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Conceptualising a systematic approach in the use of the multisensory environment for children with multi-disabilities and visual impairment: Part two designing stimulation activities to engage the child’s sense windows
Focus: School Years
Topic: MDVI
Dr Paul Pagliano
Senior Lecturer
School of Education
James Cook University
Townsville
Qld 4811
Australia
(61) 747 815424
The process of designing stimulation activities to engage the child’s sense windows is going to be informed by five key factors. They are:
• The child’s sense ability
• The stage of development
• The learning model employed
• The child’s temperament, personality, interests and likes
• Available resources
Three types of sense information are necessary for engagement. They are senses that inform the individual about their own internal world (proprioception), senses that inform the individual about their immediate external world and senses that inform the individual about their near to distant world (exteroception). Each of these sense abilities can be measured and described in detail. As stated in the previous paper a functional sense ability checklist enables the educator to keep more precise and focused records (Pagliano (2001).
Children develop control over their senses in progressions. We can use our understanding of the current research literature to identify useful assumptions about these progressions. These can then be used to inform our design of sensory stimulation activities. For example, the current belief is that children develop control over their bodies in progressions from head to tail, from midline to trunk, to finger tips and toes, flexion to extension, undifferentiated responses to differentiated responses and reflexes to purposeful movement. Stimulation of the vestibular system helps to accelerate the rate of motor development. Vestibular stimulation comes from regular handling, being carried or through the use of movement-eliciting equipment. These assumptions about the maturation of the nervous system are relevant when completing a report of a child’s functional proprioception.
Useful assumptions about the progression of sense development can then be organised into skill levels. For example, Aitken and Buultjens’ (1992) five functional visual skill levels can be used when designing sensory stimulation activities for a range of senses including taste, smell and hearing. They are:
• Awareness (child shows some sign that sense information is being obtained)
• Attending (child is able to make sufficient sense differentiation to be able to concentrate on the sense sensation),
• Localising (child is able to consistently differentiate a particular sense event and locate it)
• Recognition (child able to isolate a particular feature of a sense experience and match it with a past memory of that experience)
• Understanding (the child understands the relevance, significance and use of the sense experience).
A second more specific model is Smith and Levack’s (1996) seven stage sequence of tactual development. It consists of tactual locating, exploring, manipulating, recognising, comparing, communicating and organising.
When designing stimulation activities I use a learning model developed by Kozloff and Rice (1998). This model is based on the assumption that there are nine stages to skill development. I find this model particularly helpful because it clearly identifies possible barriers to learning for children with MDVI and provides guidance regarding how to overcome those barriers.
Fluency is where the child learns to perform the skill accurately and proficiently. The role of the educator is to provide feedback and encouragement.
Endurance is where the child is able to engage in the skill for an extended period of time. Many children with MDVI tire easily and lack stamina. They therefore need lots of help and encouragement to build up their skills of endurance.
Momentum is where the child is able to continue to engage in the skill despite distractions. A example of a potential distraction is the educator speaking during the activity.
Generalisation is where the child is able to transfer a skill learnt in one situation to another situation. The goal is for the child to develop the skill in the MSE and then to be able to transfer the skill to other environments such as the classroom or the child’s home.
Adaptation is where the child adds a modification to make the skill more personally relevant. This is when the child shows the s/he owns the learning.
Retention is where the child retains the skill over time, particularly over the school holidays or during a period of extended absence from the school.
Maintenance is where the child achieves independence . This is when the educator has done him or herself out of a job. The child is able to do the skill in a wide range of environments without assistance.
When designing sensory stimulation it is important to consider the child’s temperament, personality, interests and likes. An essential way to find out more about the child is to interview the child’s parents or guardian (Pagliano, 2001).
Temperament is a behavioural style. Differences in temperament are present from birth. When there is a mismatch between demands made on the child and his or her temperament, emotional and behavioural problems can emerge. Carey and McDevitt (1978) list nine characteristics of temperament. They are: activity level (how much physical activity a child likes to engage in), regularity (consistency of routines), approach-withdrawal (reaction to novel situations), adaptability (ease at changing behaviour to make it more socially desirable), intensity (emotional energy), mood (quality of emotional expression), persistence (extent of uninterrupted continuation of behaviour), distractibility (ease of interruption) and sensory threshold (sensitivity).
Indicators of the child’s personality also help the educator design stimulation. One useful way to consider personality is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (Myers & McCaulley, 1998). For example, if the child is more extrovert than introvert, then engagement with people would need to be more prominent. If the child is more intuitive than sensing, then greater emphasis would need to be placed on building trust. If the child is more feeling than thinking, then greater emphasis would need to be placed on enjoyment. Finally if the child is more perceiving than judging, then greater emphasis would need to be placed on learning by doing.
Interests and likes are those things that a person enjoys. When working with a child with MDVI it is helpful to keep a record of the child’s interests and likes. Super (1957) identifies four types of interests: expressed interests (those interests the child indicates are enjoyable), manifest interests (those identified through choice), inventoried interests (estimates of interests through surveys) and tested interests (those identified when using a checklist).
The design of stimulation is also influenced by the availability of resources, both human and material. It makes a tremendous difference when there is a team of experts working collaboratively together. This team could include the parents, the teacher and teacher aide, physiotherapist, occupational therapist and speech language pathologist as well as medical staff, particularly a nurse. It also makes a tremendous difference if the MSE is richly resourced with lighting and equipment. The availability of resources makes it possible to be able to more precisely match the sense stimulation to the child’s sense ability, to cater for the child’s stage of development and to present it in a way that facilitates learning. It also means that the team can work together to more expertly design stimulation that complements the child’s temperament, personality, interests and likes.
Aitken, S. & Buultjens, M. (1992). Vision for doing: assessing functional vision of learners who are multiply disabled. Edinburgh: Moray House.
Carey, W. B. & McDevitt, S. C. (1978). Revision of the infant temperament questionnaire. Pediatrics 61, 375-379.
Kozloff, M. A. & Rice, J. S. (1998). Parent and family issues: stress and knowledge. http://www.uncwll.edu/people/kozloffm/familyautism.html accessed 11/3/01.
Myers, I. B. & McCaulley, M. H. (1998). Manual: a guide to the development and use of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, 3rd ed. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologist Press.
Pagliano, P. (2001). Using a multisensory environment: a practical guide for teachers. London: David Fulton.
Smith, M & Levack, N. (1996). Teaching students with visual and multiple impairments: a resource guide. Austin, TX: Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
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