Navigation
Home Page

Sensory Circuits

What are Sensory Circuits?

Many neurodivergent people have differences in the way they perceive and process sensory information. It is important to remember that sensory differences can impact significantly on play and learning as differences interpreting sensory information can have an impact on how an individual feels, thinks, behaves or responds. This may affect how children are able to focus and engage in play and learning opportunities at any given time. Sensory circuits can be a useful way of providing some of the sensory feedback an individual might be seeking.

 

Participation in a sensory circuit is a great way to both energise and settle children into the school day. The aim of the activity is to support children to be in the optimum state of alertness, ready for learning.

 

Longer term benefits can include:

 

  • Improvements in self-esteem
  • Development of physical skills
  • Differences in focus and attention and improved ability to settle down
  • Some quiet, unresponsive children appear to have ’woken up’ and are more readily engaging with other children in their class
  • Improved communication skills for children working at all levels and with a variety of additional needs

 

How does the sensory circuit work?

The sensory circuit runs in three sections based on theories of sensory processing and sensory integration.  The order of the circuit is extremely important:

  1. Alerting section
  2. Organising section
  3. Calming section
     
    1. Alerting activities

The aim of section 1 is to provide vestibular stimulation (providing the brain with sensory information every time the position of the head moves in relation to gravity) within a controlled environment. This prepares the brain for learning and for the demands of the school environment.

Alerting activities to try:

  • all jumping, bouncing, spinning and skipping activities
  • bouncing on a mini trampoline, space hopper or gym ball.
  • spinning a hoop around waist
  • star jumps / spotty dogs
  • bunny hops / crab walks / frog jumping / squat jumps / jumping jacks
  • sequence of jumps e.g. 5 little 1 big, change direction while jumping, jump – hop etc

•          gym ball for bouncing on or rolling over (walk hands forwards and backwards)

  • skipping with a hoop or rope
  • march touch opposite hand to knee
  • scooter board (lay on board and scoot in a prone position)
 

 

  1. Organising activities

Section 2 includes activities that require the child to organise their body, plan their approach and do more than one thing at a time in a set sequential order. These are skills that may increase a child’s focus, attention span and performance within the classroom.

Organising activities include climbing, balancing, and throwing.

 

Organising activities to try:

  • balancing on a beam / walking along a straight line
  • log rolling – hands clasped and arms stretched overhead
  • throwing bean bags into a target or small balls/scrunched up paper to a target
  • balance / wobble board while throwing and catching to self, at target or to partner
  • T-bar for balance work (one legged balances)
  • arm push ups against the wall
  • infinity walk around two chairs (figure of 8 round two chairs), repeat with eyes closed
  • squats (no jump), shallow lunge steps
  • blowing bubbles
  • bend skipping rope into different shapes – walk along it and jump over it, side to side
  • obstacle courses – over / under equipment
  • commando crawling
  • hop scotch
  • blow football (cotton wool blown with a straw to a target)
 

 

  1. Calming activities

 

The section 3 calming activities provide input to ensure that as the children leaves the circuit they are calm and ready for the task ahead. This should be proprioceptive input, heavy work and if possible deep pressure work.  Calming activities include press-ups, crawling exercises or an exercise ball squash.

 

Calming activities to try:

  • weighted blanket
  • wall push ups
  • seated push ups (hand on side of chair, push up lifting thighs and bottom off chair)
  • crawl through a tunnel
  • swinging (forwards and backwards, no spinning)
  • hedgehogs – lay on back, bring knees to chest, hug knees, take slow steady breaths and count to 20
  • push a gym ball up the wall as high as you can and repeat 20 times

 

Calming activities for home:

  • having a large gym balls rolled over their backs (do not roll over head)
  • hot-dogs (child rolling up tightly in a blanket)
  • massaging hands, feet, arms or legs
Top