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Primary School Resource pack- Strategy ideas and equipment resources list

Strategy ideas for children with tactile or auditory sensitivity, for children who may be anxious and strategies for support with organising and alerting.

The child with tactile sensitivity may have difficulty screening out touch sensations that most people are barely aware of, for example, the feel of a label in their clothes. They may subsequently have difficulty shifting their attention to other sensations like the sound of a human voice, because they are so overwhelmed by messages about touch.

The child with auditory sensitivity may have difficulty screening out noises from the next classroom and tolerating background noise such as a fan. This child is likely to react emotionally to unexpected and loud noises such as the school bell or an aeroplane and be fearful of appliances such as a vacuum cleaner. They may subsequently have difficulty attending during lessons, because they are so overwhelmed by other auditory information.

These activities can help any child who is anxious, but are particularly useful for children who are sensory defensive. They help to relax the nervous system and can reduce exaggerated responses to sensory input.

Organising and alerting activities can help any child who is either over or under-active become focused and attentive. These activities are particularly useful during transitions in the school day and a lot of them are great as a whole class activity!

Please read full details in resource pack.