Sensory Circuits

Sensory Circuits: A Sensory Motor Skills Programme for Children.

Smarden School offers the best opportunity to enable children to learn, we have trained staff running Sensory Circuits Interventions to those that need help settling into their school day. 

Sensory Circuits a short and snappy sensory motor skills programme that helps to set children up for a school day. ... Children participate in a short 10- 15 minute session of activities designed to improve brain processing efficiency, and they generally find that the circuit is a fun way to start the day.  Sessions normally run before morning session and after break before the afternoon session.   They are also used for those struggling during lessons as a 'time out '.

The aim of the Sensory Circuits programme is to facilitate sensory processing and sensory integration, and to allow children to be in the optimum state of alertness, ready for learning. In the longer term there appear to be many other benefits which include:

  • Improvements in self- esteem
  • Development of physical skills – learning to skip with a rope, perfecting jumping, hopping, balancing or throwing
  • ‘Waking up’ and more readily engaging in group activities
  • Increased focus and attention and an improved ability to settle down to work
  • Quicker, more effective dressing skills
  • Opportunities to engage in specific learning while taking part in the circuits, eg: times tables can be recited while bouncing on trampettes
  • Improved communication skills.

 

The session of sensory processing activities are designed to improve brain processing efficiency, in a fun way. It is used to help those children with issues such as :- fidgeting, rocking, poor concentration, excessive physical contact or lethargy, difficulty in organising self, poor balance, lacking in confidence to join in, and sensory processing difficulties. These can indicate that a child is finding it difficult to connect with their learning and need help settling into their day….

The circuit consists of 3 levels of integration - Sensory integration focuses primarily on three basic senses–tactile, vestibular, and proprioceptive. These interconnections start forming before birth and continue to develop as the person matures and interacts with his/her environment.

  1. Alerting
  2. Organising
  3. Calming

 

The idea is to start with Alerting activities then move to the Organising section and finally to the Calming section. To have a positive effect, these activities are intended to be done on a regular basis. Ideally morning and after lunch.

  •  Alerting Activities The aim of this section is to provide vestibular stimulation (balance and movement). Activities should allow the fluid in the ears to move about through jumping and head movement.
  •  Organising Activities - Proportion (awareness of body position).The aim of this section is to provide multi-sensory processing and balance. The individual needs to organise their body, plan their approach and do more than one thing at a time in a sequential order.
  •  Calming activities This section is the most important. These activities in the calming section is to provide heavy muscle work and/or deep pressure to the body. Your child should start to calm in this section.

Children then return to class prepared for their day.