Sensory Motor Play in Early Intervention – Robbie Levy

• Improve student performance in executive function, pre-academics and motor skills
• Stop temper tantrums and meltdowns
• Decrease anxiety from sensory misinterpretations
• Help with smooth transitions
• Keep children on-task and focused
• Enhance sharing, turn-taking and general social skills

Join Robbie Levy, MA, OTR/L, and discover how sensory, motor and play activities impact self-regulation, social skills and development. Learn cutting-edge, brain-based information and techniques for kids who exhibit the following behaviors:

• Excessive temper tantrums and difficulty with transitions
• Unable to stay focused on people or activities
• Limited gross and fine motor skills
• Overly aggressive during play, limited sharing and turn-taking
• Distracted by background noises that others don’t seem to hear
• Anxious in crowds/large groups
• Overly fearful of swings and playground equipment
• Constant need to touch people or textures, even when it’s inappropriate to do so
• Doesn’t understand personal space

Through lecture, experiential activities, group and individual case studies, video and picture demonstration, you will come away with a “tool-box” full of activities and resources. Get your kids on a more powerful path to self-regulation and typical social and motor development!

1. Articulate extensive knowledge of the 7 sensory systems.
2. Determine the characteristics of hypo-responsivity and hyper-responsivity within sensory systems.
3. Explore the different types of play and the role each plays in early intervention.
4. Communicate why excessive technology interferes with many areas of development.
5. Design sensory and motor play interventions for motor development, emotional/behavioral development and self-regulation.
6. Utilize new activities to incorporate into your classrooms/therapy/homes.
7. Employ visual-cognitive strategies to enhance self-regulation.

• Overview of Sensory Systems
  • Emphasis on tactile, vestibular and proprioceptive
  • Visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory
  • Body in space/body awareness
  • Modulation – when is it a problem?
• Impact of Sensory on Behavior, Performance and Learning
  • Attention, self-regulation, organization, executive function
  • Motor output (gross, fine, handwriting)
  • Activities of daily living (ADL’s)
  • Behavior, social skills and self-esteem
• Effective Intervention Strategies for:
  • Sensory:
    • Use all 7 systems-we are more than just auditory and visual learners
    • Modulation-characteristics of hyper and hypo systems
    • Concentrate on foundation skills and deep pressure/heavy work
    • Sensory Lifestyle/Toolbox – How to use what’s right there
    • Sound therapies and music- utilizing what you hear to change behavior and performance
    • Environmental modifications
    • Interactive Metronome, Brain Gym and more
  • Self-Regulation:
    • Yoga, Pilates, Me Moves-How movement helps
    • Breathing, oral-motor-using the ribcage and mouth to regulate
    • Meltdowns-prevention and what to do if you can’t
    • Transitions- how to help!
    • Social stories, visual-cognitive strategies and more
  • Play:
    • The 5 different types of play and their role in development
    • Use “Theory of Mind” framework to facilitate play and regulation
    • Enhancing independent play vs. adult/computer-directed play
    • Activities to enhance creative play, ideation and planning abilities
    • Activities to prepare for core curriculum goals in K and early elementary