Sensory Based Problem Behaviors and Suggested Interventions

School based occupational and physical therapists play a key role in suggesting therapeutic interventions for students with sensory based behaviors.  It is our job to educate teachers, parents and students as to why a child's behaviors may be sensory based and what sensory strategies can be used to help that child better navigate the educational environment.

Typical Classroom Sensory-Based Problem Behaviors & Suggested Therapeutic Interventions by Illeana McCaigue, OTR offers many suggestions for therapeutic interventions for 12 different problem behavior categories. The classroom sensory based problem behaviors include the following:

1. Sitting/Poor Work Tolerance


2. Vision/Attention Related


3. Oral/Facial Related


4. Visual Sensitivities


5. Tactile/Proprioceptive/Personal Space Issues


6. Self-Injurious Behaviors


7. Gut Reactions Due to Perceived Stress/Anxiety


8. Difficulty Staying with the Group


9. Delayed Immature/Inefficient Grasp Pattern


10. Visual/Proprioceptive Sensory Seeking Wrist/ Hands


11. Difficulty with Positioning/ Lower Extremity Awareness


12. Oral Motor/ Self-Feeding Issues

This electronic book will help new and seasoned therapists determine what problem behavior the child may be displaying, possible underlying causes and sensory strategy solutions to address the behavior.

Find out more about Typical Classroom Sensory-Based Problem Behaviors & Suggested Therapeutic Interventions by Illeana McCaigue, OTR   and download a sample page at http://yourtherapysource.com/mccaigue.html

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Better Motor Skills = Better Adaptive Behavior Skills in Children with Autism

Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders published research on 233 children ages 14 to 49 months diagnosed with autism. The researchers examined the relationship of motor skills on the adaptive behavior composite, daily living, adaptive social and adaptive communicative skills while holding constant the age, non-verbal problem solving, and the severity of autism. The following results were recorded:

• Fine motor skills significantly predicted all adaptive behavior skills 
• Gross motor skills were predictive of daily living skills 
• Children with weaker motor skills displayed greater deficits in adaptive behavior skills

The researchers concluded that there is a need to implement early intervention and rehabilitation for young children with autism and motor skills.

Reference:  MacDonald, M et al. The relationship of motor skills and adaptive behavior skills in young children with autism spectrum disorders. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Volume 7, Issue 11, November 2013, Pages 1383–1390