SENcastle is an immense source of inspiration

Welcome to the world of SENcastle!

In a world where our senses are the primary gateways of perception, understanding and properly integrating these senses become paramount. This handbook is your essential resource for a better grasp of sensory integration, its key features, and practical applications. It is a response to the growing need for understanding the challenges of sensory integration and how to facilitate the necessary sensory input in everyday life situations.

Through this handbook, you will discover:

Introduction to sensory systems – main characteristics, understanding how each systemfunctions and integrates with others.

Challenges of sensory integration – identification and primary characteristics of sensoryintegration difficulties.

Benefits of sensory breaks – understanding the importance and advantages of introducingthem into daily life and how they can enhance our day-to-day functioning in various situations.

SENcastle - a unique compact sensory room

Getting acquainted with the concept of SENcastle, its components, and functions, as well as a description of each sensory card, guidance on how to use every sensory cushion, and recommendations for their use to achieve optimal results through daily use of SENcastle.

Whether you are a professional or a parent, this handbook will become your reliable source of information on sensory integration. Arm yourself with the knowledge and tools we offer, and have an incredible journey through the sensory wonders that SENcastle brings!

Mateja Vukašinec, mag. rehab. educ.

Children explore the world around them by touching and moving, which helps them gather essential information for proper functioning. They learn through sensory experiences, collecting information through their senses and responding to them with motor activities. For example, touching soft fur elicits a pleasant feeling and may prompt a child to stroke a bunny. Before children delve into abstract information like letters and mathematical concepts, they must experience many practical sensory experiences, such as feeling various textures.

Sensory integration, developed by A. Jean Ayres, an expert in neuroscience and educational psychology, refers to the organization and interpretation of sensory stimuli the brain receives from the environment. The nervous system conveys sensory information to the brain through this process, enabling successful activity performance. Sensory integration and processing involve accepting information from the senses and converting it into appropriate motor and behavioral responses. As children become more competent with time, their sensory integration improves, meaning the more they do, the more they can achieve. You can provide sensory integration treatment through play, following the child's lead to encourage the development of skills crucial for building muscle tone, perception, attention, and coordination. (Kranowitz, 1998). text goes here

In addition to the five well-known senses: touch, sound, sight, taste, and smell, two more senses are crucial for processing and understanding information (SPS, 2004). These are:

a) The vestibular system (sense of movement and balance) - provides information about the position of the head and body in space and relation to the Earth.

b) Proprioception (joint/muscle sense) - offers information about the position of body parts and their activities (DiMatties, 2004).

Ayres specifically emphasized the importance of the tactile, vestibular, and proprioceptive systems in the context of sensory integration dysfunction. These sensory systems are interconnected, and their connections begin to form before birth, continuing to develop as an individual matures and interacts with their environment. These three sensory systems are not only interconnected with each other but also connected with other systems in the brain. While they are less well-known than the visual and auditory systems, they are essential for survival.

Their intricate interrelationship allows us to experience, interpret, and respond to various environmental stimuli (Hatch-Rasmussen, 2008). There is also an eighth sensory system related to interoceptors, sensations in our internal organs (DiMatties, 2004).

Through sensory systems, we receive information from the environment that the brain processes and organizes. The efficiency of sensory information processing affects our ability (Miller & Lane, 2000.) to:

Differentiating sensory data from the body and environment is essential for interacting with individuals and objects.

This skill lets us identify qualities, similarities, and differences in sensory stimuli, including their time-space aspects (Lane et al., 2000). A precise body schema is necessary for movement planning, encompassing the development and coordinated execution of new actions.

Modulate sensory information to adapt and maintain optimal alertness for a specific task.

Sensory modulation is the ability to regulate and organize the degree, intensity, and nature of the response to sensory input in a gradual and adaptable way.

In sensory integration, an adaptive response is an effective response to a challenge in the environment or effective interaction with it. Ayres (1979) defines adaptive responses as the ability to adapt one's behavior to environmental demands. It is a purposeful and goal-directed response to a sensory experience that allows an individual to overcome a challenge and learn something (Lane et al., 2000).

A sensory break is a designated period intended to decrease or increase a child's sensory stimulation, depending on their needs. This tool is used during the school day to help a child achieve and maintain the focus and calm needed for learning. Parents and teachers of children with ADD, ADHD, sensory processing disorder, autism, or other developmental difficulties should seek sensory break activities that are appropriate for the classroom to help the child settle and concentrate. Sensory breaks provide soothing or active input that allows the child to focus. Whether the child struggles with hyperactivity, impulse control, fatigue, or disinterest, regular sensory breaks throughout the day help them stay alert and focused in the classroom and at home. A sensory break can target one sensory system or a combination of multiple systems, and most activities usually combine different types of sensory input.

In previous chapters, we have become more familiar with the concept of sensory integration, the main characteristics of each sensory system, and the possible dysfunctions of sensory integration. We defined the term sensory child and highlighted the importance of applying sensory breaks. Through specific experience working with children with various sensory integration difficulties, the idea of creating a device specifically designed for sensory breaks emerged.

SENcastle is a unique multimodal sensory device that links a child's sensory needs and their fulfillment, combined with the technological achievements of assistive technology. The primary purpose of our product is to provide children with the necessary, controlled amount of sensory input in everyday life situations. Many times, experts trained in the field of sensory integration have the opportunity to hear from parents, as well as other professionals, that a child who performs excellently and meets their sensory needs within a sensory integration room, for example, fails to generalize this behavior in real everyday life situations. The reason for this, in many cases, is the lack of appropriate sensory tools in the natural environment that will satisfy the child's sensory needs.

Guided by this idea, we have designed a product that can simultaneously fit into any space and function as a separate special element.

For some children, it will serve as a place for so-called "sensory emptying," while for others, it will serve as a "sensory filling" with the necessary input type.

Each element within our product has been carefully designed and purposefully chosen for a specific sensory function. Therefore, we present a brief description of each element and its specific function and an example of when to use it.

Considering that this card is for calming, relaxation, and unwinding, your activities are mainly focused on that aspect. This card is recommended to be used when the child is visibly upset and needs a break from excessive sensory stimuli in their immediate environment. Upon entering the SENcastle, offer the child to choose the type of sensory scene available on this card and start playing it.

Combining this card with a weighted cushion is desirable to provide the necessary proprioceptive input and allow the whole body to relax. Since the weighted cushion looks like a roller, you can use it for a deep full-body massage by passing it along the entire body length. In addition to the weighted cushion, it is also possible to use a vibrating cushion, primarily if the child seeks more sensory input in the palm or sole areas.

Therefore, instead of hitting other objects, it is socially more acceptable for the child to satisfy their sensory need through the weighted cushion. In combination with this card, both tactile cushions can be used to provide intense tactile input, and since different textures are present on the cushion, each child can choose which one to touch based on their preferences. This card also includes an additional visual effect reproduced on the central light column. When the child presses a particular button parallel to the sound reproduction, there is a rise and fall of color on the light column.

Provides input for the following sensory systems:

visual, auditory, tactile, proprioceptive, vestibular

This card encourages:

socio-emotional development, communication, attention, and concentration

Traffic 1 and 2

These cards encompass sensory scenes of specific means of transport. The card is primarily for acquiring and recognizing the sounds of particular vehicles and raising the tolerance threshold for certain sounds, which can be quite challenging for children who are overly sensitive to auditory stimuli.

The first possible activity is acquainting sounds, where we teach the child how a particular vehicle sounds. We can also combine vehicle toys so that the child immediately has a visual representation. Once the child learns this, we can randomly play sounds and, in this way, check how much they remember how a particular vehicle sounds.

This card is also an opportunity for further expanding communication regarding where a specific vehicle moves, who can drive it, and whether the child has ever ridden in it. We will make sure that children who are overly sensitive to auditory stimuli press the button themselves to reproduce the sensory scene. In this way, we will give them a sense of control to know exactly when the sound will occur. Each of the sounds does not last long precisely because it would be short exposure, and the child could gradually tolerate more consecutive repetitions of a particular type of sound.

These cards can be linked to a weighted and vibrating cushion, especially if the child does not prefer certain sounds. This way, we will provide them with a safe zone, easier calming, and a less intense reaction because their body will receive the necessary proprioceptive and vestibular input.

Also, here we can conduct an activity of mutual comparison of vehicles by size. The child has a weighted and multisensory cushion; for example, we compare a bicycle and a bus. For the bus, which is the heavier and larger vehicle in this comparison, the child will lift the weighted cushion, while for the bicycle, they will lift the multisensory cushion, which is much lighter.

Provides input for the following sensory systems:

visual, auditory, tactile, proprioceptive, vestibular

This card encourages:

communication, cognitive development, attention, and concentration

Five available sensory scenes within this card cover five weather conditions: sunshine, cloudiness, rain, snow, and thunder. You can use this card in activities teaching about specific weather conditions' characteristics and the associated sounds. Furthermore, it is desirable for daily activities of determining current weather conditions, where the child's task is to select the correct weather condition within the SENcastle.

After familiarizing with the card, it is possible to conduct an activity recognizing the weather condition based on the specific sound that characterizes it. After the child guesses which weather condition it is, you can further expand the activity with questions such as what clothing and footwear we wear when the weather is like that and in which season we most often experience such weather conditions. When selecting a particular button and reproducing the chosen sensory scene, additional visual effects appear on the central light column that will enhance the experience of the specific weather condition.

Finally, the card can be paired excellently with an auditory, weighted, multisensory cushion. While the auditory cushion will primarily serve to imitate the sound associated with each weather condition, the weighted and multisensory cushion in this part will also help to mimic the movements of the sun across the sky, the movement of clouds, the pattering of rain, the sudden strike of thunder, and the falling of snow.

Provides input for the following sensory systems:

visual, auditory, tactile, proprioceptive, vestibular

This card encourages:

communication, cognitive development, attention, and concentration

We primarily created this card due to children's frequent traumatic experiences during visits to the hairdresser. The card contains sensory scenes that will contribute to introducing the sounds the child will undoubtedly hear when they come to the hair salon. Each sound is intentionally chosen, of short duration, so we can gradually raise the child's tolerance threshold for that specific type of sound.

With this card, it is advisable to use an introductory story about why we go to the hairdresser and that it is an activity that each of us undergoes. This initial story can be in the form of a verbally told tale or a prepared social story with visual depictions. When describing the procedure of what the hairdresser will do, we pair each of those actions with the corresponding sound in the SENcastle. We allow the child to press the button themselves, providing them with a sense of control because they know exactly when the sound will occur and can prepare for it in some way. We will gradually introduce one sensory scene within this card for children who fear the sound of a hairdryer or clippers. As tolerance for a specific type of sound increases, we will expose them to it for longer durations, thus having a more significant number of repetitions. In addition to the sensory scenes, we can use dolls and corresponding objects to perform a role-playing game as hairdressers.

This card will allow the child to perform the actions they hear about on the doll parallel to the sensory scenes. We recommend it for children who have previously had negative experiences related to hair salon visits. Finally, this card can be used as preparation for an upcoming visit to the hairdresser or for additional processing of emotionally and sensory demanding situations related to hair salon visits, which the child needs to experience through play to express their emotions related to that event.

When using this card, using a vibrating, weighted, and multi-sensory cushion is recommended. Each cushion will provide deep proprioceptive and vestibular input through pressure, vibration, moving the cushion along the body, or even intense squeezing and releasing of tension that occurs in the body due to the reproduction of specific sounds.

Provides input for the following sensory systems:

visual, auditory, tactile, proprioceptive, vestibular

This card encourages:

socio-emotional development, communication, cognitive development, attention, and concentration