Find your own sensory needs

As a teacher, you’ve most likely met students who approached or saw things differently from you. In trying to understand and teach them, you were forced to be creative and perhaps modify your teaching style.

Teachers also can misunderstand students with sensory processing deficiencies. A student who has a need to be touched could cause discomfort for a teacher who needs a lot of space. Understanding your own sensory needs can help you better understand those of your students. The following questionnaire created by Diana Henry is a quick way to begin the process.

YOUR PERSONAL SENSORY TOOLS

Hearing Seeing Touching Moving Push/Pulling Smelling Mouthing

1. To wake up in the morning, I ________________________________.

2. To help me regulate throughout the day, I need ___________________.

3. What I like best about my classroom ___________________________.

4. What I do not like about my classroom __________________________.

5. What I like about my colleague’s classroom ______________________.

6. What I like about my home that I would like to have in my classroom ____ .

7. I could make my classroom better by___________________________.

8. Throughout a typical teaching day, I sit approximately a total of______.

9. My students sit up to __________________ at a time.

10. When I do sit, my favorite chair in the classroom (rocks? is on wheels? is high up?)

11. When I was in college, I preferred to study (What position? Where? With What?)

12. When I have to listen at a meeting / workshop I like to (doodle? eat? drink? chew gum? play with small objects like paper clips?)

13. When I need to concentrate now, the environment I create includes (Quiet /sound? Food / drink? Bright light / dark? Stationary /rocking chair?)

14. When I prepare for bed or calm down I (take a warm shower or bath? snuggle under a blanket or quilt? put on a heavy robe or light night clothes?)

© Diana Henry January 2000

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Henry OT Services, Inc
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