How does the course helps Parents, Carers and Families?

How does the course help Professionals?

Teachers, Learning Support Assistants, SENCO and Health Care Professionals

Sensory Integration

What is it?

Sensory Integration takes place in our bodies throughout our normal day. We experience different sensations and our brain interprets incoming sensory information from our environment. The sensory information is picked up via our senses through our eyes, ears, touch receptors, taste buds, smell receptors and our movements. All of our senses provide us with information about our body and the environment around us. The process by which our brain interprets and organises all of this information which comes from all of our senses is called Sensory Integration.

Sensory Awareness Training Level One

You will develop a greater understanding of what Sensory Integration is and isn’t, know the signs and symptoms and recognise the difference between sensory and typical behaviours. Learn more about Sensory Awareness Training Level One and your learning outcomes.

The Symptoms

For some children the ability to integrate sensations and to organise them, does not develop well.

It is these children who can be very irritable, avoid tasks and instructions, prefer to lay down, have poor social relationships, can be disruptive and have difficulty sitting still or remaining on a chair for long enough to complete any work. These children often have multiple behavioural tantrums and it leaves parents and teachers not knowing what to do and such problems left untreated can result in long term difficulties. Often a behaviour modification approach is used to correct such behaviours however we have all found that they often do not work for these children.

You could be seeing struggles with:

  • Getting dressed and brushing teeth

  • Washing, hair brushing and eating

  • Poor handwriting and sleep patterns

  • Frequent crying for no apparent reason

  • Extremely fussy with wearing clothes

  • Social interactions/friends

  • Violent, disruptive or defiant behaviours

  • Clumsiness and slow learning

  • Disrupted by accidental touch

  • Poor posture and body coordination

When these problems occur

It is likely that the child has a problem with Sensory Integration. These problems can continue into adulthood however often behaviour patterns become quite set and adults become more avoidant or high risk takers. Teachers and Parents experience frustration, and can often be at a loss to know how to respond to a child who reacts negatively to most situations and are often very isolated. The good news is we can all do something about it! The first step is making sure you are equipped with all the Sensory Awareness Training.

What and why is Sensory Integration so important?

Sensory Integration is a specialist approach often used by Occupational therapists who have chosen to further their training to masters level specifically in Ayres Sensory Integration (Dr Ayres was the lady who discovered Sensory Integration).

It is a whole person approach and aims to identify participation challenges in the daily ‘occupations’ that a person carries out every day, such as getting dressed, sitting, handwriting, brushing teeth, accessing the curriculum at school. A Sensory Integration assessment gathers information about the possible root causes as to why a child behaviourally reacts to normal routines of life, with the aim of enabling participation. This can include sensory enrichment strategies for the classroom, an individualised sensory motor programme and actual treatment in a clinic using suspended equipment. Once you are trained in Sensory Awareness, this will help guide you in making a referral.

Equip yourself with the knowledge

Parent and teacher training is essential, so that all those who are involved in an individual’s care, understand and know how to support the child or adult.

Meet your Trainer

Founded of ExcelChild Therapy Sensory Awareness Training Levels One to Three

Mary Hamilton

Advanced Paediatric Occupational Therapist

Paediatric Occupational Therapist with Advanced Certification in Ayres Sensory Integration. Qualified for 29 years, currently completing Doctorate in Sensory Integration and Trauma. Founder of first Sensory Integration clinic in Norfolk, offering assessment and treatment for children and young people. Excited to provide training courses, previously CPD certified, to parents, teachers, health and social care professionals in the basics of Sensory Awareness at three levels. This is to provide understanding on the signs and symptoms of Sensory Integration, intervention tools for home and schools and Educational and Health Care Plan's provision.

See what our course candidates say

Excel Child Therapy has been providing Sensory Awareness Training Courses across Norfolk and the UK for many years. We have now launched a new online experience that can work around your commitments and in any location.

“I have attended Level 1 & Level 2 Sensory Awareness training with Excel Child Therapy and can 100% recommend their training courses. I work in a Secondary School and so many of our students struggles with sensory needs. I have learned so much on these training session, including how to know when students experience sensory difficulties and what to do to help them.”

Edith Ellicott

“I thought the training was really accessible and the case studies and videos helped to clearly show difficulties and progress. ”

A. Oakley

“Being new to it, the course made me rethink how to look at children and pick up on things.”

M. Lemmon

“The way of presenting the information was so easy to process and keep up with... bringing up case examples to make it easier to process was very helpful.”

L. Khader

“Learning about the different systems and being able to relate behaviours from the classroom to these systems and understanding the reasons behind it all was really useful.”

M. Dack

“So much great and vital information!”

E.Higgs

Excel Child Therapy's Sensory Awareness Training Courses were CPD certified in 2021, by the CPD Standards Office