Sensory
LINKS
Swing Area
What is the Swing Area for?
Swing methods are useful to alter brain connections and link sensory pathways in the brain to better manage and adjust to environmental stimuli (Wang 2015). Swinging provides the brain with sensory input from movement, which is integral to coordination and self- awareness.
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5 ways swinging is effective for vestibular regulation:
Information is delivered to the central nervous system via the following regions for detecting movement and position in space.
1) Visual tracking- from the eyes in relation to the body moving through space
2) Auditory processing- the head location, orientation and distance
3) Proprioception- touch and positioning modality used for discrimination (e.g. location, angle, degree of sensitivity), intensity, timing (e.g. slow or fast), and transduction (e.g. pressure, and light) recognition, association and distribution
4) Spatial awareness- all over body experience of moving through space- motor planning
5) Tactile- somatic sensation according to method and type of handling
Skills
Independent swing use is demonstrative of skills i.e. self-command and indicates more challenge can be added. To increase swing repertoire, incorporate tasks whilst swinging:
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Throwing and catching an object e.g. ball games
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Deep pressure touch
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Rhythmic play, and sequencing
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Hand eye coordination
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Balance and postural development
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Gross motor coordination
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Fine motor development (depending on activity)
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Bilateral coordination
Swinging a student from different areas can indicate that a higher level of postural control has been developed particularly if no hand holding is required, eg. holding feet, hands or shoulders
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Hardware/ fitting: Check the rope or chain adjustment to suit the students’ height, posture and foot placement to ensure the safe reach of feet to the ground to touch and push off.
Another suspension rope can be used for the student to guide and control the swings action.
Check for risks - LINK
Handling: Encourage the student to grasp the ropes and assist hand placement if required.
Having hand control will enable tactile sensory inputs that can provide additional feedback and awareness.
Generalised swing principals:
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Waking up
Organised students may benefit from:
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Unexpected movement (random)
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Bumpy or jerky (arrhythmic)
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Multi directional or regular changes in direction
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Oscillating (spinning)
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Head down (inverting)
Calming down
Disorganised students may benefit from linear movements:
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Slow
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Rhythmic
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Predictable
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Linear movement one direction (e.g. back and forth or side-to-side)​
Facilitation of swings:
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External operator: (i.e. teacher/ therapist)
Student requires assistance to swing
Motion is controlled for the person on the swing
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Independent operator: (ie; the swing user):
Student is in control of own swing use
Golden Rules to consider
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What is the goal for the particular student?
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Have a positive approach when embarking on swing play.
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Know the aims of the session
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Sensory responsiveness patterns can alter spontaneously
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Provide choice and personal power for the student
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Observations:
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Identifying readiness
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Maintain engaging with the student
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Check their behaviour and look for responsive cue’s (e.g. are they calm, happy, agitated, emotional, anxious or stressed?)
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Use verbal prompts with appropriate pitch and tone
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Use eye contact if possible, expressive facial or visual cues
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Use charts for communication with speech challenged students
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Observation to gauge an appropriate baseline
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Grade activities i.e. easier to more challenging
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Introduce challenges followed by variations
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Provide meaningful play for better engagement and persistence
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Skills based activity choices that are appropriate for the individual
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Motivational play for willing participation towards a reward system
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Gradually learn more global interactions with the surroundings
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Getting started:
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Use words & numbers to start and stop e.g. 1,2,3 GO or 3,2,1 STOP.
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Use song or rhythm e.g. here we go, and sound cues e.g. clap
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Use indicators on the ground to touch with feet or hands
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Seating
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Raise seat level when the student feels secure
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Both feet flat on the ground
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Tip toes and then
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Full clearance with shift forward to step down on dismount
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Seated forwards, sideways, and hands holding
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Straddling legs gripping and hands holding or hands free
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Prone on the stomach hands holding, single hand, hands free, hugging
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Standing and hands holding, forwards, sideways
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Supine hands holding or hands free
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If a Student is overstimulated by the swing
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Offset over-stimulation with immediate vigorous, intensive, proprioceptive or deep pressure input.
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Running, crawling or jumping vigorously around the room.
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Place ice cubes into the client’s hands, at the base of skull and on the temples.
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Have the child push into a crash matt or wall with their entire body as hard as they can.
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Position the child in prone on forearms and have them blow vigorously with resistance.