Strategies for Sensory Challenges

My 7 year old is strangely tuned in to certain sounds. For example, if the pages of a book are being turned within hearing distance, he reacts by screaming at the offender to stop it.

 

He is agitated by the noise to the point of having to leave the proximity so he doesn’t continue to fixate on it. When someone who has dry hands rubs them together and he can hear it, it gives him the “willies” and chills.

 

Yesterday at a restaurant, I reached to pull a napkin out of a dispenser, and he reacted by slinking down in the booth saying, “Great! Thanks a lot –I just lost my appetite from you doing that.” He couldn’t finish his toasted cheese sandwich.

 

Another example is that he reacts loudly when paper is being ripped or a sheet of paper is being torn from perforations in a spiral bound notebook. When my long fingernails scratch against him, or I scratch my own itch, it drives him crazy.

 

How can our family help minimize these seemingly over-the-top reactions to what seem like innocuous sounds–besides the obvious removal of known triggers? Should we be concerned?

I am working with a child who has just started licking things: people, walls, toys, etc. Redirection makes him frustrated. How can I help him reduce this behavior?

I teach 2nd grade in a very busy classroom.  There is one student who has major difficulty with certain academic tasks and will melt down whenever he gets frustrated.  We don’t know what to do when he gets like that – it’s very disruptive!  Sending him out of the classroom isn’t the answer.  What can I do to help him calm down?

I have a student who chews her pencil during seatwork. She chews the metal top until it is ragged or comes off and will often chew the pencil right down to the lead. Not only does this behavior distract her during writing activities, but I am concerned for her safety! I have tried chewy pencil tops, other oral stimulation (candy, gum), and visual cues. Nothing seems to prevent her from chewing the pencil. How can I prevent this behavior.

What would be the best way to help an 8 year old boy with Autism Spectrum Disorder to adjust to moving to another home?  He seems to do fine until it is time to go to bed and then he gets terribly upset, crying and hitting himself. This behavior does not occur when he is able to sleep in his old bedroom. His grandmother lives in his previous home so he has access to his old room.

What are some strategies to reduce or extinguish vocal and motor self-stimulatory behaviors that interfere with learning and community inclusion?

I teach high school math to life skills students. I have one student who continually calls out phrases in a perseverative manner. She also intermittently claps her hands. The other students in the class get upset and yell for her to “cut it out”. She is a good and caring student; however, her behaviors interfere with the class and result in negative interactions with her peers. Additionally, she frequently asks for adult help or to have her work checked. All of these behaviors can be exhausting for the adults in the room by the end of the period.  Any suggestions?

My grand-daughter is age 7 and I take care of her. She receives speech, O.T., P.T. and feeding programs. She has a lot of sensory problems. I try everything to help her. I can’t take her out to eat because the smells make her go wild. Please help.

How do I provide sensory breaks to a child during a busy classroom day without the child leaving his/her desk and missing important instructional time?