HOW IT CAN AFFECT LEARNING
Students on the spectrum and neurodiverse students often have difficulty recognizing when they are over or under-stimulated; therefore, they frequently experience sensory overload. Their tolerance for some sensory experiences is much lower or much higher.
Examples of children with sensory processing difficulties in the school environment
System | Challenge | Impact on School |
Vestibular | Balance Posture Muscle Tone Eye Movements
| Difficulty with self control Difficulty maintaining concentration |
Proprioceptive | Joint control Muscle force control Visual perception | Difficulty engaging physically Reduced concentration Reduced ability to oraganize |
Tactile | Seek input Overly sensitive
| Reduced focus on learning. |
THE PYRAMID OF LEARNING EXPLAINED Taylor and Trott, 1991 • Our children’s ability to engage in academic skills depends on the quality and ability of their sensory systems to integrate • If there is something going on with the Central Nervous System (Bottom of the Pyramid) it is hard for the child to conquer sensory system integration and subsequently hard to master sensory -motor development • In summation: The top of the pyramid (Academic Learning) is challenging for children who don’t have the foundational sensory and developmental skills to build on.
Contributed By: Neurodiversity Hub
