What teachers need to know about autism sensory issues

• Behavioral issues may be caused by a student’s unique sensory needs.
• 85% of students with autism have sensory processing disorders.

Did you know that there are actually 8 sensory systems in your body, not just 4?

Our bodies take information in through the following sensory systems:

The The functional four:

• sight
• taste
• smell
•  hearing

and then we have the foundational four: “body based”:

• tactile (touch)
• vestibular (movement)
• proprioception (input from muscles and joints)
• interoception-A lesser known sense:  (internal sensors indicating physiological conditions)

Sensory Processing: A person’s way of noticing and responding to sensory events that occur during life. These patters of responding affect how people respond in situations. (Dunn, 1997)

Occupational Therapist (OT): An OT is the experts on sensory processing. They will work with the family and the IEP team to conduct screenings and assessments to determine the needs of the student within the context of the school environment. The…