School staff

When interacting with a student with sensory needs, consider your own communicative mannerisms.  Some tips may include:

• Ensure you do not invade the student’s personal space, especially if the student is very sensitive to tactile input.
  • Stand at arm’s length when speaking to the student
  • Do not lean over the student’s desk to check work
  • Avoid inadvertently nudging or brushing against the student if sitting beside him/her
  • If you have a student who is very sensitive to smells, you may have to consider not wearing perfume or strong deodorants
• Avoid using excessive body language and facial expression as this can cause a visual distraction and the student may then have difficulty processing the verbal language used.
• Do not force eye contact as this can also cause a visual distraction
• Monitor the pitch, tone, volume and rate at which you are speaking to the student:
  • Slow down when speaking to the student
  • Say less
  • Break instructions into small steps
  • Lower volume of your voice
  • Reduce fluctuations in tone
• Allow additional time for the student to process verbal information
  • Wait several seconds before expecting a response from the student
  • Wait several seconds before repeating an instruction or question
  • If repeating an instruction or question, ensure you say it in the same way i.e. try to keep language consistent
  • Break instructions into small steps and wait for the student to complete each step before giving the next
• Ensure you have silence in the classroom before giving a verbal instruction.
• If you have a student in your class who is sensitive to noise, do not shout “Be Quiet” to the class; instead use a visual method to gain silence and attention e.g. switch lights on and off.
• Ensure you gain the students attention
  • Use visuals or an agreed noise to prepare student to pay attention
  • Stand in front of a blank wall when giving instructions
• Use visual supports to facilitate the student’s understanding of verbal communication.  Examples may include:
  • Visual schedules and timetables
  • Symbols for key words and instructions
  • Written instructions for tasks- these can be printed out before hand, or they can be written on a page or whiteboard just before the student is due to commence the task
  • Set out materials in sequence to show how a task is to be completed e.g. a Science experiment, a Home Economic recipe
• Include demonstrations and pictures in your lesson. Be careful to find realistic pictures as they might not be able to relate to unrealistic ones.
• If you have students who enjoy sensory input and become more engaged with sensory stimulation, use a variety of learning experiences in your classroom.  Incorporate movement, tactile input, visual resources and music into classes.