Sensory Strategies & The Brain: Promoting Self-Regulation & Learning WA2

Wednesday, May 7, 9:30 am–11:30 am

Do you like roller coasters? Do you hate spicy foods? We all have sensory preferences that guide the things we seek out and the things we avoid. Many “challenging behaviors” are actually a child’s attempts to regulate their sensory system, so join us to learn how to recognize sensory-seeking and sensory-avoiding behaviors in the classroom. This course teaches brain-based strategies that effective teachers use to get entire classrooms of children regulated and ready to learn. We put this into practice with a case study to identify an individual child’s sensory needs and walk through the whole process together – connecting a child’s behaviors to their sensory needs and then creating an easy-to-follow plan for supporting those needs in the classroom. As a bonus, you’ll get a printable Sensory Matrix template that you can customize for your students and use again and again in your classroom.

Presented by

Amy Bender
Early Learning Operations Director
Northwest Center Kids

Elizabeth Carley
Program Development & Evaluation Specialist
Northwest Center Kids IMPACT

Liz has nearly 20 years of professional experience since completing her bachelor’s, master’s and clinical doctoral degrees in occupational therapy at the University of Southern California. She has practiced as an occupational therapist serving children and families through a non-profit community-based mental health agency and served as Assistant Professor of Clinical Occupational Therapy and the Director of Admissions for the Chan Division of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy at USC. In her current role with IMPACT, Liz creates professional development course content, delivers trainings to early childhood professionals, and supports the team with program and systems development and evaluation.

Age Group Addressed:
All age groups

Audience:
Parents, Foster Parents, Relative Care Givers, Teachers, Administrators, Therapists, Social Worker, Mental Health Professional, Home Visitors, Family Resources Coordinators, Interested Professionals, Students, Trainers, Adult Educators

Core Competency Area:
Child Growth, Development and Learning

Skill Level:
Intermediate

Presentation Outcomes:
Challenging behaviors are one of the most cited reasons for preschool and childcare programs expelling young children. By empowering educators and other providers with knowledge and strategies to use sensory strategies to support regulation, children will be better supported as their sensory needs will be met. When a child’s sensory needs are met, they are less likely to communicate their needs with behaviors that may be challenging for their educator. When a child is regulated, they are ready to learn and interact with their peers and challenging behaviors are less likely to occur. Thus, children will be less likely to be excluded from care and more children will have access to high-quality early learning experiences. This benefits both children and parents. Children receive access to important academic as well as developmental experiences, and parents have access to high-quality child care, which allows them to work and feel confident that their children are being cared for and their needs are being met.

Learning Objectives:

After listening to lecture and doing experiential activity, participants will be able to identify the three “hidden” senses.
After lecture and a case study, participants will demonstrate an understanding of how sensory seeking behaviors and sensory avoiding behaviors might show up in the classroom.
After lecture and a case study, participants will demonstrate an understanding of the benefits of cross-lateral movement and brain development.
After an interactive activity and analysis of typical sensory input of daily classroom routines, participants will gain insight into their own sensory preferences and how these may affect their work with children.

Sensory Strategies & The Brain: Promoting Self-Regulation & Learning WA2

Presented by

IECC Registration Office

IECC Registration