Preventing Disruptive Behaviors and Improving Success in School by Addressing a Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD)
When a child engages in atypical behaviors, it may raise concerns from a teacher who is unfamiliar with sensory behaviors. This includes having a tantrum during a fire drill, fidgeting constantly or standing up during a seated activity in a classroom environment amongst other behaviors.
The teacher may be concerned about the learning processes of the child and the potential impact on his or her peers. A sensory processing disorder impacts a child’s behavior and, if addressed with traditional classroom disciplinary methods, may contribute to meltdowns and disruptive actions. All sensory challenges are behaviors, but not all behaviors are sensory. As a parent, you want to identify if a sensory processing disorder, or SPD, is contributing to mal adaptive behaviors and work with the school district to find realistic solutions.
What is a Sensory Processing Disorder?
A SPD refers to a challenge with the way a child processes information with the seven senses. It commonly co-occurs within the autism spectrum, with ADHD or with other childhood disorders.
Essentially, a child does not engage in typical behaviors due to the way he or she processes information from one or more of his or her senses.
Behaviors like sitting upright in a classroom without fidgeting, which are usually within a typical child’s control, are NEVER within your child's control when he or she has a SPD. In most cases, the behaviors start out as harmless actions; however, it becomes disruptive when teachers take disciplinary actions without understanding the underlying cause of the action.
A child may seek or avoid a sensation as part of his or her natural learning process. For example, a child may fidget or move around during a lesson to process and understand the information presented by a teacher. Unfortunately, a teacher’s disciplinary action of asking a child to stop fidgeting interferes with his or her ability to learn, which impacts his or her grades. Over time, attempts from a child to avoid an action may result in several consequences, including low self-esteem and aggressive behaviors, which raise safety concerns for your child and his or her peers.
Gaps While Writing IEP Service Delivery Models for Sensory based Behaviors.
When I work with schools and parents to implement an appropriate plan of action for a child with SPD, I notice that administrators do not actually involve therapists on an ongoing basis. In my opinion, a therapist should be involved on an ongoing basis with an established preferred mode of communication with the teacher(s), because a child may respond differently to the same strategy on different days and sometimes even on the same day. Teachers do not have the training to identify the subtle environmental factors contributing to a child’s actions, which leads to confusion and frustration from the educator. It may even result in the teacher discontinuing the therapist’s recommendation without consulting the therapist.
A consultative service delivery model that is written in the IEP with the frequency clearly outlined ensures that your child is receiving services when and where they need it. Traditionally, school PT services is limited to pull out services, where a child is removed from the classroom to work with a therapist. This usually does not permit for effective consultation.
As a harmless sensory behavior may result in disruptive or aggressive behaviors over time, it may lead to the development of a behavior modification plan. Behaviorists and school officials do not have the training to address a sensory processing disorder. As a result, the behavior modification plan developed during an IEP meeting does not always address the underlying factors contributing to the behavior unless you actively consult and involve a therapist.
Advocating for Your Child
When discussing a child’s disruptive or inappropriate behavior in an IEP meeting, request for a sensory processing disorder evaluation. If you feel uncomfortable or find it difficult to explain the impact of the disorder on a child’s behavior, then an advocate for your child can assist with the process.
A child with a SPD does not always have conscious control over his or her behavior and every adult interacting with the child must be aware of the personalized action plan developed for the child. Awareness is imperative because it results in consistency and helps a child achieve success at school.
Get involved when your child does not respond well to a teacher’s normal disciplinary actions or the recommendations of a behaviorist. Raise awareness of the impact an SPD has on a child’s behavior so a plan of action addresses the disruptive behavior without harming your child’s self-esteem or educational success. Call today for a 15 minute consultation or to learn more about the services I offer to help you work with your child's school.
Source
http://www.spdfoundation.net/about-sensory- processing-disorder
http://www.webmd.com/children/sensory - processing- disorder
http://www.ids-wi.com/images/Natl_Autism_Center_Parent_Manual.pdf
Dr. Pillai draws from more than 25 years of professional experience serving students from preschool to high school in multiple NJ school districts. She is a tireless advocate for children and welcomes the opportunity to help parents ensure that their child has a well written IEP. If your child has recently qualified for an IEP/504, or your school is developing a new IEP for him, call Dr. Pillai as she works at Playground To Learn to see how she can help you help your child.