Group Protocol: Sensory-Motor Integration

Group Title - Sensory Summer School Preparation for Kindergarten

Authors
Cindy Wong, OTA-S
Amy Schultz, OTA-S
Lauren Schmitt OTA-S
Lynette Gonzalez, OTA-S
Frame of Reference
The frame of reference used in this group is sensory integration. Sensory-motor
integration is a neurobiological process that focuses on the integration of and
interpretation of sensory stimulation from the environment to produce a motor output.
The theory of sensory integration was developed by an occupational therapist Jean
Ayres to look at the relationships between the neural processes of receiving,
modulating, and integrating sensory input and creating an output of adaptive behavior
(Schaaf, R. 2005). The sensory integration theory says that children with learning
disorders have trouble processing and integrating sensory information, which creates
difficulty with behavior and learning. In sensory motor integration, a child learns through
movement and exploration. This approach has been useful not only for children with
learning disorders, but also with children with autism. The principles of this approach
are using a just right challenge by creating achievable challenges, an adaptive
response to where the child adapts to new strategies, active engagement by creating
an environment the children will participate, and have it be child directive to where the
therapists will read cues and follow the childs lead to give them more or less sensory
input.
The focus of sensory-motor integration is on three main sensations of tactile,
vestibular, and proprioception. Tactile is touch, the vestibular system focuses on the
ability to detect movement, and proprioception is the ability to know where your body is
positioned in space. We are choosing a population of children with autism because they
have difficulties in all areas which can interfere with their ability to learn in school. We
want to better prepare them for the upcoming kindergarten year by designing
therapeutic activities around play by giving the child an opportunity to pursue achievable
challenges. The sensory-motor skills are critical to a childs learning, so things such as
balance and knowing where their body is in space can affect the childs ability to sit still
in class and follow instruction. Being in control of their body will help them move and
explore more easily. The children are given challenging and fun activities that are
designed to integrate sensory systems and use motor systems (Schaaf, R. 2005). The
therapists use observation skills to observe and interpret behavioral responses to the
activities. Sensory integration will be used to integrate sensory information to provide
the foundation of participation in kindergarten activities.
Other frames of reference used were musculoskeletal, behavioral, and
developmental.

Purpose or Description
The purpose of this group is to prepare level 1 children with autism for the daily
routine of kindergarten. Children with autism tend to seek vestibular input
(hyposensitive) or have fearful reactions to certain movements (hypersensitive), which
interferes with their safety and ability to play and move. They tend seek proprioceptive
input (hyposensitive) by clumsiness, clashing or throwing self on floor or walls, and
affects ability to manipulate small objects. Children with autism are tactile defensive and
do not like to touch, eat, or even wear certain textures which interferes with their ability
to dress, wash hands, self-feed, and just touch different textures. Other children seek
more tactile input which can interfere with social skills. Other problems being addressed
are social, play, and oral motor skills. The participants will be exposed to various
activities that will be presented to mimic a day in class by engaging in group play,
practice self-help skills, and participate in prewriting skills.
Group Membership and Size
The group contains six children with level 1 (mild) autism at the age of five years
old. There are four boys and two girls participating. This ratio is representative of boys
having autism at a higher rate than girls. The group will be a closed group where no
other children will be allowed to enter the group and the six designated children are
required to complete all the group classes. It will be easier for the children to relate to
each other and develop rapport with us if we all stayed the same group without new
members entering. Treating only six children makes it easier as well so we can focus on
them. The children will display signs of level 1 autism which include deficits in social
communication such as difficulties initiating social interactions, also difficulties switching
between activities and problems in organization (DSM-V, 2013).
The children have mild-moderate delays in fine motor and gross motor skills. The
children must have language/communication skills and be potty-trained. Children of any
gender, ethnicity, and race can be included, however our cohort has more boys than
girls. The parents have to be able to pick up and drop off their children at the times
given, or wait outside for the children. The exclusionary criteria are they cant be older
or younger than five years old because any more than a year difference between
children will be too big of a developmental gap between them. Also, this is a preparation
for kindergarten summer sensory program, so they need to start kindergarten in the fall.
They cannot have any comorbid disorders, because we are addressing symptoms of
autism and not of another disorder that might bring further deficits that would interfere
with the sessions. The children, as well, cannot have any aggressive or self-injurious
behaviors because the program is only one hour for six weeks, and it will not be
beneficial to the other children if the therapists are spending most of their time
managing maladaptive behaviors, instead of helping them with the goals of the session.

Group Goals and Rationale

Overall Goal: To get oriented to the kindergarten routine.
1. The client will use playground and equipment safely.
Rationale: While in kindergarten, children have play time outside and they need to be
able to keep themselves safe and other classmates safe as well. While on the
playground, children have to be able to climb on apparatuses safely, this requires gross
motor, vestibular, and proprioceptive skills. Children with autism have trouble in these
areas. Precautions that are needed is having age appropriate equipment, having a first
aid kit in case of an injury, making sure there is a clear path when needed to not cause
tripping or falling, making sure there are mats when needed to cushion falls, and being
aware of door and who goes in and out during therapy. Making sure there is adequate
space for activities so children don't bump into each other or other things in the room.
2. The client will improve self-help skills such as, self-feeding, dressing,
bathroom management, and washing hands.
Rationale: While in kindergarten, children need to be able to feed themselves, use the
bathroom, take clothes off and put them on, and wash their hands before eating and
after toileting and playing outside. Children with autism have tactile defensiveness
which makes doing these tasks difficult. These children do not like to touch certain
textures which causes behavioral meltdowns. This limits the types of foods they eat and
activities they participate in. Children with autism need to have fine motor skills for selfhelp activities. They need to be able to manipulate buttons and zippers when dressing.
The children also need to manage eating utensils when self-feeding. Precautions are to
be aware of small objects that can be potential choking hazards. The floors need to be
dry to prevent slips and having enough hand washing materials.
3. The client will attend to tasks with minimal prompts.
Rationale: While in kindergarten, children need to be able to sit and listen to the teacher,
attending to what they are doing during activities, and stand in line with classmates
when needed. This requires the child to not invade other classmates personal space,
stay on task, not interrupting the teacher, and keep hands to self. Children with autism
have trouble sitting and attending to a task and usually have to be up moving all the
time seeking proprioceptive input. These children also have trouble keeping hands to
self and tend to hit or use inappropriate behavior towards others. They have difficulty
reading facial expressions and body language, which may lead to negative social
interactions.
4. The client will participate in prewriting activities.
Rationale: While in kindergarten, children are learning how to write and draw. They have
to be able to hold a pencil, crayon, and paint brushes. Children with autism have fine
motor difficulties that limit their ability to these activities. A proprioceptive problem in
children with autism have is that they press too hard on paper when writing or drawing.
Precautions needed for these activities are not giving them things that are toxic, being
aware of items that could be choking hazards, protective clothing wear for painting or
other messy activities, and cleaning up materials appropriately after use

Time and Place of Meeting

There will be six sessions, and each session will last one hour. All the sessions
will be from 9:00am-10:00am. These sessions will occur once a week, for six weeks
straight, as part of a summer program, Sensory Summer School Preparation for
Kindergarten. All the sessions will take place in one room within a clinic. The room will
be about 700 square feet. The room will have a rug in the shape of a circle, about 6 feet
in diameter. There are going to be two sinks in the room. There are children sized
furniture throughout the room. There is going to be two round tables, about 3 feet in
diameter. There will be four chairs around each table. There will be a wide open space,
about 10x20 feet on one side of the room for activities. There is a ball pit, about 6x6
feet, next to the swings. There is going to be a bolster swing, a trapeze swing, and a
platform swing. There are going to soft mats on the floors, that can be moved if
needed. The room will also have a small trampoline, that can also move around as
needed. The walls will be lined with cabinets and shelves filled with supplies for therapy
sessions, and there will be a small cubby for the children to put their things.
The room will have some natural lighting through the two big windows, about 4x6
feet each. There will also be another window about 4x6 feet that faces the hallway. The
room will also have fluorescent lighting on the ceilings. The clinic will be at room
temperature, so everyone is comfortable. The clinic will be quiet, and will not be
bothered by outside noise. The door will remain closed, and parents will not be allowed
inside the room. The only noise will be from the therapist and children during the OT
sessions. Noise level will vary depending on activity. The walls will have the alphabet
and letters lined across the trim. There will be rules posted on the wall. There will be
whiteboard on the wall, next to the rug, and another cork board for the childrens
artwork. There is also going to be a mirror on the wall. The room will have AED devices.
There will be a fire extinguisher, and a telephone on the wall.
The clinic will have a good availability of assistance from therapists. There will be
a one therapist for every three children. They will be given minimum to moderate
assistance as needed. In order to keep the children safe, the floors will be clean and
nothing will be left on the floors for the children to trip on. The children will be dressed in
comfortable clothing, and closed toed shoes.

Method
Media - We used games, crafts, worksheets, daily home equipment, and clinic
equipment.
Leadership - FOR - Sensory integration. We used sensory strategies to come up
with activities, based it around a typical day of kindergarten and what sensory
skills kindergarteners need. We did a gross motor activity first then fine-motor
activity based on the proximodistal development stages. Our leadership will be
directive and facilitative in all activities and grade easier or harder based on the
childrens sensory needs

Supplies and Cost:

Supplies available at the dollar store: Roll of masking tape, bag of straws, bag of small
pom-pom balls, jars of water beads, deflated balloons, large and small container, hand
wipes, pound of rice, bag of toy erasers, small bucket, bag of rhinestones, bag of
sequence, sheets of stickers, baking sheets, bag of chopsticks, small toys, bag of small
rocks, bag of small marbles, pack of popsicle sticks, roll of foil, 1 can of shaving cream,
an 8x10in white board, dry erase marker, bubble containers with wand, roll of yarn,
tennis ball, small puzzle, two rolls of bubble wrap, 8x10 sheet of construction paper,
apple and pencil stencil, box of Dixie cups, box of Q-tips, pinwheel, 2 beach balls, chalk.
Other supplies: Empower weighted hula-hoop sold at Khols for $39.99, therapy ball
from School Specialty Marketplace for $28.99, scooter board $27.99 each at Walmart,
paint colors 89cents a tube of paint at Walmart, rings for ring toss $6.49 for a pack of 5
on eBay, 200 pack of colored foam blocks for $3.19 on Oriental Trading Company,
cardstock packet $7.49 at Walmart, Elmers glue gallon $17.99 at Target, Epson salt
$7.83 for a three-pound bag on Amazon, parachute $25.11.
Equipment provided by the facility: foam wedge, mat, tables, ball pit, cones, smocks,
newspapers, bean bags, swings, trapeze, sink (for handwashing).
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental
disorders (5th ed.)
Brown, Etta. Sensory Motor Integration. Retrieved from: http://www.understandinglearning-disabilities.com/sensory-motor-integration.html
DSM5 Autism Spectrum Disorder. (2013, February 1). Retrieved November 3, 2015,
from: https://depts.washington.edu/dbpeds/Screeningtools/DSM5(ASD.Guildelines)Feb2013.pdf
Handy, Marcelina. Symptoms of Mild Autism. Retrieved from
http://autism.lovetoknow.com/Symptoms_of_Mild_Autism
Hatch-Rasmussen, M.A., OTR/L. (2012) Sensory Integration. Retrieved from:
http://www.autism.com/symptoms_sensory_overview
Schaaf, Roseann C., Miller, Lucy. (2005) Occupational therapy using a sensory
integrative approach for children with developmental disabilities. Mental
Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews. Vol. (11) pp. 143148
Sensory Processing Disorder Foundation (2012). Retrieved from:
http://www.spdfoundation.net/about-sensory-processing-disorder/

Summer School Preparation for Kindergarten

Session 1 of 6 Fun at School
Format:
5 min Welcome to the group: Introduction of activities and OT practitioners.
10 min Introduction to group members and circle time warm up.
2 min Transition to tic tac toe toss activity.
10 min Tic Tac Toe Toss activity.
5 mins Inbetweener activity: Head Shoulders Knees and Toes with Bean Bags.
10 mins Salt maze activity.
5 min Sharing and conclusion.
8 mins Clean up materials and wipe hands clean with hand wipes.
45 mins Total time for session.
5 mins Documentation.
60 mins Total time.
Description
Introduction:
The therapists will welcome the group members as they enter the facility and
each child will be assigned a different color card upon entering. The color card
indicates where the child will be sitting at circle time and other activities during
the six-week group session. The colors are blue, green, yellow, purple, red, and
orange. The color cards will be given to the children by therapists in a random
order. The children are asked to find their color on the circle time floor and asked
to sit on their color. When all the children arrive, the therapists will welcome them
by introducing themselves and telling the children about the fun activities they will
be doing over the next six weeks.
Warm up activity: The therapists will hand a pinwheel to the first child to their
left and ask the child to blow the pinwheel, say their name, and one thing they
are excited for about school. The child will be prompted to pass the item to the
child on their left and so on until each child has an opportunity to talk.
Activity:
Tic Tac Toe: Bean Bag Toss: This gross motor activity starts with 3 large tic tac
toe boards marked off on the floor by the OTP with masking tape. Each board will
be 48 inches by 48 inches. Each child will be assigned a partner to play tic tac
toe with using bean bags that the children will toss into the squares that are
taped off. The children need to estimate how far to toss their bean bags to make
it into the square they desire. Each child will receive 9 bean bags of a similar
color or pattern to play with. If children finish their game early, they are
encouraged to play another game while the other children in the group finish. If a
child is having a difficult time throwing the bean bags, the therapists can grade
the activity easier by having the child stand closer to the board to toss the bean
bag or the therapists can help the child move their arm by lightly guiding their
arm. The therapists can make this activity more difficult by having the child stand
further away from the board.

Inbetweener: Each child will hold onto two bean bags and play heads shoulders
knees and toes by placing the bean bag on each body part the therapists say.
Salt Maze: The children will be seated at a table for this fine motor activity. Each
child will have a baking pan with a layer of colored Epsom salt in the pan. There
will be multiple small items, such as toys, Popsicle sticks, and rocks for the
children to pick up and place into their baking pan and make into a maze. Each
child will have one chopstick to trace around the small items. The children are
encouraged to try out different items and item placements to create mazes to
trace around. If a child is having problems with choosing items, the therapists will
grade the activity easier by limiting the amount of items to choose from. To grade
the activity harder for social interactions, the therapists can have two children
collaborate on one salt maze.
Conclusion: The therapists will thank the group for coming to the session and they will
have the children say goodbye to each other and see each other next week.
Discussion:
Did everyone have fun today?
Did we enjoy playing tic tac toe?
Did everyone like making their own maze?
Supplies:
6 color cards made with solid cardstock
1 roll of masking tape or painter's tape
54 bean bags: 6 sets of 9 bags with matching colors or patterns
6 baking sheets
Epsom salt in different colors
6 chopsticks
A variety of small items: small toys, rocks, pine cones, Popsicle sticks
Hand wipes
Purpose:
This session focuses on improving gross motor and fine motor for the autistic
group members. The tic tac toe toss is a gross motor activity that helps the children use
proprioceptive input to throw the bean bag. The bean bag has some weight which
provides proprioceptive input and they must throw the bag with enough force that it
reaches the desired spot but not too far where it misses the board. The bean bags also
provide a stimulating tactile function. The bean bag is made of fabric and has beans
inside which provide a tactile sensation while they carry and throw the bags. The
children also must bend down and reach for the bags on the ground which provides
vestibular input. This activity also encourages the children to play with another child and
wait their turn which are skills used in kindergarten.
The head shoulders knees and toes incorporates body part identification with
vestibular functions. The weight of the bean bags provides proprioceptive input while
they play the game. It also provides tactile input while they are placing the bean bags on
their body.

The salt maze activity is a pre-writing fine motor activity that focus on proper
grasp patterns for school performance. The chopstick is maneuvered around objects
which promotes fine motor coordination and grasp patterns. The textures of the items
placed to create a maze and the Epsom salt provide tactile input. In kindergarten,
children will need to learn writing skills by using pencils and this activity can help
improve their writing skills while incorporating tactile input.
References:
Adventures in Wunderland. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2015, from
http://adventuresinwunderland.com/fun-gross-motor-activity-tic-tac-toss/

Maze Sensory Play Pre Writing Activity | Little Bins for Little Hands. (2014, August 15).
Retrieved: October 27, 2015, from: http://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/mazesensory-play-prewriting-activity/

Summer School Preparation for Kindergarten

Session 2 of 6 Blows and Balloons
Format:
2 min Introduction of activity
5 min Circle time warm up
1 min Transition to pom-pom race activity
10 min Pom-pom race activity.
5 mins Inbetweener
15 mins Water bead activity
5 min Sharing and conclusion
5 mins Clean up materials and wipe hands clean with hand wipes.
7 min Documentation
60 mins Total
Description
Introduction:
Every child will go to their assigned color and sit in the circle for circle time.
Therapists will go do a very brief overview of what we did the previous session
and how it will lead to this session.
Warm up activity will be included of a ball throw. Every child will remain sitting in
the circle and will throw the ball to each other. The person that the ball gets
thrown to must say their color and throw it to another person. This gives the kids
a sensory warm-up by giving their arms proprioceptive input throwing and
catching a ball and has them use their vestibular system moving their head to
watch the ball and catch it. This also lets the therapists know that the children are
paying attention to their color and know which color it is.
Activity:
Pom-pom race: There will be two zig-zag lines of masking tape on the floor and
there will be three children at each line. One child per line will start by going on
all fours (on their hands and knees) in crawling position with a straw in their
mouth and a pom-pom on the start of the line in front of them. The children will
blow the pom-pom across the line and try to keep it on the line all the way by
blowing out the straw and crawling following the pom-pom as it goes across the
line. If the pom-pom goes off the line the children just put it back on and keep
going.
Inbetweener: After everyone has finished the activity, everyone will ice skate
around the circle time and over to the table for a fine motor activity. The ice
skating gives the proprioceptive input to their feet.
Water beads: At the table we will have the water beads in a container bin and
balloons ready for the children to fill. The children will get the opportunity to stand
around the table and run their hands in the container and play with the water
beads. Once they have played and got comfortable with the texture, we will all

have a seat and start filling the balloons with whatever colors we want. There are
different color beads, so as the children pull them from the container, we will
encourage them to address the color they are picking up and putting in the
balloon as a learning experience. The children can take their balloons home to
use as a sensory toy.
Conclusion: We will have the children share their balloons they made and address
what we did that session. The children will then say goodbye to each other and see
each other next week
Discussion:
Did everyone have fun today?
Did we think the pom pom blowing was fun?
Who liked touching the water beads?
What color did everyone like?
Supplies:
Roll of masking tape
6 straws
6 small pom-pom balls
Jar of blue, red, clear water beads (or desired colors) (50 each jar)
Deflated balloons (6)
Large container (for all the water beads)
Hand wipes
Purpose
For the pom-pom race, this requires the children to build on their oral motor skills.
Children with autism have trouble with the muscles around their mouth and having
anything near or around their mouth. This activity will help them work on these areas to
get them working on the muscles needed to eat and even drink out of a straw because
while in kindergarten, the children need to be able to eat for lunch time. Being on their
hands and knees while doing this activity gives the children proprioceptive input to their
knees and arms. Children with autism have a lack of awareness of their body in space
and this helps gives them the input they need.
The water bead activity teaches the children fine motor skills needed for
kindergarten. Standing and playing in the water beads is good for tactile senses. Water
beads can be a calming and soothing texture for the children to play with. It also mimics
handwashing by getting the childrens hands wet while playing with it. It can help with
tactile defensive kids to learn new textures. Being tactile defensive can interfere with a
childs daily activities in kindergarten. In school, kids will need to self-feed, wash hands
after recess, and do school craft activities that might require paint or messy glue. The
water beads pop with a certain amount of pressure so this activity teaches children that
seek proprioceptive input the right amount of pressure they should be holding the beads
to put on the stick so they do not pop. Using a neat pincer grasp for popping the beads
as well as picking them up and putting them into the separate balloons helps with fine

motor skills. Children need these skills for dressing, pick up small objects, eating, and
playing in school.
References:
2 Simple Tape Activities: What to do with lines of tape? Retrieved from:
http://handsonaswegrow.com/fun-kid-activity-lines-of-colored-tape/

Sonnier, Alison. (2013) Retrieved from:

http://www.learnplayimagine.com/2013/07/frozen-water-beads-in-waterballoons.html

Summer School Preparation for Kindergarten

Session 3 of 6 Tracing and Balancing
Format:
5 min Greeting and introduction
2 min Frog hop to gross motor activity
15 mins Sensory balance activity
2 mins Crab walk to tables
15 mins Fine motor activity
8 mins Wash hands
4 mins Clean up
2 mins Conclusion
7 min - Documentation
Total 60 min
Description:
Introduction:
Every child will go to their assigned color and sit in the circle for circle time.
Therapists will go do a very brief overview of what we did the previous session
and how it will lead to this session.
Warm up activity: The therapists will then tell the kids to get up and start
hopping like frogs and hop over to the line for the balance activity.
Activity:
Sensory balance: There will be a zig-zag line about 6 feet long on the floor that
the students will line up at one end according to their color. Each child will be
called by random color. There will be a bucket of rice with erasers in the shapes
of school buses, apples, and Earths. They are hidden in rice container at the start
end of the tape and the children will be instructed to stick their hand in the bucket
find three erasers and walk across the tape, heel to toe, trying their best not to
step off. They will walk across and once they reach the end, they will walk back
and put the erasers back in the container for the therapists to hide for the next
child. Each child will wait in line till it is their turn and once they are done they will
go back to their color.
Inbetweener: The children will then get in crab walking position and crab walk to
the tables to start the next activity.
Glue tracing: At the table, each child will begin their fine motor activity of tracing
a school bus then decorating it. They will begin by each getting a blank coloring
sheet of the school bus. The children have small Dixie cups of glue in them with
Q-tips for each child. The children will dip the Q-tips in the glue and trace along
the black lines of the school bus putting glue along the black lines. After they

trace, they can place rhinestones, pompoms, sequence, and stickers along the
glue lines to decorate their bus. There will be crayons for those who finish
quicker to color in their school bus.
Conclusion:
The children will go back to their circle on their color and have the opportunity to share
their school buses they made. We will remind them next week is the last session and
then say goodbye!
Discussion
Can everyone hold up their drawings?
Did everyone have fun today?
What was everyones favorite activity?
Supplies:
Roll of masking tape (1)
Small container
Pound of rice
Erasers (12)
School bus coloring sheet (6)
Gallon of Elmers glue
Dixie cups (6)
Q-tips (6)
Bag of rhinestones
Bag of sequence
Bag of pompoms
Sheets of stickers
Purpose:
The balance sensory activity has the children use a lot of their senses. For tactile
defensive children, this has them feel for the erasers through the texture of the rice.
Rice imitates sand so it can help children get used to playing in the sandbox at their
school if they have one. It can also help with touching textures while eating. When the
children got the erasers and have to balance on the tape across the line, the children
have to use their vestibular system to look down and bend their neck forward while
walking along the tape. Others are required to wait in line while others are doing the
activity. This will prepare them for kindergarten, because in school the children have to
wait in lines to enter class, go to the cafeteria, to the auditorium, to the library, etc. and
they have to know the proper behaviors while doing so. The therapists will be there to
cue them and prompt them.
The purpose of the frog hopping and the crab walking warm up is to give the
kinds a little proprioceptive input. Children with autism have trouble staying still and
seek input so this gives them the input they need in order to keep them a little calmer for
the following activity. Other children that are sensitive to proprioceptive input, this gives
them some input to get used to and work on. With crab walking, we are teaching the

children to do it and respect the space of the other children around them. Children with
autism have difficulty not crashing into others and respecting each others space, so
this activity gives the therapists the opportunity to cue the children when needed to
respect others.
With the fine motor activity, this is working on tactile defensiveness and fine
motor skills for classroom activities and prewriting skills. The glue allows the children to
feel the messiness of the glue and not be afraid of it. While they are holding the Q-tip
they are working on fine motor skills and a dynamic tripod grasp. Tracing with the Q-tip
imitates holding a pencil and writing. The therapists will cue the children to trace from
left to right to promote left-right writing development. This activity also allows them to
touch the pompoms and the stickiness of the stickers which gives them more texture to
play with. In school, children are going to make crafts and have to not be sensitive to
the textures in order to complete the activities with their fellow classmates. This also
helps them work on textures for eating. The fine motor skills needed for picking up the
small rhinestones, pompoms, and stickers are all needed for school activities, getting a
better grasp for prewriting and holding eating utensils, and picking up food to eat. This
activity allows the children to work on these skills so eating can be neater, they are able
to do activities in class, and they will have better skills to write.
The clean-up activity with washing hands allows the children to get messy and
also allows them to learn to wash hands appropriately. Children with autism do not like
to wash their hands which puts a deficit to their self-help skills. In kindergarten, you
have to be able to wash your hands on your own when they get dirty before coming
back to class and before eating. This will allow the children to get used to doing so and
loose the defensiveness.
References:
Braley, Pam. (2014, April 9). Child development quick tip: visual motor skills. Retrieved
from: http://theinspiredtreehouse.com/quick-tip-visual-motorskills/#_a5y_p=1494501
2 Simple Activities: What to do with lines of tape? Retrieved from:
http://handsonaswegrow.com/fun-kid-activity-lines-of-colored-tape/

Big Activities. School bus coloring page. Retrieved from:

http://www.bigactivities.com/coloring/transportation/buses/school_bus2.php
Sensory Summer School: Prep for Kindergarten
Session 4 of 6: Balloon Volleyball, Finger Painting, and Scooterboards
Format:
2 min- Welcome and introduction of activity
5 min- Balloon volleyball warm up
5 min- Transition to activity- Trapeze into ball pit
15 min- Finger painting
5 min- Clean up
5 min- Hand washing
3 min- Transition to activity- Simon Says
10 min- Scooter board
5 min- Clean up
5 min- Share creations and good bye
10 min- Therapists notes
Description:
Introduction:
The children arrive and the therapists will greet and welcome them. Children will
sit on their color card. The therapists will welcome the children back and discuss
the activities for the session which include scooter board cruising and finger
painting.

Warm up: The children will be playing balloon volleyball. The therapists will have
a children stand in circle with them and tell explain that the object of the game is
to keep the balloon(s) in the air. Therapists will start off by throwing one balloon
in the air and participating with the children to bump the balloon to keep it in the
air. The therapists pause to break the children into two groups of three facing
each other. Therapists begin the game again and keep the balloon in the air as it
is passed between the two sides.

Activities:

Finger Painting: The finger painting will be on textured surfaces including

crinkled foil, bubble wrap, and sandpaper. The foil piece will have a monogram of
the letter of the child's first name, the bubble wrap will be plain, and the
sandpaper will have apple and pencil pieces taped on. The therapists will remind
the children of the rules and to try to keep the paint on the table and off of their
clothes and hair. The therapists will have covered the table with newspaper. The
children will sit at their color card and the therapists will lay a crinkled foil piece in
front of each child. The therapists will instruct the children to dip their fingers in
the paints and decorate the foil. At 4 minutes, the therapists will tell the children
there is 1 minute left. At 5 minutes, the therapists will take the foil to dry and
place the bubble wrap piece in front of them. Before beginning the next art piece,
the therapists will have the children stand up and show their arms and hands
outstretched in the front. Therapists will have them slowly turn their head from
side to side, jog in place, and heel raises. The same procedure will occur for the
transition into the sandpaper painting. After the sandpaper painting is completed,
the therapists will take their art to the drying station. Once the art is almost dry,
the therapists will remove the monograms, apples and pencils from the pieces.

Washing Hands: The therapists will guide the children to their color card at the
sinks so the children can wash their hands. The therapists will stand by the
children to make sure they are on task and prompt them when needed.

Scooter board: The therapists will direct the children to each stand by a scooter.
They will explain the game of grasping a ring and scooting on the scooter to the
cone across from them and dropping the ring on it. The therapists will say "Go"
and cue the children to stay in their course to their cone. Each child has 3 rings
and will scoot back and forth between their two cones and drop the rings on the
cones. When all of the children have completed the activity, the therapists will
have the children carry their scooters to the closet for clean up, then the cones
and rings next.

Conclusion: The therapists will thank the children for attending the group and lead
them in saying goodbye to each other.

Discussion
Did everyone have fun with the activities?
Who liked swinging into the ball pit?
Did everyone like balloon volleyball?
Was the scooter board fun to ride on?
Who liked the feeling of the painting with their fingers?

Who thought it felt weird to touch?

Supplies:
Scooter boards (6)
Rings (18)
Cones (12)
Smocks (6)
Foil pieces (6,)
Sandpaper pieces (6,)
Bubble wrap pieces (6,)
Pencil and apple stencils
Non toxic paints (5 colors)
Newspapers
Balloons
Color mats for floor
Weight bearing bench
Ball pit
Trapeze

Purpose:
This session focuses on improving the fine and gross motor skills for children
with Autism that will be entering kindergarten soon. The warm up game of balloon
volleyball prepares the children for commencing the start of the school day because
they are circling around for a group activity. Hitting and keeping balloons in the air
allows the children to experience proprioceptive and vestibular input before settling
down for a fine motor activity. To participate in this activity, the children need to use their
senses to balance so they do not fall while reaching at their full range for a balloon.
They will practice regulating themselves if they bump into someone accidentally, if the
balloon touches the floor, or someone else hits the balloon when they wanted to. This
warm up also requires that the children practice attending to the task and following
directions. This will help prepare them for kindergarten when playing with others in class
or on the playground.

The fine motor activity of finger painting also included textures. This is an activity
that will prepare the child for kindergarten because the various textures address tactile
defensiveness. The foil aIn kindergarten, children should be ready to self-feed with
different textures, wash their hands and participate in messy craft activities. Children
that have tactile defensiveness, they may take some time to adjust to finger painting on
the textures because they may not like how it feels. Children that seek tactile input will
overly enjoy the textured feelings of the paint, crinkled foil, bubble wrap, and sandpaper.
These tactile-seeking children will practice self-regulation during this activity which will
prepare them for the many textures of kindergarten. This activity encourages the
expansion of textures that the child will be willing to explore. This activity also allows the
children to practice listening to instructions and following the rules like they will need to
in kindergarten for activities, lunchtime, and recess.
The activity of washing hands is a very important self-help skill for children as
they enter kindergarten. They should be able to independently their wash hands after
messy activities, using the restroom, and before lunch and snack time. The children will
practice following instructions to stand and wait their turn in line at the sinks without
getting impatient. Also, with the help or supervision of the therapist, the children will
practice washing their entire hands with soap, rinsing it all off, and drying them
thoroughly.
The scooter board activity is gross motor that requires the children to use their
strength and balance to stay upright on the scooter board while using their legs to
propel them forward. They must sit and position themselves so they won't lose their
balance as they move their legs closer and further from their body to move their scooter
board. Bending to sit on the scooter board and the gives vestibular input. Maneuvering
their body and legs and make the scooter move and reaching for the rings and cones
gives the child proprioceptive input. This activity prepares the children for kindergarten
because it requires them to follow directions and abide by the rules. They must respect
each other's personal space by not bumping into each other. This allows them to
practice waiting their turn in line and regulating their emotions if they get impatient. This
prepares them for playing with their peers on the playground.

Sensory Summer School Preparation for Kindergarten

Session 5 of 6 Animals and Cream
Format:

5 minutes- Welcome and introductions to the activities of the day

5 minutes- Warm Up discussion of Animals
10 minutes- Animal Imitations for gross motor
15 minutes- Shaving cream Activities

3 minutes -Getting used to shaving cream

6 minutes- Shaving cream- writing letters

6 minutes- Shaving cream- Building with foam blocks and shaving cream
5 minutes- Clean up
5 minutes- Line up and wash hands
5 minutes- Get ready to go, say goodbye
10 minutes - Documentation
60 minutes- total
Description:
Introduction:
The children will be sitting on their color spots on the floor. The session will start
with saying hi and greeting everyone. Therapists will tell the children what
activities will be happening today ("Today we're going to pretend to be animals,
and then we're going to play with shaving cream!')
Warm Up Activity: The therapist will ask the children to tell everyone about their
favorite animal. They will all take turns naming their favorite animal and making
the sounds associated with the animal. This will cause the children to attend to
others and recall animals.
Activity:
Animal Imitations: The first activity will be their gross motor activity for the
session. The children will travel around the room imitating various animals. The
therapist will tell them what animal to be, and start acting, and the children will
follow. First, the children will pretend to be dogs. They will crawl on the floor, by
walking on their hands and knees. Next, they will pretend to be frogs, and do frog
jumps by squatting down and placing their hands on the floor. They will use their
feet and jump, and land with their feet and hands on the ground. After that, the
children will imitate crabs and do a crab walk. They begin by lying on their back,
and then they will push themselves up with their hands while their feet are on the
ground, and they will walk backwards in that position as a crab. Next, the kids will
pretend to be a bear. They will have their hands and feet on the floor, and keep
their bodies stiff and try not to bend their arms or legs. They will do a bear walk
around the room. Then finally, they will imitate a kangaroo and do a kangaroo
jump, and hold their hands in front of them close to their chest, and jump.
Afterwards, I will ask the children who wants to lead the group. I will give them a
chance to name a different animal and to imitate them, and then the group will
follow their lead.
Shaving Cream: Now that the children have done some gross motor movements
with the animal imitations, they will come sit down at the tables. Once each child
is seated, they will be reminded of the rules. They will be told to keep the shaving

cream on the table, and try to keep it off their clothes and hair. The therapists will
spray the shaving cream on the table and direct the children to spread it on the
table with the palm of their hands. The therapists will reapply shaving cream as
needed throughout the activity. The children will be given three minutes to just
get used to the shaving cream. That way nobody is pushed or forced into the
activity too quickly, and are given time to adjust to the texture of the shaving
cream. Once they've had time to familiarize themselves with the shaving cream, I
will have them draw with their index finger. Therapists will ask them to write their
names, and see what they can do. The therapists will have a small whiteboard,
and write a letter, and then show the children to see who else can make that
letter.
Shaving Cream Blocks: After a few minutes of practicing writing letters, the
therapists will bring out foam blocks and have the children stack the blocks as
high as they can. The therapists will show them how to put the shaving cream on
top of one block, and then to place another block on top of that one. The children
will be allowed to build.
Washing Hands: When they are done, the children will be directed to stand up
and line up at their color spot at the sink and to wash their hands. One therapist
will stand by the sink to make sure they are washing their hands and not playing
with the water. The therapist will also be there to prompt the children when
necessary.
Supplies:
1 can of shaving cream
1 bag of 200 foam blocks
A 8x10in white board with a small dry erase marker will cost $1.
Conclusion:
After washing your hands, they will go sit on their colored spots on the rug. The
therapist will let them know that the day's session is over, and I will ask the group some
of the discussion questions. After everyone has shared, I will tell the children, "I hope
everyone had fun, and we'll all see you again next week!"
Discussion
Did you guys have fun today?

Did everyone like pretending to be an animal?

Who thought the shaving cream was weird to touch?
Who thought the shaving cream was fun to touch?
Who will try something new even though it might look weird?

Purpose:
The animal imitation activity will give the children the sensory input they need
before a fine motor activity. The movements can be difficult and require the children to

have balance, agility, and strength. They will need to walk, bend, and manipulate their
bodies in order to successfully imitate the animals. The movements will give the child
vestibular and proprioceptive input, which will help them sit and concentrate later on in
the day for the fine motor activity. The animal imitations also force the child to attend to
the task, and pay attention and follow directions when the animal imitations change.
They need to be able to navigate their bodies throughout the room without bumping into
anything or anyone else. They also need to be able to regulate themselves and express
emotions appropriately when they cannot do an imitation, or if they bump into someone
or something else. All of these skills can be used when the children go to school and
have to play on the playground equipment. They need to be able to navigate the
equipment safely, and to be able to navigate around all the other children running and
playing around them.
When the children go to school, they will need to be able to write letters. They
need to learn to use their dominant hand, and to start using correct letter formation by
making their letters starting from top to bottom, and left to right. Some children will be
tactile defensive and not want to touch it, and others will be tactile seeking and dive in
and play with it immediately. Regardless, both types of children need to have selfregulation. The tactile defensive children need to be able to sit there and try to touch it
without engaging in maladaptive behaviors, and the children who are tactile seeking
need to be able to play with the shaving cream without getting it all over their hair and
clothes. Being able to tolerate various textures will also allow the child to expand the
types of foods they eat, and be willing to try different textures.
This activity continues to allow the children to get used to various textures, which
allows them to be able to tolerate different textures in their food and activities. This
activity will also allow the therapists to observe their grasp patterns, and manipulation
skills. It allows the children to work on their fine motor skills. The therapists will notice
how well they are able to use bilateral coordination, and their ability to cross midline to
get various blocks on the table. The therapists can see if they handle the blocks with
appropriate force, or if they apply too much pressure and squish the block. The activity
will also allow the therapists to see how well they are able to attend to the task, and how
they organize their blocks and shaving cream. The therapist can see how the children
problem solve and see if they try to stack a block on top of a triangle,
and if they try something else when the block slides off.
Washing hands is a basic self-help skill that children need to know when they go
to school. They need to able to independently wash their hands before and after
toileting, before snack, and after activities that are messy such as painting and shaving
cream. The therapists will observe what they do with the directions, and whether or not
they get up and know where to line up. The therapists can see if they know to turn on
the water, to get soap, to rub their hands, and to rinse off all the soap and shaving
cream. The therapists can see if they know how to dry their hands, and if they dry their
whole hands and not just part of it. This will also show which children are able to wait
patiently in line, and which ones will push and shove.
References:

SG, Katie. Building with Foam Blocks and Shaving Cream Fine Motor Skills. Retrieved
from http://www.giftofcuriosity.com/building-with-foam-blocks-and-shaving-creamfine-motor-skills/#_a5y_p=2212305

PhotoCredit: SG, Katie. Building with Foam Blocks and Shaving Cream Fine Motor
Skills. Retrieved from: http://www.giftofcuriosity.com/building-with-foam-blocksand-shaving-cream-fine-motor-skills/#_a5y_p=2212305
What Are Animal Walks? Retrieved from
http://lemonlimeadventures.com/animal-walks-sensory-diet/#_a5y_p=3122653

Summer School Preparation for Kindergarten

Session 6 of 6 - Obstacle Course
Format
5 min - Greeting and introduce activity of the day
10 min - Parachute warm up
2 min - Transition to obstacle course
25 min - obstacle course
3 min - clean up
5 min - Closing discussion
10 min Documentation
60 min Total
Description:
Introduction:
The children will be directed to their colors on the floor for circle time. We will
review what we have done so far, go over what we are going to do for the day,
and talk to them about what we will be doing today as well as telling the children
this will be the last session.
Warm up: Parachute activity where the children will play games. We will call out
colors to run under the parachute color at a time, we will have them raise the
parachute up, lower it down, and wiggle it. We will also give children the
opportunity if they want to, to sit in the middle and let the other children wiggle
the parachute around them. And last they will all run with the parachute in a circle
and wiggle. This is a fun activity to give the children proprioceptive input to their
arms.
Activity:
Obstacle Course: The obstacle course will be in a linear line so it makes it easier for
the children to know what to do next when done with one activity. The children will go
through each activity and do what is needed for each activity before going on to the next
one. The therapists will be spotting the children during the obstacle course. Once
completed, the children will run back to the start line for the next child to go. The
children waiting in line will be assigned to reset an activity in the obstacle course. If
there is extra time, children can repeat the obstacle course or do filler activity. The
activities are:
Hopscotch children will hop through a chalk hopscotch.
Blow bubbles children will blow bubbles till they pop five of the bubbles with
the blow stick.
Hula-hoop dressing children will hop in the middle of the hula-hoop and lifting
the hula-hoop overhead, hold it overhead, hop forward, and bring the hula-hoop
down the floor.
String walking the children will pick up the ball from the cone, walk on the
string trying to not step off, and place the ball down on the next cone.

Wedge roll the children will go on the top of the wedge side-lying and roll down
the wedge onto the mat.
Sensory bin the children will dip their hand into the sensory bin and find three
small erasers in the rice.
Scooter board bowling the children will lay pronated on the scooter board and
push themselves through the bowling pins to knock down as much as they can.
Pronate ball puzzle the children will lay pronated on the therapy ball while
completing the puzzle.
Animal dice the children will roll the dice and whatever animal it lands on they
will act out as they go back to the starting line.

Conclusion: This is the last session, so we will go over the activity we did through all
treatment sessions. We will ask them what their favorite activity was throughout the
weeks and say our goodbyes!
Discussion
What was your favorite activity?
Are you guys excited for kindergarten?
Who wants to come back next summer?
Supplies:
Large parachute (1)
Beach balls (2)
Masking tape/chalk to form hopscotch
Bubble container with wand (1)
Weighted hula-hoop (1)
5ft of a string of yarn
Flat cones to hold down the ends of the string (2)
Tennis ball (1)
Foam wedge (1) and 7x7ft mat to fall on
Pound of rice (1) and container to fit the rice in
Erasers (3)
Scooter board (1)
Therapy ball (1)
Small puzzle (1)
Animal dice (1)
Purpose:
For the parachute activity, the children are getting a lot of proprioceptive input in
their arms to move it up and down. This activity requires a lot of vestibular movement to
bend their head down and run underneath the parachute. They are using a lot of range
of motion, following directions to listen for their color, not running into someone when
they run under the parachute to the other side, and respecting the persons space they
are next to when moving the parachute.

The obstacle course incorporates a little of everything the children have done in
the past weeks of treatment. It uses all three components of tactile, vestibular, and
proprioception. It also includes oral motor and fine motor skills:
Tactile: The children need to work on tactile defensiveness or tactile seeking in
order to go throughout their kindergarten days. The activities in the obstacle
course that help with this problem are the sensory bin when the children have to
reach in and feel through the rice to find the objects. The rice could be a weird
texture for them (defensive) or they could just want to play with the rice and
forget about finding the objects (seeking) which gives the therapists an
opportunity to cue them. The bubbles are another tactile activity because the
children have to tolerate when the bubbles drip on their skin.
Proprioception: The children need to work on proprioception because they will be
moving around a lot in kindergarten on the playground and have to use the
equipment safely by not crashing into things or people and not throw
themselves on the floor. They need to learn the proper amount of input they can
receive when playing. The hopscotch is a proprioceptive activity because it gives
the children input to their feet, and the wedge roll gives them input to their body
by receiving pressure as they roll. Pronating on the scooter board and the
therapy balls gives them proprioceptive input to their stomach. When the children
roll the dice for the animal walk, they will receive proprioceptive input while they
are pretending to be an animal walking back to the start line to tag the next child.
The hula hoop is weighted which provides proprioceptive input to their upper
extremities. The movements of bringing the weighted hula hoop up and down
mimic the movements of dressing.
Vestibular: The children have trouble sitting still and seek input by moving a lot
and spinning while others are defensive to input by showing distress with too
much movement. They need to know the appropriate movement to be safe on
the playground and in class. The scooter board activity will give the children
vestibular input when they are lying prone on the board and moving towards the
bowling pins. They will also receive vestibular input when they are lying prone
on the therapy ball when they are working on the puzzle and moving their head
to locate puzzle pieces. When rolling down the wedge, the children will receive
vestibular input by having their head change positions. The animal walk provides
vestibular input based on the animal the dice lands on and the head position of
the animal they are imitating. The bubble activity requires the children to change
position of their head in order for them to locate the bubble to pop it.
Fine-Motor: The children need good fine motor skills when they are in school
because they need to be able to properly hold a pencil, and eating utensils. They
will use fine motor when they are dressing and undressing during bathroom
routines. They will work on fine motor when they are using a pincer grasp to pick
up the puzzle pieces, and when they are holding the bubble wand. When they
are looking through the sensory bin, they will use their fine motor skills to pick up
the objects.
Oral-Motor: Children with autism have trouble with the muscles around their
mouth and putting things around the mouth. Improving in this skill will help with

feeding. The bubble activity helps children use their oral muscles to blow the
bubbles.
References:
Having a Ball with Core Muscle Strength. (2009, Nov 2). Retrieved from:
https://starfishtherapies.wordpress.com/2009/11/02/having-a-ball-with-coremuscle-strength/
JufSanne. Retrieved from: http://www.jufsanne.com/lesidee/bewegingslessen/101suggesties-met-pittenzakjes/

Zoo Animals Roll and Move Game. Retrieved from: http://www.pre-kpages.com/zooanimals-roll-and-move-game/