Everyday we take in stimuli from our environment, whether it is noise, smell, taste, touch, knowing where our body is in space or how much pressure we need to hold on to or push something.  Our brain is constantly filtering information and allowing us to respond accordingly to participate in everyday activities and be productive in ever changing environments.  The state of taking in just the right amount of input and reacting accordingly is called regulation.  Regulation is the state of being alert and “ready to learn”.  Many people learn how to regulate their state of arousal as they develop; however, there are many people who struggle with understanding and knowing what to do in order to process information and gain access to higher level executive functioning skills.  The prevalence of SPD is thought to be an average of 15%; however, one study done by Ben-Sasson et al., in 2009, in Connecticut revealed that 1 in 6 children have sensory processing disorder.

So how do therapists obtain maximum regulation for a productive session?   The first step is identifying the cues and understanding what to do next.

TalkTools Instructor, Monica Purdy, will discuss regulated and non-regulated states.  How to read the cues and respond accordingly to keep a therapy session moving and productive.  Participants will get examples and ideas on where and when to implement strategies to obtain a regulated state for maximum success.

Participants will be able to:

1. List the 8 different sensory systems.
2. Define the term regulation and be able to know if a client is regulated in a therapy session.
3. List 3 regulation activities/strategies to implement during a therapy session.

Content Disclosure: This presentation will focus on treatment methods related to the use of TalkTools® OPT resources. Other similar treatment approaches will receive limited or no coverage during this lecture.

(pending AOTA approval)

Monica Purdy, MA, CCC-SLP, COM® Instructor Bio and Financial Disclosure

Schedule 

• 15 mins: What is the sensory system 
• 30 mins: What does regulation mean, what is/is not regulation 
• 30 mins: Making a game plan for the reaction we see (activity ideas)
• 30 mins: Practicing looking at reaction – discussion on ideas or changes to make 
• 15 mins: Questions

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