Recently, staff from the AIU Occupational and Physical Therapy Program (OT/PT) spent time with a cohort of Head Start educators at our Central Offices on how they can integrate fun and effective sensory systems into daily classroom routines.
Following a presentation, program director Holly McElhinny and OT/PT supervisors Christine Nypaver and Ginger Nease engaged educators in hands-on activities where they rotated through a series of sensory stations. Each station focused on different sensory systems: taste (gustatory), smell (olfactory), balance and movement (vestibular), hearing (auditory), touch (tactile), body awareness (proprioception), sight (visual), as well as sensory integration for sensory processing disorders.
This interactive experience not only deepens their understanding – it also empowers educators to create more inclusive and effective learning!