Sensory Activities: Experiences to Improve Communication and Literacy for Children with Visual and Multiple Disabilities

student with pink shirt and pink glasses By Faye Gonzalez, TVI & COMS

I had a dilemma over the past year in working with my students who have Visual & Multiple Disabilities (V&MD). One student in particular challenged my teaching methods. My dilemma was:

Sensory activities are important
Communication & Literacy are important
Working on them all separately resulted in limited growth
How could I combine things to make learning more effective?

The answer I came up with is that PAIRING sensory activities along with working on Communication and Literacy skills is more effective. In addition, I realized that Communication and Literacy is really the SAME thing with students who have V&MD’s. Communication & Literacy will look very similar because most students who have V&MD cannot physically write, type, or spell to make words. Rather, using their communication system/symbols (whatever they may be) in a variety of ways IS Literacy for these students.

student using symbols for literacy

Literacy can be:

reading a symbol from their own system receptively
using their symbols to make (i.e. write) lists and phrases
using their symbols to tell someone what to write for them

I created a series of Sensory Boxes that have all the materials needed to easily and effectively have others (i.e. classroom aides) implement these activities on a regular basis. Each box is theme based and contains:

All sensory items needed
Books about the activity
All communication tools needed
All writing tools needed

I developed my own series of sensory activities that can be used with each sensory box. Using the same materials over and over for a while in a way that fosters exploration supports the most communication and literacy growth.

1. Initial Experiences – sensory focused

Exploring the materials, target asking questions – what do they do
Explore descriptive properties, modeling & teach associated language

2. Early Activities – focus on communication

Using the materials for a purpose – model & assist using the nouns, verbs & adj/adv
Target using words they know: people, feelings, quick words
Talk and/or write about the experiences – how they felt about it, who did it, what they did, etc.

3. Extending Literacy – reading and writing

Reading books about the activity & using items as props – especially teacher made books using pics from early activities – this lets you tailor the language to match your students
Other writing – journals, letters, lists (ex – Things we Like/Don’t Like, Who Liked It, who was silly, etc. – I LOVE lists!)

4. Extending Learning – exploring & comparing

Using the items in a new way (Ex – what will happen if we drop the instruments on the floor?)
Compare & contrast the experiences, list what was funny, awful
Do extension crafts & other related activities

5. Publishing – creating something to share with others

Writing your own book – use pictures taken during the activities
Talk about the pictures & have students write their own words
Have students read their own book or use the props while you read, send copies home

student exploring instruments

reading the book she wrote

Adopting this sensory approach has made a huge difference for all of my students. For my students who use symbol systems (low or high tech), my realization that communication and literacy are actually the same thing has allowed my students to make huge gains in their ability to use their symbol systems.

sensory activities collage

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Sensory Activities: Experiences to Improve Communication and Literacy for Children with Visual and Multiple Disabilities

Hands-on ideas for pairing sensory activities with communication and literacy for children with visual impairments and multiple disabilities

1. Initial Experiences – sensory focused

2. Early Activities – focus on communication

3. Extending Literacy – reading and writing

4. Extending Learning – exploring & comparing

5. Publishing – creating something to share with others

Sensory Activities: Experiences to Improve Communication and Literacy for Children with Visual and Multiple Disabilities

Hands-on ideas for pairing sensory activities with communication and literacy for children with visual impairments and multiple disabilities

1. Initial Experiences – sensory focused

2. Early Activities – focus on communication

3. Extending Literacy – reading and writing

4. Extending Learning – exploring & comparing

5. Publishing – creating something to share with others

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