Sensory Board

Sensory processing disorders cause children to have a distorted sense of their surroundings, which often interrupts their learning and exploration of their world. Sensory integration is our brain’s ability to interpret and respond to sensory information, and those with sensory processing disorder often have difficulty integrating and responding to this information. Using sensory integration products is one key way to help a child with sensory processing disorder make sense of the world; additionally, these products are ideal for children who do not have sensory processing disorder, and these items can help children reach important developmental milestones.

One such sensory integration product is a sensory board, and you can purchase one or make one yourself. Including your child in the creation of a sensory board is a fun activity, and you can really tailor the board to your child’s needs.


What is a sensory Board.

What is a sensory board you might ask?? It is basically a board in which you attach objects to be explored by ones own senses(typically the tactile or touch sense). You can make it as simple or complex as you wish. There is no right or wrong way to do it. You can tailor them to infants or curious older toddlers depending on what you place on the board.

Benefits of Multi Sensory Environments

Multi Sensory Environments can open up a whole new world for individuals with cognitive and physical impairments. Providing a stimulating environment can:

· Increase concentration and focus attention

·Develop or reactivate senses of hearing, sight, smell, touch, and taste

· Heighten awareness and improve alertness

· Improve coordination and motor development

· Promote cognitive development by increased brain function

· Lead participants to explore their environment

· Provide security

· Be an unrestrained atmosphere where participants feel able to enjoy themselves.

· Improve creativity

· Stimulate the sensory building blocks

· Develop of a sense of cause and effect

· Develop language – more vocalization

· Promote social interactions

· Promote mental and physical relaxation – Stress levels drop dramatically

· Result in more calmness and lower aggressive behaviors

· Increase opportunity for choice and self-determination

· Improve communication and sharing

· Lead to non-responsive patients becoming communicatative

· Provide relief from pain and painful physiotherapy

Materials

Purchase wooden or cork coasters from a craft supply store or a A peg board. Size might vary but the ideal size can be 2ftx4ft ; you can assemble these squares into a larger board after they have been decorated. Using a glue gun, attach a particular object, one for each square. Consider the following sensory objects:

· Beads

· Buttons

· Felt

· Feathers

· Velcro

· Cotton

· Bubble wrap

· Sandpaper

· Wax paper

· Yarn

· Ribbon

· Squishy shapes

· Fake leaves or flowers

· Pipe cleaners

· Plastic letters or shapes

· Pasta

· Craft foam

· Faux fur

· Create texture with glue from the glue gun

These boards help with both tactile and visual issues relating to sensory processing disorder. You can attach almost anything to your board, as long as it is secure and safe. Attach the smaller coasters to a larger board to create a single board with many tactile experiences.

Then, its up to your creativity for adding stuff. Since I wanted to do this as cheap as possible, I made a trip to our scrap dealer. I also stopped at the Carpet Store to pick up free scraps of carpet.

You might be needing lots of zipties to tie your object to the board. You can even tie a recycled yogurt cup. poked two holes in the side and laced the ziptie through it that way. This is a fun little container for toddlers to place "treasures" inside.

infants and toddlers PULL so the best thing to do is to secure this to your wall or wedge a piece of furniture on either side to prevent it from falling down on top of them. Always use this with supervision. You can also play with this flat on the floor but your containers might get smashed if you have a walker or adventurous crawler.

More suggestions of different material that could be used to make a sensory board.


craft foam
pipe cleaners
googly eyes
bubble wrap
sprinkles
lycra
fabric
glitter
feathers
lace
porridge oats
salt
wooden lollipop stick
tissue paper
silver foil

pom poms
felt
shells
sand paper
ribbon
cotton wool
velcro
pasta
paper clips
lentils
buttons
sequins
macaroni

HAVE FUN!!!!


(Picture courtesy Google.)