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Goal

The goal of this project is to help the students in my Pre-K Self-Contained classroom calm their anxiety caused by sensory overload to help them be able to focus on learning. Students with autism have difficulty processing normal sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste sensory experiences causing them distress and discomfort. This sensory processing disorder can cause the students to exhibit negative behaviors such as acting out, fighting, meltdowns, spinning rocking, or hand flapping. Sensory overload causes problems with information processing and typical development. A sensory calming classroom will provide my students with a safe space where they are able to relax, decompress, and cope with their individual sensory issues thus helping them to be able to learn.

My classroom is lacking many sensory items that would benefit to the children I teach. My prekindergarten class of 3-5-year-old students is self-contained, meaning they are not capable of participating in an inclusion classroom of typically progressing students. The disabilities of the students in my class range from developmentally delayed to children on the autism spectrum. The children in my class are predominantly non-verbal, so, one of our main goals is to teach them communication skills. Everyone has the right to communicate with others! My students typically have severe sensory issues and helping them calm the chaos in their minds helps open them up to learning, how to function at school, how to function at home, and helps them learn the communication skills they so greatly need.
 

What will be done with my students

My students will benefit from the sensory calming effects of the special lighting in our classroom, will be able to use the rocking equipment to help them stabilize their sensory overload and will have access to the sensory light table in our classroom.

This new equipment will allow us to create the following areas for our students:

Lighted Sensory Learning Stations: Students will be able to explore multisensory experiences with the light table center. The calming table will allow us to work on mathematics and alphabetical knowledge while using the manipulatives on the light table. This table will be capable of water play, handheld textile play, stacking, sorting and sand play. My paraprofessional or I will work with the students while they are in the center helping them to develop the alphabetic identification, shape, sorting, and counting skills they are lacking that their typically developing peers have mastered.

Gross Motor Movement Center: This center will provide the movement my students need to develop large motor skills and will provide them with the proprioceptive input they are craving. This movement will allow the students to be able to focus once they have calmed. My paraprofessional or I will work with the students in this center to develop communication abilities using visuals while allowing them to receive the visual stimulation they seek while using the rocking equipment.

Chair Bands: These will allow the students to move in their chairs without disrupting their peers. They allow the students to release energy to help them focus and pay attention. My paraprofessional and I will be able to work with the students on their academic tasks while they stay seated in their chair. The bands will allow them the movement they need without getting up thus keeping them on task for longer periods. We will use this time to work with the students on fine motor skills, academic tasks, and eating skills.
 

Benefits to my students

Project outcomes: A decrease in unwanted behaviors creating a safe and effective learning environment.

Project outputs: The items for the centers that I have included can be shared with all the ESE teachers to benefit sensory calming and communication development in all our students. We currently have 20 students in the self-contained non-verbal classes.
Students are given a MELD assessment in the Fall, Winter, and Spring. The assessment helps determine how many words the students have learned during the school year. The students are also assessed monthly as we work on number identification, counting and one to one correspondence. A teacher created assessment allows us to determine the students’ increased number identification skills.
 

Budget Narrative

CASSAROKIDS Jumbo XXL Waldorf Climbing Natural Rocking Play $299.00

AKEPO 16W RGBW Fiber Optic Lights for Car & Home Music+APP Control Star Ceiling Light Kit, Sound Sensor Light Source with 28key RF Musical Remote and Fiber Cable 400pcs 0.75mm 6.5ft/2m
Quantity 2 $83.99 each

Stretchy Resistance Fidget Bands Toy for Kids 10 Pack Bounce Kick & Stretch Your Feet for ADHD ADD SPD Autism & Poor Concentration Improve Classroom Focus Ameliorate Sensory Input $12.99

Space-Saver Color-Changing Light Table $499.00


 

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