Topic > Learning and Development Through Multi-Agency Collaboration

IndexHow to Identify a Student's Sensory Processing DisorderHow an Occupational Therapist Implements Specific Strategies in the ClassroomHow an Occupational Therapist Provides Sensory IntegrationConclusionRecommendationsTeacher Standards (2011) state that Teachers should demonstrate awareness of the child's physical, social and intellectual development, learning to differentiate teaching to provide pupils with an education adapted to the individual's developmental stage. Similarly, the Department for Education (2015) states how disabled children struggle to realize their ambitions and possible educational outcomes when the appropriate support is not provided. Therefore, Cheminais (2015) highlights how teachers must be accountable for their pupils' progress and development, ensuring they provide pupils with essential multi-agency support and monitoring and monitoring progress, involving parents in goal setting. As a result, these factors ensure that children are provided with highly engaging and inclusive provision, which impacts how pupils learn. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Therefore, three key themes will be addressed which will explore the role of a multi-agency profession: Identify the effects an occupational therapist has on children with special educational needs (SEN) by assessing their contribution and effectiveness in learning. The literature review will focus on a SEN primary school, identifying how children encounter the correct support using multi-agency approaches, whilst identifying through the literature how they ensure and maintain the correct strategies to support pupils' arousal levels. Koscinski (2013) states how occupational therapists design a specific plan for individuals with physical, emotional, and social difficulties to identify a treatment plan. However, from recent research it has been identified that Hutton (2019) indicates that more than 8,151 people were placed on a waiting list, after the first assessment concluded that they needed real therapy, resulting in concern in the correct management of the support required. As an educational provision, the school's role is to ensure the correct liaison with other professionals in order to implement essential recommendations and to work constructively as part of a team to ensure strategies are implemented effectively whether or not they are present of the therapist to provide a service. collaborate working environment. Therefore, this would suggest that throughout this literature review three key themes will be discussed to explore the contributions and effectiveness of multi-agency working in the classroom. Consequently, the first key issue that will be discussed is how an occupational therapist identifies a student's sensory processing needs. Another significant area that will be explored is how an occupational therapist implements specific strategies in the classroom. And finally, how an occupational therapist provides sensory integration. Through the critical evaluation of theorists, who use their knowledge and understanding to draw on key literature and practice, this report will enable a clear demonstration of understanding of influential theories in learning and development. How to Identify Sensory Processing Disorder in a Student A sensory processing disorder reduces a person's ability to respond correctly tosensory information. Ensuring that pupils maintain an appropriate level of attention will enable them to respond appropriately during daily activities. According to Jenkinson et al (2008) sensory processing disorder involves the ability to record sensory information. Similarly, Sayorwan et al (2018) highlight how the diagnosis strongly depends on clinical assessments through medical observation of the child's behavior. Similarly, Adamson et al (2006) state how pupils will need to undergo an intensive assessment, identifying the child's needs and limitations before being considered for a diagnosis. In practice it has been identified that pupils struggling with sensory processing disorders will require an intensive period of assessment with specialists. The multi-agency team will look to observe pupils in their environment, focusing on their ability to respond correctly in their environment. Basford and Hodson (2008) agree that planning a pupil's unique profile based on their ability is vital through observation to develop an understanding taking into account current interests, as well as their stage of development and learning. Similarly, Fawcett and Watson (2016) point out how we need to get to know children through observing and listening in attentive ways that increase awareness and improve understanding. Therefore, allowing an occupational therapist to carry out observations on pupils will allow for a better understanding of their strengths and weaknesses, allowing observations to guide and make changes to their environment to improve a child's behavior and ultimately facilitate learning. 'learning. From this, a BES support plan would be drawn up and applied through practice to see a significant amount of change in the child's abilities. This will be followed by a multi-professional meeting, where discussions will take place to determine whether the right course of action has been applied and demonstrate success. Cheminais (2009) states how the benefits of working in a multi-agency collaborative partnership are evident in practice. Furthermore, Gralton (2011) discusses clinical observation of pupils, collecting data and results from sensory assessment. The information collected will be used to formulate and diagnose a student with sensory processing difficulties. This ensures, by bringing together all professionals working alongside identified pupils in need of support, that all professionals agree and demonstrate an understanding of the action plan, whilst challenging the plan to ensure it is robust enough to reduce any identified risks and improve strengths. Ultimately, it allows teachers to focus on their core role whilst enhancing and improving outcomes for children through a range of services readily available in the school context. Knowles (2018) states that a key point to remember when working with disabled pupils is to avoid the deficit model, where the adult only thinks about what the child can do and how to enable this to happen. This will improve pupils' self-esteem and provide them with a coherent working approach. Therefore, Kerry (2015) suggests that the development of enhanced action plans will enable pupils to be encouraged to develop skills that will enable them to be lifelong learners. This will also help them adapt to their surroundings through appropriate strategies. Based on this, it has been identified across the school setting that interventions are needed to support sensory processing disorders. A collaborative approach should be adopted in all activities conducted byadults to ensure that key aspects of sensory difficulties are overcome to help improve the pupil's ability to participate, shift focus and remain alert. Each of these theoretical positions makes an important contribution to our understanding of sensory processing disorder. It is suggested that providing pupils with too much stimulation will result in sensory overload which will lead to pupils entering a state of discomfort. From the point of view of Horwood (2008) it is highlighted how excessive sensory overload leads to a fragmentation (disorders of the autonomic nervous system) of sensory impressions. To avoid reaching this crisis phase, it is essential to encourage pupils to activate their coping strategies in an attempt to restore their regulation. This implies that, working in collaboration with the occupational therapist, you will maintain and improve the skills acquired by the pupils complete on a daily basis, identifying strengths and weaknesses to continually adapt action plans in their best interests. In summary, it has been noted that all theorists agree on how to correctly identify a pupil's sensory processing difficulty. It appears that, despite the difficulty in identifying the correct sensory strategy, through observation and consistent interventions by a collaborative workforce, pupils are able to continue to make progress alongside their peers. How an Occupational Therapist Implements Specific Strategies in the Classroom By providing pupils with various strategies throughout their learning experience, this will enable pupils to promote and improve certain skills as they learn successfully. Zones of Regulation (2018) outlines how zones are a systematic approach to cognitive behavior. The framework involves teaching pupils how to categorize the different emotional states our bodies go through to maximize academic achievement. Similarly, Bembenutty (2011) highlights how self-regulation allows pupils to learn how to exercise psychological and behavioral control to stay focused. Similarly, Tiniakou et al (2018) indicate how self-regulation has become an important form of learning; Correctly regulated pupils are able to tactically plan, monitor, evaluate and modify their learning appropriately. Additionally, it was noted throughout the class that the occupational therapist will spend at least two hours per week implementing strategies to implement learning. The occupational therapist will use the Zones of Regulation framework by adapting the SCERTS profile of each pupil, evidently providing the correct strategies that adequately regulate the pupils in the classroom. We saw how the occupational therapist will teach new sensory strategies, while identifying what works and what doesn't work by measuring the length of time each child remained regulated. Prizant et al (2007) state that SCERTS is an innovative educational model. Encourages pupils to become independent and confident social communicators, preventing problem behaviors that interfere with their learning. Furthermore, Ridder and Wit (2006) outline how pupils struggle to cope with a range of challenges when they are unregulated; they are encouraged to use specific strategies that best support their regulation to improve development. Therefore, adapting a current framework allows the occupational therapist to identify accurate teaching strategies, through modeling sensory strategies to facilitate development. Dix (2010) states that modeling, actively encouraging acalm and coherent approach, it is effective. The teacher will begin to develop a tension-free environment. Based on this, it was noted in the context that modeling allows pupils to learn through teacher demonstration, ensuring that when teachers model a skill, pupils are able to consider the purpose. It is, however, important to note the limitations of a child who struggles with self-regulation as they struggle to stay focused, retain information to accomplish a task, and resist bad impulses. However, considering this, providing a pupil with the right amount of therapy will improve their ability to adapt to their surroundings using their emotions. Ackerman (2019) highlights how the goal for most therapists is to improve an individual's ability to self-regulate, with the goal of helping their clients effectively regulate their emotions and behaviors while gaining a sense of control about your life. In agreement, Howie et al (2013) highlight that successful intervention therapy has proven to have a huge impact on pupils, allowing the therapist the ability to access a pupil's brain to show further progress and results. This suggests that by continuing a consistent approach to learning when the occupational therapist is not in the room, the skills needed to encourage pupils to adapt their regulation when necessary will be maximized. The teacher can however be alert to the need to further develop sensory strategies with the occupational therapist as pupils reach their milestones. During times of stress, learning to regulate our emotions can be difficult. However, learning appropriate ways to respond correctly when experiencing anxiety can be beneficial to a person's development. Providing a student with the opportunity to learn a variety of calming strategies can help him or her overcome strong emotions. Nason (2014) indicates how a child simply will not know how to self-soothe. Over time they will learn to rely on certain strategies that will best support them; modeling some calming strategies will allow you to guide each student through each phase, encouraging students to eventually start using calming strategies themselves. Similarly, Adamson (2006) states that self-regulation difficulties, in the sense of understimulation or overstimulation from sensory stimuli, can result in aberrant behaviors that require calming strategies to support one's well-being. Therefore, allowing the occupational therapist to identify the correct calming strategies for each pupil will benefit their progression; the occupational therapist will be able to adapt the strategies to the child's developmental level and identify the best time to implement the strategies. Overall, it has been noted throughout the literature that implementing strategies to best support a child's sensory processing disorder has a huge impact on their learning. It appears that with ongoing collaborative work with the occupational therapist, children are able to overcome or adapt to their surroundings to ensure they can self-regulate their behavior and emotions. How an Occupational Therapist Provides Sensory Integration Sensory integration enables pupils to become aware of and understand more about sensory information and the positive effects it has on their learning and development. It provides the occupational therapist with key areas where children struggle to maintain arousal levels, causing sensory information overload. Therefore, the therapyOccupational for Children (2016) highlights how sensory integration provides a crucial foundation for learning and behavior. In some children, sensory integration does not develop as efficiently, causing a variety of limitations in learning, development and behavior. Similarly, Brady et al (2011) state that sensory integration techniques enable pupils to develop an awareness of their emotions and behaviours, whilst promoting self-regulation to progress further in their learning. Similarly, Macintyre (2017) suggests that a person's brain does not “see” or “hear” what is around it; responds only to sensory stimuli. Therefore, a child's sensory input has a vast impact on how he or she learns. From the above analysis it can be seen that children with sensory processing difficulties struggle to become aware and provide a crucial foundation for learning. Simple things like background noise can be amplified, causing a child to react negatively as they are unable to block it out. Through narrative observation, the occupational therapist will identify to the teacher how the pupil is not able to regulate his emotions, causing the pupil to show signs of distress: not being able to achieve goals, needing a violin or a chew toy for the opportunity to adjust. It was highlighted in Ellis and Tod (2015) that professionals need to master the understanding of how to manage behaviors effectively to successfully support pupils in the classroom. Therefore, one of the areas that helps to develop visual and auditory attention of pupils is an attention group. Davies (2013) states that attentional autism training consists of learning pupils to regulate their emotions, through the opportunity to focus, sustain and shift attention when necessary to develop an awareness of their sensory profile. Furthermore, it was identified across the class that the occupational therapist provides opportunities for independent self-regulation through sensory integration, providing pupils with a therapy-based play session to positively manipulate the brain's reaction to touch, sound, sight and movement. It has been identified that each child is provided with an occupational therapy chair. Children with sensory integration needs are proactive and need to move, forcing their brains to automatically self-regulate when fears increase. Kutscher et al (2014) state that a child who has difficulty with sensory integration may need objects or activities to develop their vestibular integration which may include: therapy ball – allowing the child to try to balance on a large therapeutic ball to increase the child's success in sensory integration. the classroom. Furthermore, Schilling et al (2003) indicate that the use of therapeutic sitting balls made a huge improvement in the development of attention, maintenance of sitting time and improved classroom performance by allowing the child to gently rock on the ball lowering your arms. arousal level to a calming state. Based on this, Dimatties and Sammons (2005) state that one of the main roles of the occupational therapist is to work collaboratively to ensure that parents and teachers are taught about sensory integration. Interventions enable pupils to develop strategies that help them adapt to their surroundings. An intervention plan would be drawn up to address the child's sensory integration problems. Likewise,.