These blog posts are all about our many senses and are full of ideas and activities to help us to explore them and understand them better with the children we are engaging with.
There is a perception ‘out there’ that children who, for all kinds of reasons, are labelled or identified as ‘nonverbal’, are unable to communicate. That having less speech than other children (or no perceived speech at all) means that they cannot share how they are feeling, what they need, what they want to do, or … Continue reading Non-Verbal Doesn’t Mean Non-Communicative!
All of us, whether adults or children, whether we have special needs or not, are sensory creatures. We can all have senses that at times are under responsive (hyposensitive), or overly responsive (hypersensitive), meaning that we regularly, often subconsciously, are trying to balance our sensory systems. This can sometimes take the form of sensory seeking, … Continue reading Fidgets And Fiddles: Meeting Sensory Needs
Our Autistic son, James, had a meltdown recently, an experience that will be familiar to many families of Autistic children. Like any Autistic child or young person, when James has a meltdown there can be a wide range of triggers that could be causing it. He may be being overwhelmed by a range of sensory … Continue reading Helping Our Autistic Children Recover From Meltdowns
As the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions ease further from Monday 17th May, one of the most looked for announcements has finally been made – hugging will be allowed! The UK Government has said that “...people in England will be allowed to hug loved ones and enjoy indoor hospitality from next Monday...”, whilst urging people to "...exercise … Continue reading To Hug, Or Not To Hug, That Is The Question!
James, my autistic son, gets cold feet. Sometimes this is because he often prefers to go barefoot, sometimes this is because his blood circulation isn’t as good as it might be, or maybe it’s a combination of the two. He likes to have his feet rubbed, to warm them up, but he has also enjoyed … Continue reading Washing My Autistic Sons’ Feet
As one of the most important times in the Christian calendar, Easter is a key teaching time for parents, as well as children's and youth workers. A time to remember, be thankful, and to celebrate what Jesus has done for us all. But the big story of Easter can be difficult for some children and … Continue reading Sensory Easter Story
I’ve shared before about using Lego to tell Bible stories… Here’s some really helpful information from my friend Lynn McCann (Included By Grace) to equip us to do this well and to start the New Year thinking creatively about how we can all use Lego to reach and teach children with additional needs…
See also:
Minecraft, Lego, And Additional Needs Children’s Work
https://theadditionalneedsblogfather.com/2017/03/09/minecraft-lego-additional-needs-childrens-work/Church Children’s Work: Do Age Groups Or Interest Groups Work Best
https://theadditionalneedsblogfather.com/2017/12/15/church-childrens-work-do-age-groups-or-interest-groups-work-best/
I’ve been doing Lego Based Therapy with autistic children in my schools for a couple of years now and often deliver training to teachers and care staff in how to run these sessions. I’ve been thinking for some time about how this might be used in a church setting as the children usually love the structure and format of the sessions and their communication skills develop really well in this context.
So what is Lego Based Therapy?
Lego Based Therapy has not been developed by Lego (who don’t endorse it) but by an autism clinic in America. It’s actually a communication, social interaction and problem solving therapy. Here is more information if you’d like to learn about it.
Over 12 weeks the children work in a group of three and take on a ‘job’ with a specific and clear role. There is the…
Engineer – this role is in…
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What is a sensory processing disorder? Occupational Therapist Sheilagh Blyth explains… Sensory processing (sometimes called sensory integration or SI) is a term that refers to the way the body receives and interprets messages from the senses. Humans have a multitude of senses that help them to gather information about the world around them and people … Continue reading Understanding Sensory Processing Disorder/Difficulties (SPD)
We have at least eight senses; five that we can all think of, sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch, as well as at least three ‘mystery’ senses that we might not know so much about, including vestibular (balance and movement), proprioception (body awareness), and interoception (awareness of what’s happening inside the body). This article explores these … Continue reading Making Sense Of Our Three ‘Mystery’ Senses!
There are eight senses; five that we can all think of, sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch, as well as three that we might not know so much about, vestibular (balance and movement), proprioception (body awareness), and interoception (awareness of what's happening inside the body). This article explores the first five senses, and provides us with … Continue reading Activities To Explore Our Senses And What Jesus Teaches Us About Them
Teaching Resources, Sensory Stories and SEND Information
The Additional Needs Blogfather 