Promoting Engagement in a School Setting

The sensory system influences development and an individual’s ability to participate in their daily occupations, like education. Many students have difficulty participating in their school environment because they have difficulties processing or integrating sensory stimuli. These children may be hypersensitive or hyposensitive to sensory stimuli which may impact their ability to participate in the classroom. An occupational therapist can implement a sensory integrative approach to enhance the student’s ability to process the incoming information. The purpose of the capstone experience was to develop sensory-based strategies and implement the Stimulating Maturity through Accelerated Readiness Training (SMART) program to improve participation in the classroom and school environment. The impact of the program was assessed through pre and post program surveys and writing samples. This program and experience lead to an increase in education on sensory-based strategies and an improvement in classroom participation