Sensory Processing: A Parent’s Guide

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Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is a complicated disorder for several different reasons. Because its symptoms range in severity and can be vastly different from child to child, SPD is often overlooked or misdiagnosed. The symptoms for toddlers, preschool-aged, and school-aged children are also rather common for the age group. For example, school-aged children with SPD may be fidgety, worrisome, aggressive, withdrawn, easily distracted, sensitive, etc. These “symptoms” sound like the typical 7-12 year old. In fact, these same characteristics could apply to the average adult on any given day.

As discreet as this condition can be, SPD can have significant effects on a child’s ability to learn and adapt to different environments. This, of course, could result in setbacks at home, school, and in social situations. Here are some fast facts about Sensory Processing Disorder and its potential effects on your child.

  • SPD is a condition that affects the brain’s ability to receive, interpret, and respond to information that comes through the senses.
  • Sensory Processing Disorder can cause oversensitivity of the senses. For instance, a child may be particularly bothered by the tactile feel of a certain type of material or fabric. Others with SPD could be easily disturbed by common sounds or certain levels of light.
  • These aversions to certain sensory messages may seem arbitrary or overly dramatic to people that are unfamiliar with this condition. However, a child with SPD is truly affected by these triggers. A certain ordinary sound or texture of a specific food could cause a child to become physically sick. Obviously, these aversions and reactions can greatly affect the child’s social and cognitive development.
  • Some children with SPD struggle more with spatial awareness. This means that they may exhibit a lack of coordination, difficulty with physical play or movement, and may frequently bump into things while walking. Children that fall on this end of the spectrum of SPD will also exhibit clumsiness and an inability to control or manage their limbs in relation to their surroundings.
  • Because SPD is not currently categorized as a medical condition, treatment options can be difficult to come by. For most occupational therapists treating children with sensory processing problems, a common approach is called “sensory integration.” Similarly to exposure therapy, sensory integration involves presenting the child with opportunities to confront the sounds, sights, tastes, textures, etc., that cause discomfort or distress. The idea behind this method is to strategically teach the child how to interpret and respond appropriately to the sensory input.
  • Some forms of physical therapy could also be beneficial when movement and physical functions are compromised by SPD. Again, the idea is to exercise the brain like a muscle, acclimating it to receive and respond properly.
  • Sensory Processing Disorder does not necessarily have to accompany another condition; however, it is commonly seen in children on the autism spectrum.

What We Can Learn from Students with Learning Disabilities

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A learning disability indicates that there is an issue or difficulty with acquiring knowledge or grasping concepts, information, or processes. Because of our common understanding of students with learning disabilities, it is unfortunately typical to view a disability as a disadvantage in the classroom. While this can and certainly is the case on some level, what we often neglect to notice are the advantages that come with what we consider a disability. Yes, learning disabilities make certain skills more difficult, but they also bring many unique perspectives to the classroom. Perhaps viewing these disabilities more as differences would open our eyes and allow for a more optimistic outlook.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) exhibit periods of difficulty focusing, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. These symptoms vary from person to person, but can notably interfere with learning. But, believe it or not, ADHD symptoms may also have their own unique benefits. For instance, hyperfocus occurs when children with ADHD are able to hone in on one specific activity or task for long periods of time. Whether this form of hyperfocus comes about athletically, artistically, technologically, etc., students that practice channeling their attention and excess energy find great success in their interests.

Furthermore, having adapted to managing the ADHD symptoms over time, children learn to self-check and recognize when their level of attentiveness dips and peaks. Children with ADHD are often forced to think or learn a little differently. They become experts at streamlining information, honing in on significant details, and gauging their own comprehension. This sort of self-awareness helps students play off of their strengths and develop creative means of achievement.

Students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are also highly sociable and friendly. Because they are prone to being talkative, their verbal language skills are often higher than those of their peers. Storytelling, public speaking, and debating are some of their common social strengths.

Dyslexia/Dysgraphia

Dyslexia, a learning disability that affects a reader’s ability to decode, comprehend, and read fluently, certainly presents its own challenges in and out of the classroom. Reading levels can range from below grade level to nearly illiterate—which is not only frustrating for a child, but greatly discouraging, as well. The advantages of dyslexia are widely unknown, as the disorder is seen as a major educational roadblock. However, there seem to be undeniable benefits. Since reading presents a major challenge, some believe that the following behaviors are a means of compensating for the gaps in reading. For example, students with dyslexia typically thrive at tasks involving abstract thinking, creativity, and holistic or “whole picture” thinking. Children with dyslexia also display strengths in reasoning, problem-solving, and persistence.

Similarly, dysgraphia, a disability that affects written language, also has its own unique benefits. Since motor skills affect pencil grip and the ability to master written language, children with dysgraphia compensate by sharpening their listening skills. These learners are masters of recalling oral details, memorization, and storytelling. These conversationalists thrive in social situations and are often helpful problem solvers.

How-to Check for Comprehension: High School

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Comprehension: though this term has a simple definition, it is far from a simple concept. Comprehension centers on one’s ability to understand or make sense of something. It is truly a complex cognitive ability that can be difficult to measure and varies person to person.

Once adolescents arrive at the high-school level of their education, comprehension is an expectation in the classroom. Having progressed through years of schooling, high schoolers have had their comprehension assessed countless times. The methods for which to assess them over the years is just as varied. Whether via formal or informal assessments, comprehension at the high school level leaves no room for gray areas—students either comprehend a concept, or they do not. This is different from the lower grades, when students are still developing comprehension skills. So how can high schoolers check for and improve comprehension skills? The three-step strategy below is a proven process which expands a student’s comprehension skills.

  1. Annotate texts, assignment sheets, rubrics, etc. Essentially, any text can be annotated to check for understanding. When students receive an article, report, novel, etc., they should immediately assume the role of an active reader and writer. This means that, when reading, students should have a pencil and/or highlighter in hand, ready to record as they read. This is not an innate skill; it takes practice and consideration. Highlighting is not merely enough—students have to indicate why they have highlighted something, which is where margin notes come into play. This process helps to ensure that students are actively engaged in the text, following along and thinking critically as they read.
  2. Employ close reading, of which annotating is an important aspect. Close reading involves a critical analysis of a text that requires the reader to engage closely with the text by focusing on significant details, patterns, and other distinguishable aspects of the author’s writing. Close reading asks that readers question or critique the artistic choices of the author, i.e., Why did he include that simile? What is the meaning of that term as it is used in the context of the paragraph? What is the greater message that the author may have been trying to convey? Close reading encourages readers to look at the text in layers, similar to that of an onion. As we peel back the layers, we ask different questions of the text. First, what is the author saying? Then, how is the author saying it? And finally, why would the author choose to say it in such a way?
  3. Respond to the text. Having annotated and performed a close reading of the text, a final method for ensuring comprehension is to respond to the text. With the notes that the student has taken, and the observations and critiques that have been made, high schoolers can exhibit further comprehension by responding in various forms, but likely a written response. High school students can create book reviews, author reviews, argumentative or persuasive pieces, etc. By commenting on a text in a critical way, students are able to show that they have not only comprehended the material, but also analyzed it critically.

Standardized Testing: A Parent’s Guide

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Whether a proponent of the practice or not, standardized testing is a certain reality for parents, students, and teachers in America’s public educational system. While both sides of the long-held debate argue vehemently for the continued use or abolishment of such high-stakes assessments, one thing is certain—our children, teachers, administrators, and schools will be measured by standardized tests. Aside from exercising your parental right to “opt out” of such state mandated assessments, which thousands of families have decided to do in recent years, what can parents do to ease the inevitable stress associated with these high-stakes tests?  

Well, depending on your child’s age and learning circumstances, the conversations surrounding standardized testing will vary. For children and teens with testing anxiety or other learning difficulties, it is most important to put your child at ease. As a parent, the last thing that you want to witness is your child’s worry or discomfort.

When testing becomes a part of the school year, allow your child to steer the conversation. Answer their questions honestly and validate their concerns. Yes, these tests matter; no, these tests do not define your abilities. Discuss how such assessments are just one measure of some of the things that they have learned this year. Explain to your child that the importance of an assessment is to acknowledge what they know—not necessarily to focus on what they do not know. Keeping the focus on the positive helps to reduce test anxiety and ease the worry of answering incorrectly. Remind your child that his strengths far exceed the measures of such exams.  

For the “perfectionist” child, standardized tests can be a rather hefty focus. Even if parents minimize the importance of these assessments, the perfectionist will seek success. Children who are used to doing well will inevitably put pressure on themselves when completing an assessment such as this. In this case, provide your “high flyer” with test-taking strategies. These tips not only assist during the test, but they also provide your child with the confidence they need to alleviate some of the pressure associated with acing the exam.

  • For reading comprehension sections, encourage your child to read the questions prior to the excerpt. This will prepare students as they read, and help them to be aware of what to look for in the text. Reading the questions prior to the excerpt is also a method to save time. When students know what they are looking for, they are able to work through the text or excerpt more efficiently.
  • Tell your child to mark, then skip, questions that are confusing. Remind them that they can always go back and select an answer later on in the testing session. But to focus on a confusing question for too long will not only waste time, it will also cause frustration and stress.
  • Remind your child to read each question carefully, being sure to understand what is being asked before seeking the answer. Often times, in an effort to save time, students may rush through the questions and choose the initial gut response. Remind them to read questions carefully and completely.
  • When in doubt, remind your child to use the “process of elimination” method. Especially when questions are more confusing than others, encourage children to cross off answer options that they know cannot be correct. Then, when necessary, take an educated guess from the remaining options.

How-to Check for Comprehension: Middle Grades

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Comprehension, quite simply, indicates a person’s ability to understand something. Simply by existing, humans are constantly receiving input and information, analyzing it, and (hopefully) making sense of it. Something that is done so automatically and continuously should be easy, right? Not always. Herein lies the issue, especially when it comes to the middle school child—adolescents often think that they know everything, and/or, they completely disregard anything that confuses them. The “if I ignore it, it will cease to exist” mentality unfortunately only works to create more confusion. This is why self-checking for comprehension is a necessary skill for middle schoolers to learn to employ.

Trust me, comprehension will be assessed at great lengths throughout middle and high school. Between the standardized testing, regular assignments, and lengthy book reports, formative comprehension checks will become a routine as students make their way through their schooling. In order for students to recognize whether they have comprehended something or not, it is important for them to begin to actively question themselves as a learner. But what does this look like? Here are a few strategies that middle schoolers should employ to check for their own comprehension.

Can I summarize that reading? A summary should consist of the key points, major details, and take-aways from the entire reading as a whole. If a middle schooler is not able to adequately present a holistic view of the key moments from a text, he or she has not fully comprehended it.

Did I understand all of the vocabulary that I encountered? This question goes back to the issue of disregarding information that is confusing. When stumbling through a reading where vocabulary presents an issue with comprehension, students’ typical reaction is to plow through, ignoring the terms or phrases that they do not understand. This is an obvious sign that the middle schooler is not fully comprehending the text. As annoying as they may find this to be, middle schoolers should get in the habit of searching and defining unfamiliar words as they read or work.

Can I comment, question, or critique anything from this reading? Again, this practice is often met with moans and groans. “As if reading the text is not difficult enough, they now want me to analyze it?!” Yes. If a middle schooler does not have anything to add or consider after finishing a text, then their comprehension is questionable. Highlighting and taking margin notes will help when it comes to critiquing the text. Be sure that your middle schooler knows why he or she highlighted a certain section. Again, if they are able to pinpoint key moments or question the text, chances are the comprehension piece is intact.

Was my focus on the text the whole time? This question is one that even adults struggle to answer on occasion. If readers arrive at the bottom of the page only to discover that they were thinking about what to eat for dinner, then the focus was disrupted. Without focusing on the text, there is no way to fully comprehend its meaning.

Try implementing one or more of these strategies the next time your middle schooler completes a reading assignment. You may both be surprised to see how a few extra minutes of reflection can greatly enhance comprehension!

How-to Check for Comprehension: Elementary Grades

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Merriam-Webster defines comprehension as simply, “the ability to understand.” Sounds simple enough, right?

The issue with checking for comprehension, especially at the elementary level, is that it often looks different from child to child. One child’s method of comprehending something may be completely different from that of another. To even further complicate the concept, as the adage goes, children don’t know what they don’t know. Teaching your child to self-check for comprehension is a valuable asset when it comes to executive functioning skills. Performing a self-check for comprehension is also a necessary life skill that never becomes irrelevant. Whether in high school, college, or in the workforce, people always need to be able to question their own ability to understand something. Here are some Do and Don’t tips when it comes to encouraging the comprehension check with your elementary schooler:

Do

–  Ask specific questions about your child’s day. Be ready for follow up questions, as well. This is something that parents do regularly anyway, but the difference is in how you ask the questions. Be sure to ask about specific events, classes, or activities from the day. This will cause your child to reflect on his or her day and respond in detail. The ability to recall the day’s key events not only checks for memory and comprehension, but it also provides information about what is most important or memorable in your child’s perspective.

–  Subtly model the process of checking for one’s own comprehension. Perhaps when cooking dinner, read the recipe aloud in front of your child. Ask him or her to explain something that seems “confusing” to you. Model the process by which you reread, ask questions, and rephrase instructions. Demonstrations like this show children how to recognize when they are experiencing confusion. This also shows your child that comprehension or basic understanding plays a huge role in the real world.

–  Create a bedtime routine involving “book talks.” The bedtime story routine is beneficial in and of itself; it is also a valuable time for connecting with your child. In addition to benefiting reading skills, a story presents the perfect opportunity for your child to self-check. Prompt them by asking questions like, “Who was your favorite character?” “Why or how do you relate to that character?” “Can you believe it ended like that?” “I was confused by this part; do you know what was happening here?”

Don’t
–  Simply ask, “How was your day?” Of course, this is a perfectly normal question that we have all asked and answered on countless occasions. There is nothing wrong with starting there. However, this sort of question allows for a weak, general response, one that lacks detail and any sincere reflection on the day’s events. Perhaps ask for a high point and low point; what was the best part of your day? Now tell me about the worst part of your day. Again, this prompts children to get specific about what they can recall.

–  Over-sell it. Checking for comprehension is a skill that should eventually become natural as children progress through their education. A little prompting is helpful; yet, blatant practices will intimidate, confuse, or even discourage a child when it comes to self-checking. Again, subtly implement or model different uses for comprehension. The more routinely natural the practice becomes, the easier your elementary schooler will be able to grasp it.

–  Make your child write the information down. The idea of the bedtime story is meant to be enjoyable and relaxing. Comprehending the story is simply another layer of enjoyment. Forcing your child to write or formally respond is in no way beneficial to his or her comprehension. If they can verbally articulate what happened in the story, then they comprehended it sufficiently.