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An informational PDF that includes information about sensory processing and the different types that may be presented in children. It also includes an expansive list of general strategies to support children with sensory processing difficulties and specific strategies for the various types of sensory processing difficulties.

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Sensory Processing Disorder Parent Support 

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Sensory Processing Disorder Parent Support 

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The Website Sensory Processing Disorder Parent Support was created by a mother whose daughter was diagnosed with sensory processing disorder. It provides lots of relevant and up-to-date information and resources such as “Sensory Activities”, “Books for Anxious Children, “Oral Motor Sensory Tools”, “SPD Books for Kids”, “SPD Clothing Strategies”, etc.

Link: https://sensoryprocessingdisorderparentsupport.com/

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STAR Institute is a non-profit organization which seeks to improve quality of life by creating and promoting best practices for sensory health and wellbeing  through treatment, education, and research. This resource provides information such as home activities, book and products, researches related to sensory processing disorder, as well as FAQs for professionals and caregivers.

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Free Resources

Our library of research presents publications related to SPD that are authored by the STAR Institute research team, members of the Scientific Work Group, and/or other contributors to the field. Search results can be filtered by topic(s) and/or year(s).

Many aspects of home and family life may be affected when living with a child with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). As a parent of a child with SPD, you know how hectic and chaotic it can be at home. Any activity suggestions must fit easily into typical home routines or they will not be utilized.

These flyers are provided for you to download, print, forward, post, hand out, and otherwise use to spread the word about SPD, STAR Institute, and STAR Institute programs.

STAR Institute's Corporate Partners are vital to building the programs we offer. Our Partners present products that support those living with SPD and other neurological disorders. We use many of these items in our therapies and we are grateful to each Partner for their unique contributions.

A list of SPD related books and products.

STAR Institute is currently developing resources for educators. Our first resource is for Preschool Educators!

Frequently asked questions for parents, teachers, clinicians, and healthcare providers.

Denver's sensory friendly event calendar!

A helpful listing of resources for adults with SPD.

An informative article on sensory defensiveness. This article was written for dentists; parents might find it helpful to print out a copy for their dentists, as well as read it themselves.

Resources for Members

Become a Professional Subscriber today and enjoy UNLIMITED access to over 100 online courses and other special benefits. Includes AOTA CEUs. Subscription for Organizations is also available. Some course exclusions apply.

Become a Parent/Individual subscriber today and enjoy UNLIMITED access to over 100 online courses and other special benefits. Some course exclusions apply.

Finding Treatment Services

Children are most commonly treated for SPD with occupational therapy (OT) that may be supplemented with listening therapy (LT) or other complementary therapies. Sometimes other professionals such as physical therapists, speech/language therapists, teachers, and/or others who have advanced training in using a sensory integration approach may be involved in treatment.

The STAR Institute Treatment Directory is a one-of-a-kind online guide to services created to help individuals and families find health care, education, and community service providers experienced in working with those who have SPD and other special needs.

Finding and selecting an occupational therapist to help your child, yourself, and/or your family is an important decision. Like all professionals, OTs differ in training, philosophy, and personality. The best choice is an OT who is a good "fit" for your child and yourself - someone you and/or your child likes and with whom you feel connected.

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Free Resources Library of Research Our library of research presents publications related to SPD that are authored by the STAR Institute research team, members of the Scientific Work Group, and/or other contributors to the field. Search results can be filtered by topic(s) and/or year(s).

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This source provides a wide range
of OT and sensory products, such as weighted vests, lap pads, pillows, wiggle seats and fidget toys which helps focusing and calming down. It also provides useful sensory information and resources for parents and professionals .

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Sensory & OT Toys and Supplies - National Autism Resources

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Check out our large selection of OT supplies, sensory integration products, educational toys and therapy equipment for autism and special needs.

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“Classroom accommodations for sensory processing issues”

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“Classroom accommodations for sensory processing issues”

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An article from Understood, written by Amanda Morin. This is about classroom planning, instruction, and accommodations that foster a sensory-friendly classroom.

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Classroom accommodations for sensory processing challenges

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These classroom strategies can help kids with sensory processing challenges. Read about the accommodations and download a printable list. Learn how these tools help with sensory processing issues.

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“Sensory Strategies That Help Students Refocus on Learning”

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“Sensory Strategies That Help Students Refocus on Learning”

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An article by Lauren Brukner from Edutopia, about some simple sensory strategies to improve participation.

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Elementary students face a constant stream of distracting sensory stimuli throughout the day, but these simple, quick exercises can help them stay on track.

Anna Godeassi / The iSpot

Elementary school students are constantly bombarded with sensory stimuli throughout the day, during school hours, and at home. Sensory processing plays a critical role in self-regulation and in how children function, interact, and learn at school, so it can be difficult to separate emotional regulation issues from sensory processing concerns, as they often connect.

Children who have functional sensory processing skills are able to take in sensory information, filter out what's irrelevant, and stay relatively calm and self-regulated. They may occasionally engage in compensatory behaviors, such as biting their nails, playing with objects, getting a drink of water or going to the bathroom (when they don't need to, for a brief respite), tapping their legs, fidgeting with their hands, and so on.

When children have difficulty processing sensory information, they can have trouble completing school- and home-based tasks that require them to sit still, attend to instruction, engage socially with peers, and play or work cooperatively with others. They have a lot of difficulty interacting with their environment and peers functionally, because they're not receiving appropriate sensory feedback. They may engage in maladaptive behaviors-for example, they may be unable to sit in their seat and may collide with objects or peers while navigating the school setting, put objects in their mouth, and have difficulty following multistep directions (among other difficulties).

Providing young students with increased awareness of their sensory system at regular intervals throughout the day may help improve their behavior and overall self-regulation.

Simple Sensory Strategies to Improve Participation

Hug your knees: Ask your students to sit on the floor, knees up, feet firmly planted on the floor. Have them bring their knees under their chin, hugging them tightly. They can rest their chin briefly on their knees, as if they were using them as a table. This strategy integrates proprioceptive input (the ability to perceive the position and movement of the body) through joint compression (applying deep pressure).

Backwards hug: Sitting on the floor as tall as they can, students should reach both arms backwards, crossing their hands to squeeze their wrists. This strategy also integrates proprioceptive input through joint compression.

My own learning space: This is a good strategy for students who may be sensitive to auditory and/or visual inputs. When a child is having strong emotional feelings, it can often be helpful to "take space," or move away from the challenging situation at hand (e.g., when they're frustrated during a lesson that's difficult to understand). This strategy allows students to take space while learning. Have an agreed-on location for this exercise. Consider creating a visual boundary to the space, such as painter's tape, so that the student has a guide for where to go.

You may want to add sensory-blocking tools, such as noise-reducing headphones and something that blocks the student's visual field, such as a folder standing up vertically, to further decrease sensory stimulation.

Velcro on rug spot: Consider placing Velcro around the student's learning space, such as under the desk, on the floor, and even on their learning materials (on the back of their notebook, on their pencils, etc.). I like to alternate soft and rough textures for the added sensory stimulation. Feeling Velcro on the floor at the student's rug spot can help them keep their eyes on you and will definitely be less distracting than having a stress ball in their hand.

Chair: Sitting on a chair with a back while listening to you can help the student focus when they're feeling low-energy. The back support gives them the information of where their body is in a space, while their body doesn't have to focus on trying to sit against gravity. This strategy provides tactile and proprioceptive feedback.

Floor desk: This is a small desk that provides a physical and visual boundary around the student. It can be helpful when they're feeling high-energy. It also provides the student with a writing surface while you're teaching. This strategy can be useful for those who benefit from increased proprioceptive and visual feedback.

Tangle/string fidget tools: These types of fidget tools are somewhat circular, so that the student can fidget with them in a repetitive and functional way, getting rid of excess energy. This tool also provides tactile feedback.

Big body breaks: Having the class stop at regular times to check in and do big body breaks so that everyone can feel just right can be very productive. Remind students that sometimes, our bodies may need to check in more often, and that's OK. Ask your students to do downward dog/upward dog yoga poses and head-below-knee poses, and to bend down and squeeze each joint of their body, beginning at their ankles and working their way up to their shoulders.

These strategies provide a reminder to allow for increased proprioceptive (body awareness through joint compression) and/or vestibular (head below knee and rotational) inputs to ensure that students perform consistent large-movement exercises that have those components.

Cardboard box/laundry basket stuffed with pillows: This is a large, firm, and shallow cardboard box filled with a few pillows. Students should be able to sit in there, slightly squished, bringing their notebook/worksheet and a clipboard. Using this seat the right way, on the rug with their classmates, means that they are sitting up and participating. This strategy provides increased proprioceptive, visual, and tactile feedback.

The above strategies can help alleviate the sensory overload that young students experience from the continuous wave of sensory stimuli and keep them in the frame of mind for learning.

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Sensory Strategies That Help Students Refocus on Learning

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Elementary students face a constant stream of distracting sensory stimuli throughout the day, but these simple, quick exercises can help them stay on track. Anna Godeassi / The iSpot Elementary school students are constantly bombarded with sensory stimuli throughout the day, during school hours, and at home.