In the dynamic world of primary education, fostering an inclusive environment that caters to each child's unique needs is paramount but also doesn’t come without its challenges. Enter sensory circuits – an invaluable tool that stands as a practical solution for every young learner's regulation needs.
But are Sensory Circuits just the current buzz word, do they actually work? And what makes a sensory circuit..well, sensory? Isn’t it just a bunch of random movement activities? Without the jargon, let's delve into the heart of what sensory circuits are and why they hold the key to enhancing every child's regulation experience.
Sensory needs are more than bubble tubes and ear defenders, which is what people might typically think of when they first consider sensory needs. But in fact, we ALL have our unique sensory needs, preferences and regulation strategies. Let's think about our learners, some children need MORE sensory input and appear to seek out these sensory experiences throughout the school day. Maybe this is the learner who swings on their chair, has difficulty staying on task and appears wiggly and fidgety throughout the day. Some children need LESS sensory input, and may appear anxious, overwhelmed or withdrawn in the busy learning environment. There may be children in your school who can display tricky behaviours, which you might not initially believe to be a sensory need - and perhaps you’re right, the behaviour may be rooted in early trauma experiences, relationship difficulties or current situations impacting their emotional wellbeing. But I’m here to tell you, that no matter the behaviour - there is always a sensory solution to support with regulation.
At its core, a sensory circuit is a structured sequence of purposeful movement activities that provide a child with the sensory input that they need in order to feel calm, alert and ready to learn.
Think of it as a dynamic pathway designed to awaken and harmonise sensory responses. These engaging activities are strategically curated to help children process sensory input, enhancing their ability to self-regulate emotions, behaviour, and focus.
Typically Sensory Circuits follow a purposeful sequence of
ALERTING activities (Aimed to provide vestibular input ie; awaken and prepare the brain for learning) followed by
ORGANISING activities (Aimed to provide multi-sensory processing and balance, the child ‘organises’ their body to co-ordinate and plan their approach which engages their problem-solving brain ready for learning) and ends with
CALMING activities (Aimed to provide proprioceptive input, calming the child so they are ready to transition back to the learning environment)
An effective Sensory Circuit is one where the child moves through the activities following the sequence of ALERTING > ORGANISING > CALMING and returns to the classroom having had their sensory needs met and feeling ready to learn. Sounds simple right? Well, in a perfect world - every child would have access to effective sensory circuits to prepare them for their best learning. But I understand that planning and delivering Sensory Circuits can be a big challenge for many schools. As a school-based Occupational Therapist, I often receive the same queries from primary schools:
“What activities are we supposed to do in each section?”
“We don’t have the time to plan circuits for each child?”
“We’ve tried sensory movement breaks and it seems to make behaviour worse”
“The child is having too much fun and won’t come back to the classroom”
“The child just wants to stay in ALERT activities”
“The staff don’t feel confident delivering sensory circuits, what if we get it wrong?”
"The child has recommended sensory movement breaks in their EHCP, what does that even mean?"
There are some fantastic websites and information online with ideas and trips on what sensory circuit activities to include in your sensory circuits. There’s also some great books (I definitely would recommend Sensory Circuits: A Sensory Motor Skills Programme for Children by Jane Horwood). However, schools tell me that they just don’t have the time or staff capacity to read, plan and implement unique sensory circuits for every child. I recognise the pressures on primary school staff across the country, and decided to create a solution which aims to support the sensory needs of every learner.
SensoryPie is a sensory circuit solution that is as easy as ‘grab-and-go’. This 100 card resource is aimed for busy school staff, to print, laminate, pick up and engage any learner in fun, structured and effective sensory circuits.
SensoryPie circuit cards use the evidence-base principle of Alerting activities, followed by organising and then calming. However, SensoryPie cards exclusively include a final step of Connect. The connect cards support children to transition back to the learning environment, not only feeling calmer but also feeling seen, valued and confident. We know that children who feel connected and experience a sense of belonging, are much more intrinsically motivated to engage with learning and foster positive relationships with their peers. We also know that for many children, they walk into our classrooms in the morning and are already dysregulated due to many things outside of our control. Using SensoryPie as a tool to start the day off on a great foot, to calm and support regulation, engagement in learning and connection is surely a resource worth investing in.
To find out more information on SensoryPie circuit cards, check out the downloadable resource below..