#sensorystories

[monriatitans]

"If you've told a child a thousand times, and the child still has not learned, then it is not the child who is the slow learner." - Walter Barbe 1977

When there's an underlying condition that has not been identified and needs are therefore unmet, you can tell a child the same thing a million times and their behavior won't change.

What WILL change their behavior is understanding the root cause and figuring out strategies that will address their underlying unmet needs... then, helping them apply those strategies.

But getting upset because they "aren't listening" is unproductive and will likely lead to increased frustration all around.

Also, as they say... insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

[my-autism-adhd-blog]

What Autism Actually Is:

Sensory Stories by Nicole (Facebook)

Link wouldn’t paste I apologize

Transcript below:

What people think autism is:

What it looks like in movies

What autism actually is:

Sensory over/under sensitivities, including extreme sensory anxiety when overstimulated

Social and communication differences

Social interactions are often challenging/draining

Anxiety when routines are disrupted

Struggles with transitions

Difficulty with organization (particularly mental, which can make starting/finishing tasks difficult)

Repetitive movements/stimming (aka self-stimulatory behavior)

Repetitive behaviors (e.g. preferring comfort foods and clothing items)

Uncomfortable giving eye contact (not necessarily unable to give it)

Intense special interests

Difficulty consuming information that is not of interest

Rigid thinking (e.g. can have strong feelings about how to interpret and follow rules)

Often takes things literally and has a hard time with subtext and unwritten rules

Meltdowns as a result of unmet needs (some are visible to others, many are not)

Difficulty understanding/expressing emotions (alexithymia) for some, extremely capable of expressing emotions for others

Hyper-empathetic for some, difficulty with empathy for others

Exceptionally good attention to detail and high accuracy when completing assignments or work tasks

Often analytical and extremely good at understanding complex concepts

Able to maintain deep focus and concentration when the topic is of interest

Excellent long-term memory and recall capabilities

Often creative problem-solvers due to unique thought processes and perspectives

Often honest to a fault and extremely trustworthy

A loyal and extremely generous friend

Has a beautiful mind and a beautiful heart

Deserving of love and support

In most cases, there are no obvious signs of autism in adults... as most of us have learned (through many years of extreme difficulty and, in many cases, trauma) to adjust to fit in. So, on the outside, we often appear "normal" when really, we're struggling... a LOT.

#sensorystories #sensorysupport #sensorylife #executivefunctioningproblems #executivefunctioning #adhdadvocate

[fridaabergjewellery]

Posted @withrepost • @sensorystoriesbynicole Sensory eating in a nutshell... Tweet transcription: here’s the problem with fruit: it’s inconsistent. some apples are delicious, some taste bad. sometimes blueberries are great, sometimes they are disgusting. you know what’s the same every time? doritos Tweet credit: @punished_picnic #sensorystories #sensorysupport #sensorylife #sensoryeating #neurodiversity #neurodiversityacceptance #neurodivergent #neurodiversityawareness #autismawareness #sensoryprocessingdisorder #spdawareness #sensoryprocessingdisorderparentsupport #sensoryprocessingdisorderawareness #autismacceptance #autismawareness #autismsupport #autismeducation #autism #autismspectrum #positiveparenting #momssupportingmoms #parentingtips #positiveparentingtips #positiveparentingstrategies #specialeducation #specialeducationteacher #occupationaltherapy #occupationaltherapist #otforkids https://www.instagram.com/p/CjFVfvPo9wP/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[littlelegsltd]

Because there is almost always an underlying reason for the behavior... #sensorystories #specialneedsparenting #specialneedsmom #positiveparenting #sensoryprocessingdisorderparentsupport #momssupportingmoms #parentingmeme #parentingtip #parentingtips #mymomlife #sensoryforlife #mysensorylife #sensorylife #sensoryavoider #sensoryavoiders #sensoryseeker #sensoryseekers #specialneedskids #specialneedsparenting #specialneeds #spd #sensoryprocessingdisorder #spdawareness #sensoryprocessingdisorderawareness #autismacceptance #autismawareness #autismsupport (at Little Legs Ltd) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFv60NIlPJ1/?igshid=1fov4vilotanp

[ret-uk]

More Great North Wood Sessions

November 2017

Hello! Bit belated, however I would like to share a few words about the six sessions that Coralie Oddy (who also runs Remini-sense) and I delivered in Crystal Palace Park as part of the London Wildlife Trust's continued Heritage Lottery Funded: Great North Wood Project. 

It's hard to express how delighted I am with the fact that about five years after first starting out on Crystal Palace Park heritage projects I have been able to develop my skills in terms of completing my Masters in Museums and Galleries in Education, learn about Joanna Grace's Sensory Storytelling, tour guiding and oral history techniques from the Inspired by the Subway project - and most of all meeting like minded creative people to work with. Nothing beats the feeling of sharing a passion, brainstorming, developing and delivering a project with others. So thank you Coralie and Emmie! Thank you also to Penny who works in the Crystal Palace Park Information Centre building for welcoming us and the Friends of Crystal Palace Park for having us.

Coralie and I led six music, sensory and storytelling sessions over three days for between 6-8 adults with learning disabilities. We delivered the sessions in September 2017, a little over a year following the delivery of our initial Crystal Palace Park sessions for the London Wildlife Trust with Emmie Ward. Emmie was part of the development of these sessions. 

Coralie and I loved leading the sessions and meeting people from different homes and organisations. We varied the sessions slightly depending on the needs of the group. We had a great mix of participants and a couple of the groups had members who were predominantly sensory beings. Sensory beings is a term used by Joanna Grace to describe how this group of people largely experience the world:

Sensory Beings - people whose primary experience of the world, and meaning within it, is sensory. Joanna Grace  The Sensory-being project

We focussed on sensory activities for these groups, however sensory experiences was a primary way of communicating our theme with all groups. I (and I am aware many others) have often argued - If you make heritage activities accessible to people with as many different needs as you can -  such as in sensory ways - then the visiting experience will often be more pleasurable for all  anyway. I also believe in exploring themes that anyone would want to explore in a heritage venue. It is not purely about simplifying things it about how you develop your programme of activities: I believe one should always get to know the subject as well as you can. Even when working with nursery aged children I am not satisfied with just knowing the basics. It means I probably take longer than anyone else to prepare anything, however, it is just the way I work. I need to understand the topic as fully as I can to work out the essence of what I want to get across. Spending a lot of time in preparation means that you are able to really develop activities that: actually make sense; are meaningful to the heritage location; and link to anything/connections you know between the participants and the theme. Most of all spend time with people and have a passion for the people you are working with. This will ensure experiences are truly accessible and mean that nothing is part of the session just 'for the sake of it' or an on the surface accessibility.

I think the photos of the session materials are more useful than any explanations I will give here. These photos follow below. Our main theme was the park and it's different uses. One theme was focussed on the history of the area before the park - when the area was covered with the Great North Wood. We explored the plants, animals and people who lived there. Check out my song about Margaret Finch - famous for being called the Queen of the Gipsies and telling the fortunes of young reveller visitors to the area. For the second theme we concentrated on  The Crystal Palace and included meeting Queen Victoria at the opening ceremony of The Crystal Palace (with added harp music accompaniment that I recorded as part of my community audio trail) and an exploration of the aquarium (of which there are still some remnant walls in the park if you know where to look!) and some of the inventions on display such as Maxim's Flying Machine!

Here is some of the feedback we got:

[elsjonesworld-blog]

This was my recent project where i had to make a sensory book. I made mine for a child getting ready for bed - - - - - - #art #sensorystory #textileart #textiles #hedgehog #bedtime #papercuttingart #watercolours #story https://www.instagram.com/p/Btyj7x7h6Ct/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=18riu0x2deoqi

[duccnguyen]

#ArtMTL #montreal360 #sensorystories @phicentre @ValtechCA @levieuxmontreal The Center Phi and Valtech reveal the winner of 3 teams who make the 360° video on the theme of "Montreal of the Future". (at Phi Centre)

[chrysalis-arts-heritage-blog]

Coming to the end of 2016, we saw the ground breaking ceremony for the new site to materialise in a few years time. ‘Phase 5′ is the temp name for the building -  the old site is now demolished and shiny new spades pave the way for the new-ness ahead.

We are about the people stories of course but there are many of these to also explore as the foundations of the new construction are laid. Josh Uddin at MACE tells us a little about what it will feel like. Click on the image to hear the audio. Especially inspired by the light waiting rooms.

Posted @ScreenDeep

[stellawaterhouse-blog]

The remarkable journey of The Sensory Projects so far. By Jo Grace - guest blogger

A lifetime ago I was a teacher at a school for children with severe and profound special needs, and when people tilted their heads sympathetically at me and said in cutesy tones “How rewarding” I needed something to say back. So that I did not tell them the truth about the role, or utter something unseemly! So I developed an interesting rant.

The rant was about how I thought there should be affordable sensory stories. I would tell my victim about how amazing sensory stories were at including a wide range of differently abled children. These concise narratives told equally through words and experiences we fabulous and always got people’s imaginations going. I’d talk about how I wanted a rich range of experiences in the stories and how they should be about topics that would invite a diverse range of people into the story telling space.

It took 11 years until someone called me on the rant. My then partner said “You should do that,” and pointed me to Kickstarter. Where 129 wonderful people backed my idea and made it possible. Those people backed me before anyone knew what I would do. Some were friends and family, but others were strangers who put their faith in me based on what I said. I am eternally grateful to these people.

The Kickstarter gave me six months to create the stories I’d said should exist. Although I knew what I wanted these stories to be when it came to the crunch I did not want them to be based solely on my own bright ideas, as no matter how much experience I’d had (both inside the classroom and in my private life in my own family and as a foster carer to children with special needs) I was only one person. So I used those six months to read every piece of research I could lay my hands on to do with the sensory world. Quite possibly I am the only person who has ever had the luxury of the time to do this!

That first part of the story is simple, since then it has escalated like a wonderful sensory snowball rolling downhill and picking up speed.

The sensory story project has grown from those first 5 stories to well over 20, and to the book Sensory Stories for Children and Teens.

The sensory story project gave birth to the art project which saw us enabling individuals with profound disabilities to independently create their own works of art, and reap all the mental health benefits of being creative. Their art work toured the UK as the exhibition Uninhibited.

The art project birthed the Sensory-being project that looked at how we share mindful experiences with people whose primary experience of the world and meaning within it is sensory. The book Sensory-being for Sensory Beings is due for publication by Routledge in September.

2018 should see the publication of Sensory Stories and Conversations for people with Dementia (Jessica Kingsley Publishers) and a collection of four children’s books (Flindle Education) each a sensory story built from a palette of experiences to suit different groups of readers.

When I look back I am utterly staggered to see how things have grown. I spend my life on trains, still reading research papers, with a box of odd bits and pieces – things that smell interesting, or feel a certain way or can be used to create an enchanting visual experience. I teach people how to use these inexpensive items to include people in a sensory way. I talk about stories, and mental well being, and how we go about making those precious connections with people who can initially seem unreachable. And the people generous enough to spend their time listening to me take the seeds of knowledge and ideas that I give out and go back to their settings to plant them in their practice and do amazing things. Often I’m privileged enough to follow their journeys on social media afterwards.

The Sensory Projects are united by a common aim: to contribute to a future where people are understood in spite of their differences, and to do this by sharing the knowledge and creativity needed to make inexpensive sensory items into effective tools for inclusion. I’m always happy to make new friends, come and connect with me on social media,

Twitter @Jo3grace      Facebook         Linkedin  or get in touch via sensorystory@gmail.com

[siewhuatsh]

HIDDEN STORIES

Wallpaper You Can Listen To We were commissioned by the Future of Storytelling to submit an installation idea as part of the Sensory Stories exhibit at the Museum of Moving Image. The exhibit addresses storytelling possibilities of using the 5 senses. Our submission, “Hidden Stories,” explores the secret lives of inanimate objects and the power of listening.

We asked ourselves, if people had the the ability to hear through walls, what would they find? Then we created special wallpaper that was embedded with stories from real people. Every graphic shape in the wallpaper links to a different personal story about an object.

The stories are revealed with a custom made “listening device” that reacts to sensors embedded in the wall. The cup shaped device is the digital equivalent of pressing a glass against an apartment wall to spy on neighbors. Using the device on each object activates a unique story, and lights up the drawing with projection mapping. Over time the wall fills with light as users listen to the stories within.

By placing the device over the record sensor, the speaker becomes a microphone and the user can leave behind their own story.

The 22 unique stories in this exhibit were contributed by Jay Allison and Viki Merrick of Atlantic Public Media (the same group responsible for The Moth, This I Believe, and other amazing storytelling programs).

http://www.redpaperheart.com/work/hiddenstories

[fridaabergjewellery]

Reposted!!! @sensorystoriesbynicole I love this analogy. Our "communication differences" are just that, differences. We speak the same language, just with a different accent. Yet, somehow our accent is considered problematic while the neurotypical version is considered "correct." Make it make sense. Credit: @at_psychologist Tweet transcription: #Autism is like having another native language: I can speak 'neurotypical' (but with an autistic accent) while the neurotypical person isn't even aware of multiple languages. They classify my accent as a disorder, while I'm the only one speaking both languages. #sensorystories #sensorysupport #sensorylife #neurodiversity #neurodiversityacceptance #neurodivergent #neurodiversityawareness #autismawareness #sensoryprocessingdisorder #spdawareness #sensoryprocessingdisorderparentsupport #sensoryprocessingdisorderawareness #autismacceptance #autismawareness #autismsupport #autismeducation #autism #autismspectrum #positiveparenting #momssupportingmoms #parentingtips #positiveparentingtips #positiveparentingstrategies #specialeducation #specialeducationteacher #occupationaltherapy #occupationaltherapist #otforkids https://www.instagram.com/p/CibpXp0ILYe/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[kidscreativeuk]

#goldilocks #sensorystories #sensorybags #sensory #storytelling @kidscreativeuk starting 29th March #enchantedforest #fairytales (at Kids Creative - Sensory Art Studios)

[ret-uk]

A Couple of Sensory Stories

November 2016

Hi there again...

Fresh from my day of music and storytelling sessions I thought I would share a couple of stories with you. My version of the Gunpowder Plot Story, which we worked on for the past couple of weeks and and The Highwayman story that I created today.

The Gunpowder Plot story I have to say thanks to the people on Joanna Grace's Facebook page who shared their stories and ideas for Bonfire Night sensory storytelling. The Highway Man was a bit last minute today as needed to fill in with a story last minute. So I could call it my ten minute Highway Man story... gather what props you can and random props you have with you. I got most of the ideas from when Keith Park, Emmie Ward, Coralie Oddy and I did our Great North Wood Storytelling - The Highwaymen (and women) was one of our themes. But both were sort of creating the story around props I already had. Thanks Emmie for a few of those on display in the tweeted pic :)

The Gunpowder Plot

Now we gather around the fire and remember, remember the 5th of November! (fire on ipad and candle scent)

A long time ago In 1605, there was man called Guy Fawkes. (chime)

A long time ago In 1605, there was a King called James 1. King James was not very popular with Guy and and his friends. They were annoyed about the King and his government. (Wear crown and say ‘no we don’t like you!’ but can also say we don’t like you as King but we like you as .... say their name)

So, Guy Fawkes and his friends decided to have a plot, the gunpowder plot. They wanted to blow up the parliament. (Popping candy on hand/eat)

They filled 36 barrels with gunpowder! They planted them under the cellars of the Houses of Parliament - ready for a big explosion. (Cedar wood scent for barrels) (can emphasise the secret through quiet voice)

However, there was a traitor in the group! One of Guy Fawkes friends! He got worried about all the people who would get blown up. He sent a letter to his friend warning him! (Big Ben chimes on Big Mac)

So the police, the guards of parliament arrived – on their horses (clip clop) they went down the stairs (walking sound) and crept slowly (shhhh) and….. bang! The plot was rumbled! The plotters were arrested, tortured and executed. (Bang on the drum)

Now we sit and remember remember the 5th of November. We light a bonfire (fire on iPad and bonfire scent candle)

And sit and watch fireworks (fireworks torch and sounds or app)

Then go home for a nice cup of tea (have a cup of tea/tea break)

The Highwayman

It was Autumn in the woods and the leaves were gently falling

(leaves in a basket – can handle them or drop them on people/the floor)

The leaves were red, yellow, orange, green, brown

(say whatever colours you find – show the colours – can spread them between different people rather than person by person)

Animals were looking for food and the wind was rustling in the trees

(rainmaker or shaker or similar sound)

There was a damp smell in the wood - after the rain

(cedarwood or similar smell – it sounds a bit like the musty leaves, but you could also get musty leaves)

Then suddenly!! The sound of horses hooves

(clapping sticks/pieces of wood – we have some round slices of wood – we had enough for everyone to make the sound who wanted to - we also sung ‘Horsy Horsy don’t you stop because it is a favourite song of one of the people in the session)

It was a carriage with wheels going around!

(rolled hoop – saying ‘and the hoop rolled past….’ And gave a chance to push if people wanted – if not you can find anything that goes around as a visual stimuli)

There were rich people inside the carriage, enjoying looking at their jewels and money

(glass nuggets, money, or anything jewel like – we had a lot of baskets to hand so I handed a basket to everyone and then put the nuggets in each persons basket and encouraged them to look through them and be interested in them J)

But they didn’t know that someone was waiting for them! There was a swish of a cloak!

(piece of material – or a cloak if you have one – the material I grabbed was quite light so I swished it past people and over some people and gave the chance to feel)

And the brim of a hat

(feel a hat – I found a straw hat which was not really a highway man but did the job of being a hat)

The Highway Man was waiting and he said “Stand and Deliver! Your Money or Your Life!”

(encouraged people to repeat the words ‘stand and deliver’ and sung that bit of the song)

He took all their money and jewels

(one person had a cloth bag and asked people for their money and they tipped their nuggets into the bag)

Then he rode off

(clip clop sounds)

And the animals continued looking for food and the leaves rustled in the wind

(rainshaker again – or whatever you used)

I also added on a bit about the highway man sitting by a fire and had the fire app on the ipad and also the scent of a bonfire candle – but that might make it a bit too long)

I then did a bit of call and response with ‘The Highwayman’ poem.

[zecarpio]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Angel Carpio (@zecarpio)

#birdly at @phicentre #sensorystories #vr #oculus #mtlphoto (at Phi Centre)

[fridaabergjewellery]

Posted @withrepost • @sensorystoriesbynicole What's here in this tweet is actually a really helpful way to look at executive dysfunction (aka procrastination, aka time management issues, aka difficulty starting tasks, aka getting stuff done, etc, etc,)... Most people who struggle with this are able to "pull through" relatively well at the last minute. There is something that clicks in the brain when a deadline is approaching or some big bad potential outcome might happen if the "thing" isn't done. Extremely helpful to know this because if you struggle with this (like I do) you can create your own urgency when it comes to certain things. It's not necessarily easy, but if you are strategic, you can make it happen. Btw, executive dysfunction is common in autistic as well as adhd people. Credit: @aswilde1 Transcription: ADHD in normal circumstances: “I have no idea what’s happening and I am grossly underprepared for everything and falling apart, pls send help” ADHD in times of CRISIS: 😎 I have been training for this moment my entire life. Stand back, weaklings, I’ve got this covered. #sensorystories #sensorysupport #sensorylife #executivefunctioningproblems #executivefunctioning #adhdadvocate #adhdawareness #adhdacceptance #adhdparentsupport #adhdeducation #neurodiversityacceptance #neurodiversityawareness #sensoryprocessingdisorder #spdawareness #sensoryprocessingdisorderparentsupport #autismawareness #autismsupport #autismeducation #autism #autismspectrum #autismadvocate #positiveparenting #momssupportingmoms #parentingtip #parentingtips #positiveparentingtips #positiveparentingstrategies #specialeducationteacher https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl_z4pqIbeQ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=