Sensory Stimulation

Imagine not being able to move. Having no voluntary movement, whatsoever. Well for many students with multiple/severe handicaps, this is a reality everyday that they have no choice but to live with.

Often times I try to put myself in their place. Have you ever tried sitting in one spot and not moving for an hour? It is an absolute nightmare.

One thing I like to do with my students in sensory stimulation. This helps to "wake up" their senses. It allows them to feel textures, hear interesting noises, and smell soothing or stimulating scents.

In the above picture, I have shown one part of the sensory stimulation activity. This basket is about feeling various textures and feeling hard vs. soft, bumpy vs. smooth, etc.
Along with this, sometimes I use scented oils on cotten balls or Smencils (Smelly Pencils) to stimulate students' noses. Students may get relaxed by certain scents, awakened by others, or even agitated by some. It's just a matter of trial and error to figure out what scents have what effect on the student.