Strategies for Sensory Challenges

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.

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?

My student chews anything he can.  He will chew anything that is on his desk like his pencil or eraser.  He chews on his shirt sometimes and often his fingernails.  What can I do to stop this behavior?

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 often hear about children having a limited number of foods they will eat. My son is starting to have some problems during meals. Are there some things I can do before I start having eating issues?

I am using a prompt hierarchy from most to least with a student to teach eating with a spoon. But whenever I do hand-over-hand he jerks his hand away – how can I teach him?

My son has a need to wear only shorts every day. This need goes into the winter and life becomes difficult. I worry regarding recess, walking and waiting for the bus and any time he is out. I worry about how this is looking in school as well. What can I do to get him to wear long pants?

My child balks when it is time to brush his teeth.  I think he has sensitivity to brushing.  He cries and just turns away – what can I do?

How can I prevent a student from being non-compliant during groups or activities?

My life is a nightmare of feeding problems with my son. He will only eat potato chips or peanut butter packaged crackers. I’m worried about his health. If I offer something else and tell him he must eat it or he’ll get sick I have to deal with a full fledged tantrum! What can I do to stop this behavior?