Sensory in Mainstream Education: Webinar Recap
At the end of February, we decided to host our first sensory webinar, ‘Sensory in Mainstream Education’ – to help...
Read article‘Sensory Overload’, sometimes called ‘Sensory Processing Disorder’, is when a person has sensory processing issues. This happens because the brain has difficulty organising information from the senses.
People with sensory processing disorders may be oversensitive to sights, sounds, textures, flavours, smells and other sensory inputs. This can make every day experiences overwhelming, such as learning environments, meeting new people or watching a football match. Other people with sensory processing issues are under sensitive to information they receive through the senses. This can lead to other problems.
Sensory processing issues can impact a person’s social skills, behaviour and learning development.
What are the main signs of Sensory Processing Issues?
Hypersensitive people may have an extreme response to noise or even notice sounds that other people may not. They may even dislike being touched, even by people they know. Large crowds can be scary and they can worry about their safety; so taking part in activities can be a huge deal to them.
Hyposensitive people lack sensitivity to their surroundings. They can be very active and constantly on the move being ‘sensory seeking’. This means they have a constant need to touch everything around them including people, which sometimes can come across inappropriate to others. They can also have issues with personal space, be a little clumsy and uncoordinated.
Some people with sensory processing issues show both hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity and can behave in one or both of the following ways:
What skills can be affected?
People with sensory processing issues can find dealing with sensory information very frustrating and confusing. It can be a struggle to adjust to new surroundings, situations and it can take longer for them to settle into activities making them feel stressed and anxious.
People who are under sensitive may avoid touching and handling objects which can have a huge impact on their motor skills development. Over sensitive people can feel anxious and irritable around other people making it difficult for them to socialise. On the other hand under sensitive people may be too rough and full on with others which can make other people for uncomfortable and can lead to being excluded from schools.
Poor self-control is another issue a person may face, as people who feel anxious or overstimulated may have trouble controlling their impulses. This can lead them to having random outbursts of behaviour, like running off or throwing something.
What can be done to help those with Sensory Processing Disorders?
Helping somebody with a sensory processing disorder is no easy task, as they may come across inflexible and unable to control their behaviour, but there are ways you can support them and make life easier for them and the people around them. Here are a few ideas to try and help:
Below are a few sensory resources Rhino UK recommend:
For further information please contact Rhino UK: 01270 766660.