¶ … Intervention in Action Working Across Disciplines to Support Infants With Multiple Disabilities and Their Families Module 5; Sensory Processing in the Context of Early Intervention

In the words of Holloway (2008), when it comes to working with children with multiple disabilities, giving their behaviors interpretations from a sensory point-of-view is of utmost importance to give goal setting and activity selection the right direction. From this point-of-view and of many other researchers and studies, paying keen attention to children with multiple disabilities is very important. This ensures that their behaviors and the changes in the behaviors is not misinterpreted and also allows the interventionists involved in their daily activities to fully understand them and gain the knowledge of how to help them.

Working with such children needs open minded people who are willing to study and work side by side with them in order to fully understand their needs. It will also enable interventionists to understand the typical techniques employed and if these techniques are appropriate for the children. According to the author, studying both sensory integration impairment and motor performance in children with multiple disabilities will remove any kind of bias that favors one or the other when coming up with intervention techniques. For example, Holloway (2008) comments that it can be quite hard to ascertain if the poor motor performance of a child is because of his/her neurometer problems, sensory integrative impairments or both. As a result, children who face limitations in terms of exploration and play because of sensory/physical impairments and/or medical condition may display some behaviors that may seem to be caused by sensory integrative impairment but which may have a real connection to inexperience. Therefore, having knowledge of both will enable the individual working with them to fully be prepared in terms of working and interacting with the children who might be displaying both problems.

Holloway's article has also allowed us to gain insight into the different individuals who work and interact daily with children who have multiple disabilities. For example, occupational therapists aid these children with sensory integration treatment by providing suitable training, while early interventionists aid in sensorimotor activities. Both these activities are and have proven to be beneficial for both the child and the family. It is necessary for people to understand that children with several disabilities do not all have sensory integration impairments. However, it is very helpful to evaluate the sensory properties of early intervention activities and everyday care activities and how the child responds to each one of these activities because each activity contains certain sensory qualities that influence the overall processing and behaviors of the child.

Research has shown that there are those who accept sensory integration intervention as the best type of intervention in terms of occupational therapy treatment. This is because occupational therapists deal with everyday/daily activities. For the child, this involves their early developmental sensory motor skills, daily living skills, playing skills as well as social participation in family activities. However, there are those who oppose it as an efficient type of intervention. For a Pre-K Special Education teacher, knowledge in both sensory integrative impairment and motor performance will allow them to attain the skills needed in working with children with multiple disabilities.

Module 6; Motor Development and Physical Disabilities

Unusual motor development and the occurrence of physical disabilities in children do not just occur. One needs to understand what or how their 'normal' development was disrupted in their growth. Thus understanding what normal development constitutes is one step towards discovering motor delays and certain abnormal movements in children with numerous disabilities. Once you have recognized and have had an adequate understanding of all motor components, coming up with the most effective intervention approaches to help toddlers or infants reach their full motor development potentials without any limitations is possible. Irregular motor development is mostly referred to as sensory-motor development. Snell (2008) explains that motor skills are mastered by a child in their first year. Everything that the child comes into contact with in their environment will play a big role in how they will acquire motor skills. In a similar way, motor development has the ability to impact emotional, social and cognitive development.

When a child is neurologically impaired or developmentally delayed, their motor development is always delayed and there are often impairments with the easy development of the motor skills. Motor skills can only develop as the child begins to develop the balance, postural coordination and control needed to keep them stabilized and freely move his/her body here and there (Snell, 2008).The extent of a child's progress is based on the impairment the child has and the rate of neurological...

From Snell's article, we discover that the intervention techniques used are very essential in that they enable the child have balance and control over bodily movements and posture through careful handling and positioning. Therefore, the environment that the child with the multiple disabilities is put in should also be considered. This environment should be stimulating and appropriate for the intervention technique to be successful.
We also learn through this article and other research works that early interventionists, such as Pre-K Special Education teachers and any other child specialists should consider working and liaising with physical therapists since they are more likely to be in contact with the family of the child. They provide consultation in how to work and interact with children with multiple disabilities. More knowledge will be imparted on Pre-K Special Education teachers on what they should and should not do in terms of their interaction with these children. Families play a vital role since their beliefs concerning the development and learning of a child will be an influential factor in determining what kind of care-giving practices will be provided to the children.

The Roles and Responsibilities of the professional Therapist in Serving Children with numerous Disabilities

Professional therapists help children to be able to do whatever they like and also partake in activities they love most, such as getting dressed, making new friends, riding a bike, participating in school works and learning. Professional therapists are trained to evaluate the way children make use of sensory integration, which includes any atypical sensory searching or evading behaviors (Pathways Awareness, 2013).

Professional therapists make use of Sensory Integration Praxis Tests (SIPT); This comprises a set of tests that aid the therapists in teasing out the major areas of strengths and concerns to a child (Pathways Awareness, 2013).

Children may experience sensory integration problems involving the sense of body position and/or movement and/or sense of gravity. The responsibility of occupational therapists is to get them engaged in physical activities, while keeping their pace slow. Professional therapy also involves use of fun sensory integration tools. For instance, during occupational therapy, therapists may make use of a trapeze to enable the children move through space while they develop a sense of their real body weight, which is a sort of proprioceptive input. Other such typical tools used in a sensory integration technique includes obstacle course setups, a ball pit, monkey bars, and equally a frog swing where these children can jump to get some input in their vestibular system. According to indication from researches, therapists who provide sensory integration experiences and knowledge during professional therapy can equally make meaningful contributions to motor skill, behavior, social and emotional development. The role of occupational therapy is to improve the child's confidence, interaction with peers and increase their self-esteem (Pathways Awareness, 2013).

How Can a Pre-K Special Education Teacher join forces with the Occupational Therapist in Serving These Children?

Occupational therapists can partner with teachers at special education centers in a number of ways. Some of such ways include; having implementation strategy plans between the teachers and the therapists, a collaboration between the teachers and therapists could help modify the activities in the classroom or curriculum for the benefit of the children, therapists could offer some form of help to the teachers on making vital decisions on proper assessments for the children and the special education teachers could equally come up with some awareness issues on their impairments (Connecticut State Department of Education, 1999).

Additionally, professional therapists can equally show the teachers at special education centers the learning techniques they could adapt from developmental to sensory-motor to visual-motor outlook. Through this advice and knowledge of occupational therapists, the specialist education teachers can offer fitness promotion and health maintenance for each one of the students that has a special need (Connecticut State Department of Education, 1999).

REFERENCES

Pathways Awareness (May 14, 2013). Understanding Sensory Issues in Young Children [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com

Connecticut State Department of Education. (1999). Guidelines for Occupational Therapy in Educational Settings. Retrieved April 25, 2016, from Connecticut State Department of Education: http://www.sde.ct.gov/

Holloway, E. (2008). Sensory Processing in the Context of Early Intervention, Part 2. In D. Chen, Early Intervention in Action: Working Across Disciplines to Support Infants with Multiple Disabilities and Their Families (pp. 1-37). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

Snell, R. (2008). Motor Development and Physical Disabilities. In D. Chen, Early Intervention in Action: Working Across Disciplines to…