Supporting Sensory Seekers in the Classroom

Categories: Sensory

Sensory supports can be incredibly helpful to ensure our learners are able to participate in activities throughout the school day. However, it is important that we choose the right tools for each student’s individual sensory profile. Today, let’s talk about sensory seekers and some of my top tips for supporting their needs in the classroom. Remember, these are just general ideas – your OT can help you put together a plan that is more specific to your students.

What is a sensory seeker?

As a refresher, a sensory seeker needs a lot of sensory input and they actively seek out that input. They have a big sensory cup! Not sure what a sensory cup is? Check out this post. It is important to remember that each sensory system may have a different sized sensory cups. Just because a student is a movement seeker doesn’t mean he will also be a tactile seeker. This is key to know when choosing specific strategies for your students.

Choosing Strategies for Sensory Seekers

In general, sensory seekers are looking for more, more, more! If you know one of your students tends to seek sensory input in multiple sensory systems, engaging him in sensory rich activities is an excellent way to meet his needs. Find ways to add sensory input to activities whenever possible. For example, during circle time, sensory seekers will enjoy listening to music, dancing, and playing an instrument. During reading time, sensory seekers will enjoy a book read outloud as well as a book that has interesting tactile features. Sensory seekers also enjoy novelty, so find any opportunity to add something new and exciting to your routines.

Here are some of my favorite strategies, broken down by sensory system.