Sensory Regulation for Inclusive Classrooms

Abstract

Sensory integration (SI) theory and therapy, and sensory integration based therapies (SIB), are relatively new concepts in the field of education and occupational therapy, to better improve the inclusion of students with sensory processing dysfunction in education classrooms, specifically those diagnosed on the Autistic Spectrum with Asperger Syndrome (Devlin et al., 2010). Practitioners and parents report benefits of sensory integration interventions in various areas: maintaining attention, higher levels of cognition activity, and improved social skills and self-stimulating behaviours (Devlin et al., 2010; Yack, Aquila and Sutton, 2002). This chapter reviews current literature in these fields from a perspective on how these theories and therapies can improve the inclusion of students with ASD in educational settings.