are perfectly accepted by schools. But unfortunately, not every school or teacher is enthusiastic about the use of sensory aids in the classroom. But when you, as a parent, see how much your child benefits from an aid such as a chewing chain or weighted pillow, you naturally want school to think along with you. How do you get school to accept aids for your child with stimulus processing problems ?
Adjustments in education can be diverse and can all be discussed with the teacher and internal supervisor. Below is a list of types of adjustments that your child can use within education:
Stimulating: for example, by encouraging
Compensation: allow the use of certain aids (such as chewing jewellery, wobble cushions, hearing protection, etc.)
Remediate: offering individual learning help in order to avoid or reduce learning disadvantage
Differentiation: variation in the subject matter and approach to respond to your child’s individual needs.
Dispensing: Drop certain parts of the curriculum and replace them if necessary.
Fortunately, many schools offer the above adjustments if necessary for your child. But unfortunately, not all schools have sufficient knowledge regarding sensory stimulus processing and problems that can arise in this area. Due to a lack of knowledge, these specific tools are therefore not always accepted. The following reasons schools often indicate why sensory aids are not welcome in the classroom:
1. They are a distraction
2. Other children will also want to use or abuse them
3. They will encourage undesirable behavior
4. It is not necessary for older children
5. Sensory aids are childish or the children do not pay attention to them in class (which is not right! Fidgeting increases concentration!)
Reasonable adjustments, such as simple sensory aids, are an easy way to support your child in the learning process in the classroom. Also, these aids are generally not disturbing to the rest of the class or the teacher.
After all, children who have difficulty processing stimuli must be able to regulate themselves by means of aids or taking sensory breaks. When your child craves pressure or chewing, they need more proprioceptive input. By offering your child a tool such as chew chain or wobble pillow, your child can get the input needed to work on their own learning.
When your child can’t sit still, sensory breaks are a good way to get the movement and regulate the vestibular system. Fidgeting toys and wobble pads are therefore necessary for some children. These tools can improve over-stimulation or understimulation in your child!
When there is more knowledge and understanding among teachers and schools about the usefulness of sensory aids for your child, there may be more cooperation. Below is a summary of the positive effects of sensory aids in children with stimulus processing problems:
If reasonable adjustments are needed for your child in the classroom, it is important to make clear agreements with the relevant teacher in advance. He or she is the first point of contact to discuss small adjustments. Pay particular attention to giving explanations. What are the positive effects of the tool and how should it be used. For example, use the information of an involved (ergo) therapist. If the teacher involved does not understand and support you sufficiently in this, request a joint conversation with the internal supervisor or care coordinator of the school.
In primary and secondary education, when additional support needs are needed for a pupil, teachers can appeal to the partnership. This process goes through the teacher and the internal supervisor. (in the Netherlands this is arranged in this way). The various stakeholders are brought together and it is examined which adjustments are needed for your child to stimulate your child’s learning process.
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