Clear your classroom of clutter, scents, bright lights and loud colors. Keep supplies organized and clearly labeled. Avoid air fresheners, perfumes and disinfectant sprays. Use natural light when possible, or dim indoor lighting. Paint your room in neutrals and pale pastels. A calm environment calms overstimulated students.
Provide areas for quiet time when a student is overstimulated. A tent, an area with heavy blankets or a sleeping bag, a quiet corner or an area to wear headphones with calming music can all provide an outlet for an overstimulated student.
Offer sensory activities for when students need stimulation. A sensory table filled with rice, shaving cream or dried beans can stimulate a child's tactile and visual senses. An area with musical instruments can stimulate a student's auditory senses. An activity where students can feel and smell items hidden in boxes stimulates tactile and olfactory senses.
Stock your classroom with different types of toys to stimulate the proprioceptive senses. Children with sensory processing disorder may not be able to sense how hard or soft to touch something, and they may not know where their bodes are in relation to other items. Blocks of different weights to practice holding, steps to walk up and down on and mats to climb and crawl on all help students get in touch with their bodies and how to use them in relation to space and other objects.
Have an indoor swing or a large exercise ball for the student to bounce on to stimulate the vestibular system. Movement will balance the student's center of gravity and help calm the dizzy, off balance feeling that comes along with sensory processing disorder.