Now I know where I’m at, where I’m going (and how to get there). Proprioceptively speaking…..

When I first began my investigation or Genius Hour project, I had a hard time narrowing down a specific topic from such  broad parameters….I could pick ANYTHING!  Once I finally decided on a topic-proprioception, I realized that through the last few weeks, my somewhat broad topic of proprioception, became more focused and narrowed down a bit.

I would suggest that future students pick something they would like to know more about obviously, but focus on something that once learned, can be applied within a classroom to serve the needs of your students (if you are an education major). I believe that throughout my research, I have stumbled upon some awesome resources and a ton of great ways to incorporate proprioceptive activities into my future classroom!

One specific idea that I hope to use in my classroom is derived from what is called a “sensory room”.  While I may not have the resources or space for a whole sensory room, I could have a sensory corner.  Which could simultaneously serve as a reading nook, creator’s space, or relaxation/reflection retreat.  I would like to include items such as textured rugs, soft lighting, various seating options, a sound machine, a relaxation cd, and even weighted blankets, and tactile toys for those students who need more.  And the list goes on and on!

So while I certainly didn’t start out with the goal of creating a sensory corner, I am glad that my research led me to that idea and many more.  I am so looking forward to being able to try out some proprioceptive activities and heavy work activities within my classroom! I am thankful I now have a list a resources ready to go!

How did I miss the boat? I see the word proprioception everywhere now!

Thinking back to the first days of my Genius Hour project and how I spent time looking for all things proprioception-related, I laugh a little.  I don’t believe I could have picked a more “in my face” topic if I had tried!  Activities to enhance the proprioceptive system are certainly not novel ideas, they are all around us and many times we are not even aware of them…I wasn’t.

In my mind I was looking for crafty, well-planned classroom activities, and I did find those, but among the brightly colored, cutesy crafts were many everyday, practical activities that can, and many times already are implemented in classrooms. That was something I discovered that I wasn’t necessarily looking to learn. Proprioceptive awareness can be increased by lifting a stack of books and returning them to the shelf, by sweeping a classroom, or by using disinfectant wipes to scrub desk tops. Most all extracurricular games and activities increase the functioning of the proprioceptive system-just one of the many reasons teachers should strive to include ALL students in ALL activities to the greatest extent possible.

It is important to be aware of these types of activities and know what area of the body each activity can help.  For students who have moderate to severe sensory processing disorders, it is of extreme importance to work with the family of the student as well as occupational and/or physical therapist who have knowledge of the student and their condition before striking out on your own with the intent of “fixing things” with a new proprioceptive venture.

It shames me a little to realize that up until this point, I have either overlooked information about the proprioceptive system throughout my college classes, or was not exposed to the topic enough to be familiar with what it is and why it is so important.  I have seriously asked myself “How did I miss the boat here?” I have seen the words proprioceptive system, proprioception, and proprioceptive activities in readings from 2 different classes just this week. But as the adage goes…better late than never!

Finding Proprioceptive Activites for the Classroom: Where to Look

Heavy Work.  Sounds exciting huh, don’t everyone jump up at once.  This term, heavy work, inevitably popped up every time I searched for proprioceptive activities.  So, I did what anyone that “may wanna avoid something” does, I ignored it. And continued my search to find something that sounded a little less grueling. But there it was….again and AGAIN. Only this time it had a picture of a child playing with green spaghetti noodles beside the words HEAVY WORK ACTIVITY. It looked harmless to me so I took a chance, and took a peek.

JACKPOT! It turns out that heavy work activities are PROPRIOCEPTIVE ACTIVITIES!  Bearwalking, running and jumping onto a mattress, tug-of-war, blowing bubbles, squeezing and squishing play dough.  All fun stuff!! The list continues…..carrying heavy loads of books, scrubbing a floor or table, digging in the garden, all not-so-fun activities, but sometimes necessary to increase and maintain a certain level of independence. Check out this link for 40 heavy work activities and also further explanation of what our proprioceptive system should help us do if it is working properly.  This is an easy read, surprisingly not too heavy:)  http://mamaot.com/2015/04/07/40-heavy-work-activities-kids/

After reading about 40 fun/simple heavy work activities, I continued my search and stopped here to read about more (some the same) activities to increase proprioceptive awareness. http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/heavy-work-activities.html.  There are different categories for activities according to the area you are targeting. Whole body, oral, or use of hands.  There are gross and fine motor activities that improve muscle tone, coordination, concentration, and increase one’s ability to attend to tasks.

Basically, you could do nothing but proprioceptive activities in your class all day and never run out of things to do because, guess what, much of what we do is aided by, or in some way involves our proprioceptive system.  And realizing that was, the aha moment for me. That is why it is important to incorporate heavy weight activities into your daily classroom schedule (not to mention give parents a list of proprioceptive activities and tasks that can be carried out at home) to improve students’ sensory imput!  Increasing ones’ ability to interact with their environment, there by increasing their independence, quality of life, and overall well-being is, quite simply, amazing!

http://lemonlimeadventures.com/15-must-follow-sensory-blogs/

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Tell me again….Why are proprioceptive activities so important??

So, I managed to condense my conglomeration of questions surrounding the proprioceptive system into one specific question that I wish to focus on. As a special educator, why is it important to consider incorporating proprioceptive activities into my classroom?  This short video should give you some perspective….

To get the most from the rest of my blog post, you should really check out the video shown above, if you haven’t already. As with most things profound in life, I stumbled upon this video while searching for something a little different, but it stopped me, it made me think, or better yet it changed my thinking. It may change your thinking as well, in fact, I hope it does!

If you have ever had any experience in a classroom you are probably familiar with the pen clicker, the foot tapper, and the child with the slippery chair. WOW….could you just stop that please?!?….There is NO reason for you to make that noise, wiggle that much, or chew your shirt for goodness’ sake!! Be honest, maybe you didn’t actually say this to a student, but you did think it, right?  Probably there were others in the class that wondered the same things.

As this video explains, when the proprioceptive system is not functioning properly, things just don’t feel right. Your brain may not get the message your proprioceptive system is trying to send in time , or maybe it doesn’t get the message at all! Now while the pen clicking and chair rocking is disruptive to others surrounding the individual that needs this stimulation to pay attention and locate various parts of their body, it can at least, be explained.  And through appropriate proprioceptive activities, sensory processing can improve!

This leads me to further my investigation and hopefully find ideas along the way that can help my future students who have sensory processing disorders.  As stated in a blog I recently read, “Most of us don’t even realize there are more than 5 senses, because the other 2 are supposed to be so automated that we shouldn’t even have to think about them.”- Dayna

Check out more post from Dayna (early childhood teacher-turned blogger) by following the link below.     ***Great ideas, information, PROPRIOCEPTIVE ACTIVITIES and “sensory hacks”.***

http://lemonlimeadventures.com/

Proprioceptive Activities: Who, what, where, when, why,…and how?

I had many questions surrounding the proprioceptive system, the first being, “What the heck is it?”  Now, it’s been a long time since I sat in an anatomy class, but I still recall bits of information and terminology…skeletal system, nervous system, digestive system, immune system, and the list goes on.  What I never remember learning about was the proprioceptive system..maybe I would have gotten to that in the second anatomy class because it is actually developed by the nervous system. Amazingly, it plays a HUGE part in our ability to interact with our environment by providing us with a subconscious awareness of body positions. Basically, if it is working right, the proprioceptive system will provide necessary signals that allow our bodies to automatically adjust to different environments, situations, and stimuli. When it is not working properly …well, it’s easy to see how many situations/tasks can become difficult, if not impossible (without interventions, therapies, and supports of course).

While searching for a topic for my Genius Hour Project, I tossed around several ideas. I did this all while adding various low tech AT tools to my new collection.  One particular activity that I wanted to include in my tool box was Pennies in the Putty. I saw a similar activity used by an occupational therapist as she worked with a child with autism to increase his fine motor skills. I thought, “What kid doesn’t like playing with putty”, right? So, it was at some point during my search for activities used to increase fine motor skills that I came across the word proprioception. So naturally my question for my Genius Hour Project evolved into a cluster of interrelated questions:  Who may benefit from proprioceptive activities (also who can teach them), what activities help increase proprioceptive awareness, where can these activities take place, when should activities take place, why should proprioceptive activities be integrated into the classroom and beyond, and how can I use these activities to increase the functioning of individuals with proprioceptive processing disorders?

I believe educators and parents can both benefit from increased knowledge of the proprioceptive system and activities that can enhance it’s functioning. These activities are not only designed for individuals with disabilities, but can be used inclusively with all students. Various activities can encompass all ages of students from K-12.

For information on proprioceptive and sensory processing disorders, I looked through scholarly articles and educational sites. For ideas on related activities, my first stop was Pinterest!  I will share the specifics in upcoming additions!

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