Lisa's story - Supporting Sensory at School Sensory differences are thought to occur in between 5-16% of the population. This means up to four students in a mainstream classroom may experience sensory differences. [...]
A flexible sensory strategy Movement breaks are a frequently suggested sensory tool to help students increase their attention and readiness for learning. Like all sensory strategies, they should be individualised for each student. [...]
Free sensory diet cards! Welcome to GriffinOT's sensory diet card page. Here you can download our cards for free to use at home or school. These cards are designed to be used with [...]
Understanding sensory processing Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is a term that describes the challenges children (and adults) have when their brains are not interpreting the sensory messages they receive from their body effectively. [...]
Embedding sensory strategies into classroom Occupational therapists often recommend sensory strategies, or sensory supports, to help to support children who experience sensory differences. This includes children with autism. We explore what sensory processing [...]
Dyspraxia - Let's explore how to help A common question that arises within sensory OT is how to help children with dyspraxia. Dyspraxia is a term used to describe the difficulty children and [...]
Ask Kim - Question 1 Vestibular Stimming Ask Kim is a monthly post where occupational therapist Kim Griffin answers a question from our community. This month’s question explores sensory stimming. “How can I [...]
Let's explore sensory regulation Sensory regulation, self-regulation and emotional regulation are terms often used by therapists. They relate to the child's ability to increase and decrease their alertness, or arousal, to match the [...]
What's the benefit of weighted blankets? Weighted blankets and other products come in all different shapes and sizes. Vests, lap pads, shoulder pads, blankets and animal shapes are all readily available for purchase. [...]
Sensory chew toys - which one to choose? Choosing sensory chew toys for children can be a daunting task. There are so many different ones available! They come in different shapes, different textures, [...]
Supporting each other at home I write this post on the second day of official school closures in the UK following the Coronavirus outbreak. There are a lot of supports already popping up [...]
Pros and cons of pencil grasps For children who have an immature pencil grasp, there are many pencil grips available to help. In this post we will use the term ‘grip’ to refer [...]
People often use the terms 'Sensory Integration' (SI) and 'Sensory Processing' to refer to the same theory. Dr A. Jean Ayres first published her first book on sensory integration theory in 1972. She was [...]
Sensory processing and autism Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) describes the challenges children (and adults) have when their brains are not interpreting the sensory messages they receive from their body and the environment effectively. [...]
Helping with scissor skills Scissor skills are a typical activity taught in every classroom. Using scissors successfully is almost a rite of passage for any child. Especially those who have ‘accidentally’ cut off [...]
The holiday period, including Christmas, is loaded with additional sensory information. There are new lights, sounds and smells. You go on extra visits to family and friends. If you're lucky, there are presents! While [...]
Embedding OT supports into your classroom When I first graduated, quite some time ago now, I was frustrated at what I interpreted as a lack of support from educators in following through with [...]
Let's explore why kids chew on clothing When a parent or teacher sees their child chewing on clothing or other items it can cause alarm. Some children chew on other items like toys, [...]
Let's explore oral sensory seeking Oral sensory seeking, where a child continues to put things in their mouth after the age of two, is commonly reported alongside sensory issues, autism, developmental delays and [...]
The benefits of heavy work Heavy work is a commonly used term, but not everyone knows what it actually refers to! This post aims to give you a better understand of what it [...]
Dyspraxia - Let's explore the signs and symptoms The term 'dyspraxic' originates from the latin ‘dus’ ‘praxis’ meaning difficulty with action. It is used to describe the sensory processing difficulty children and adults [...]
Dyspraxia Explained - Let's explore some common myths Dyspraxia is a term that describes the sensory processing difficulty children and adults have when they struggle to plan and organise their movements. The term [...]
Let's explore auditory sensitivity People with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) may report auditory sensitivity, auditory hypersensitivity or hypersensitivity to sound. The medical term for sound sensitivity is 'hyperacusis'. Occupational therapists sometimes also use the [...]
Hearing is an essential sense! Our hearing sense, or auditory sense, is a sense everyone has typically heard of. It responds to noises in the environment. These noises, or sound waves, travel through [...]
Tactile defensiveness or touch sensory sensitivity A commonly reported sensory issue for children or adults with sensory processing disorder is touch sensitivity. Sensory integration trained occupational therapists would usually call this tactile sensory [...]
Sensory processing and the touch sense Our touch sense, or tactile sense, is a sense that most people are familiar with. It is one of the five senses you would have been taught [...]
The signs of sensory processing differences This page defines and describes some common signs of sensory issues. You might see the behaviours if your child has Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). We explore common [...]
Using sensory seating in the classroom Occupational therapists sometimes suggest sensory seating for children who are constantly fidgeting in their seat. There is a wide variety of different types of alternate seating on [...]
Proprioception - our sixth sense Proprioception is our sense of called body awareness. It is essential to help the brain to know where the body and limbs are in space. It helps us [...]
Its supports much more than balance! When most people think about the vestibular sense, they think about balance. However, there is much more to the story. In this post you will discover that [...]
There's a wobble cushion in my classroom! You will often see wobble cushions or sensory cushions in classrooms at school. One example is the sensory wedge-shaped cushion called a Move and Sit cushion [...]
Why might you use a fidget toy in the classroom? Sensory fidget toys (also known as sensory fiddle toys) are commonly recommended by occupational therapists or tried out by teachers for children who [...]
GriffinOT is pleased to announce the release of an updated version of our course ‘Sensory Processing & Modulation – What’s the Fuss? This course provides an introduction to Sensory Processing Disorder, specifically sensory modulation, [...]
We are pleased to announce the beta launch of our online training course Sensory Processing - What's the Fuss? As this is the first online version of the course we are launching for free [...]