Date of Defense

Spring 4-17-1998

Department

Occupational Therapy

First Advisor

Sandra Edwards, Occupational Therapy

Second Advisor

Ellen Winter, Van Buren Intermediate School District

Keywords

disabilities, sensorimotor, eye-hand coordination, hand-eye coordination

Abstract

Of all occupational therapy theories and treatment approaches, sensory integration theory has proven to be the most extensively researched in the occupational therapy professional literature. Many of these studies show a positive correlation between sensory integration intervention and improved sensory processing, academic, language, and motor skills for children with learning or developmental disabilities. Appropriately then, because sensory integration was specifically developed for children with learning disabilities, the theory is widely used by school therapists. With this premise in mind, the author developed and presented an inservice entitled, "Sensory Integration and Its Academic Implications for the Middle School Child." The inservice was presented in two parts at a Chicago suburban middle school to four teams of teachers throughout the school day, and to 50 educators at the conclusion of the school day. The purpose of the inservice was: 1) to inform middle school teachers and administrators about occupational therapy services in the school system, 2) to educate teachers and administrators about sensory integration and the classroom implications of a sensory integrative disorder, and 3) to provide strategies for teachers working with students who demonstrate decreased attention span, poor self-organization, and/or poor handwriting.

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Campus Only

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