Case Studies

 Emma has worked with a student as part of a school contract in a specialist school; prior to sensory intervention this student was engaging only fleetingly before swiping items off his desk (or anywhere in his immediate environment), finding it challenging to sit still and the class team identified that it was difficult to find strategies to support a progression in his learning. 

Emma spent time observing and building a therapeutic relationship with this student, completed sensory assessments and worked with his class team to trial interventions. Emma identified that the muscles in this students hands and arms were underdeveloped and his very weak grasp affected his ability to engage in any activities which required strength, mark making or sustained effort; he now consistently engages in fun strengthening activities through water play (one of his favourite hobbies) and this will prepare him for both educational and functional activities as his strength increases. Emma also introduced proprioceptive and deep tactile interventions based on the results of his sensory assessments and observations, including hand/ arm squeezes, gym ball rolling, and wrist weights (with the consent of his mum). 

These interventions provided an immediate calming effect for this student; there was an instant change in his presentation from pacing, twiddling items in his hands and fidgeting consistently, to appearing visibly relaxed, smiling, laughing and sitting/ lying still for extended periods of time. The class team are consistent in using these strategies prior to asking the student to engage in learning tasks, and he is now much better equipped to access opportunities in a regulated state.   This student now approaches Emma when he sees her on the playground and initiates playful interactions and consistently greets her with a smile.  

  Emma is in the process of working with the team in an early years setting to proactively support the youngest students in the school to access opportunities to develop and integrate their senses, with the aim of preventing any difficulties (such as a significantly weak grasp) as they age. 

It is very common for students with any kind of developmental delay to miss the fundamental stages of integrating their senses, for instance if they do not meet motor milestones as expected, or if familial circumstances inhibit their access to a broad range of experiences and opportunities. If the senses are not integrated in the expected order and pattern, this risks challenges with sensory processing in the broadest sense in their future. This is also particularly common with children born prematurely, or who are exposed to childhood or developmental trauma. 

Therefore, Emma is currently working with the class to embed natural (but specifically planned) sensory opportunities. This looks and feels like play to the students and therefore fits with the ethos of early years and foundation stage pedagogies; however, it ensures that there are daily opportunities to practice and embed skills in areas such as gross/ fine motor, bilateral integration and crossing the midline, visual/ motor integration and emotional regulation. 

Emma worked closely with a young person who was finding school incredibly challenging.  He was unable to keep up with peers in the classroom, had been placed in isolation at school due to "disruptive behaviour" and was growing increasingly concerned about the likelihood of passing enough GCSEs to attend college with his friends. 

We worked together to explore his attention, executive function and sensory needs, in addition to identifying that he was struggling with the impact of fatigue. 

Together we implemented regulation strategies, agreed a program of cognitive rehabilitation activities to progress his executive function skills and worked through a fatigue management and sleep hygiene program.   

Emma signposted the family towards applying for an EHCP to ensure that the client was provided with the additional support and resources he required at school.  Emma provided a comprehensive assessment and recommendations report which comprehensively detailed his needs; this supported the application process and an EHCP was granted without need for any appeal or mediation.