SENSORY ACTIVITIES
FOR STUDENTS WITH MULTIPLE DISABILITIES

By: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com
​October 29, 2017

The Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments can work with a student to help them develop efficient use of their vision for visually attending to their environment, shifting their gaze between materials presented and  visual pursuit of objects and people. These skills will help prepare a student for learning as well as prepare them for safe and efficient travel.

Lightbox Activities ​

Objective: The student will visually fix or briefly gaze at lights. 
Depending on the student’s abilities, present the following activities for the student.

• Display unit related window clings or gel forms on the lightbox.
• Fill Ziploc bags with hair gel or other clear gel substance. Add food coloring in a unit related color and/or metallic sequins or other unit related shapes. Be sure to secure bag with strong tape!

Decorate Mobile/Stand

Objective: The student will regard, visually attend to or reach toward objects (ex. Lights, reflective, colorful, etc.). Student will touch a switch to activate an activity (cause & effect).

Decorate the mobile or stand by wrapping miniature lights along the bars in a color the student prefers. Alternate with other colors depending on student’s ability to tolerate complexity. Consider attaching a fan to a switch and encourage student to push the switch to blow the materials that are suspended, play a unit related song or turn on the mini lights.

Possible Materials to Suspend:

• metallic pom-poms
• old CDs with striped or checkerboard patterns
• string of metallic beads
• other materials that encourage student to reach (consider qualities that student will attend to)
• metallic balloons

Character Play

Objective: The student will attend to and follow the movement of objects.

Obtain a switch activated toy or stuffed animal. Encourage the student to activate the switch to make it move while visually attending to it.

Visual Interest Box or Backdrop

Objective: The student will regard or visually attend to lights and reflective materials. Student will touch a switch to activate an activity (cause & effect).

Decorate the box by drilling holes in the box and attaching miniature lights. Suspend reflective materials. Alternatively, suspend lights to the back of an APH Invisiboard and suspend metallic materials. Consider attaching a fan to a switch and encourage student to push the switch to blow the materials that are suspended and turn on the mini lights. 

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