ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an additional detail for each of the senses in school settings that can create learning challenges. It deals with the identification of behaviors that may be the result of sensory processing challenges and provide access to sensory screening tools when such behaviors are observed. The chapter offers extensive descriptions of in-classroom and out-of-classroom practices to help students manage their sensory issues more effectively while improving their necessary learning functions. It explores the common signs of sensory integration challenges, followed by a detailed description of the multiple senses children experience in school settings and how problems with these are manifested in challenging behavior. In a school setting, especially when working with a student with a trauma history, collaboration between occupational therapy (OT) and mental health clinicians is paramount. Sensory-challenged students may have significant sensitivity to lighting. Gym and recess should be times when students can play, burn off excess energy, get physically fit, and feel great.
