Paying attention and sensory differences

The environment can have an ability to impact a child or adult’s ability to focus at school and at home. It is important to record your child’s preferences to establish what environments and strategies maximise their engagement in activities.

Consider the following

• Use dim, natural lighting, avoiding fluorescent lighting if possible, as this can be seen to
  flicker, can be distracting and can also make a noise
• Use pale colours on walls. Avoid bright or busy wallpaper
• Reduce clutter on tables/desk
• Is the temperature of the room too hot or too cold?
• Use plain flooring to keep visual clutter to a minimum. Ideally use one, light colour
• Carpet will absorb or dampen sound, while wood or hard floors will increase the noise levels
  and echo of a room
• Provide a quiet and less stimulating corner of the room for a child to go to/use to calm down
• Use blankets/ sheets/ play tents for child to sleep or just relax in with lots of pillows inside
  for deep pressure
• Use beanbag chairs and giant pillows to sit on
• Child may benefit from using a move n sit cushion or sitting on a gym ball when working or
  watching TV
• Provide relaxing music on a tape player or headphones. For example, ocean waves, rain,
  classical music, nature tapes, slow/rhythmic music, white noise or nature sound machines
• Reduce visual distractions by keeping the walls clear of lots of pictures or clutter
• Keep toys/items/supplies neatly organized in bins and/or in their proper place
• Avoid strong odours – open windows when cooking
• Show the child’s schedule in words and pictures
• It has been suggested that it’s best to avoid using slatted blinds, particularly vertical ones, as
  these can be distracting. Curtains may be a better option, with blackout curtains helping
  someone who is particularly sensitive to light. If someone has a tendency to pull on curtain
  rails, curtains can be held up with Velcro
• Plastic stick-on coverings can also be placed on windows, giving privacy while letting some
  light in
• Furnishing can help to reduce noise levels in your home. For example, carpet or soft flooring
  is quieter than laminated flooring which can be noisy. This type of furnishing can also create
  a feeling of cosiness and safety
• Using ear defenders for short periods to transition to and/or acclimatise to noisy
  environments can be useful. It is important to ensure that these are only used for short
  periods to ensure that individuals are given the opportunity to de-sensitise

Other sensory strategies

• Encourage “movement input” before and between focused activities, or at any time your
  child appears lethargic or fidgety, for example:
  • Marching on the spot
  • Arm windmills
  • Jumping Jacks
  • Jumping up and down
  • Chair push-ups
  • Regular changes of body position e.g. lying on tummy, propping on elbows, standing.
  • Encourage younger children to “march” from one activity to another. The rhythmical body motion and sensory input to the feet can ‘wake up’ their body and mind
• Within school and at home, encourage errands and helpful tasks throughout the day e.g.
  returning the register, taking messages to another part of the school, carrying heavy books
  etc. This will also provide opportunities for praise and increase self-confidence
• Sensory input to the mouth through drinking or eating chewy or crunchy foods impacts on
  focus and organisation. Although food is not generally encouraged during class time, certain
  snacks may assist a child to stay calm and focused. If you feel that this would be beneficial,
  consider discussing access to the following with the school:
  • Dried fruits (raisins, apple slices, banana chips)
  • Crunchy snacks (raw vegetables, apple slices, pretzels, rice cakes)
  • Water bottles – sucking through a straw or a water bottle with a sports top
  • People often “fiddle” with small objects such as erasers, blu-tac, fidget pencils, and paper clips, as a way to maintain attention. If it is not interfering with classroom learning, allow “fiddle” objects during listening activities