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Sensory Integration Techniques for the Special Education Classroom

Whether you're trying to accommodate a student diagnosed with a learning disorder, or simply trying to increase the learning potential of a lesson plan in special education, sensory integration is an efficient way to enhance a student's educational experience because it combines multiple senses into single activities. A foundation of this method is called the VAK, which stands for visual, auditory and kinesthetic, the three learning senses. A primary example of utilizing this basic method can be illustrated with a dyslexic student. Dyslexic students have difficulty with the direction of letters. They understand that letters are formed by shapes like circles and sticks, but they have difficulty arranging them. A VAK method would have a teacher assist the student by writing the letter in chalk on the sidewalk. By writing large enough, the student will have to use his entire body to create the drawing, using kinesthetic and visual senses. The final sense can come from repeating the letter, perhaps incorporating it into a song or dance. Many lessons can be done with this method without any special equipment.
  1. Work Out

    • To activate multiple senses with students, including the neurological centers, and to also stimulate brain activity, create lesson plans that involve the use of work-outs. This could mean adding movements like jumping, bouncing, pushing and pulling. It could include jumping-jacks, push-ups or tug-of-war. The idea is to creatively combine these activities into class-room activities. Perhaps, using them as a carrot or stick, or as part of a cooperative competition within a lesson. Always take precautions with safety, of course, and avoid making the activities overly-competitive.

    Play Dough

    • While many lessons involving the teaching of letters, words and math symbols incorporate visual and auditory senses, the kinesthetic sense is typically neglected. A solution to this problem is to use three-dimensional objects that can be molded. An ideal product is clay, which students can change the shape of with relative ease. The product is safe, has texture and allows students to "feel" the letters and shapes.

    Pipe Cleaners

    • Pipe cleaners are tactile and quite malleable for constructing letters and numbers. They often have a rougher texture which allows the student to use her kinesthetic sense, feeling the texture of the object as she uses it. Pipe cleaners can be used as the basis for a lesson plan, and they can be tied together to create larger projects. For example, pipe cleaners can be used to create an alphabet, a sequence of letters or words than can be posted in a classroom.

    Puppets

    • Constructing puppets or using premade puppets allows for all three senses to come to life. First, the learner must have his hand inside the puppet, animating it by moving his fingers and hands. Second, the learner uses his voice to give the puppet personality and a second dimension of action. All of this is done in a visual context. Puppets can be used to interact with another, so long as the learner is the one using the puppet.

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