Guide Sensory Support

Overview

In this lesson, you will gather sensory accommodation needs using a targeted survey, then analyse how effective supports are by reviewing a family interview. You will produce a short explanatory response to show what you need and why, using sentence starters and visual reasoning supports to keep writing manageable.

Learning intentions

• Students will develop sensory accommodations using a structured accommodation needs survey.
• Students will interview family members about supports that help during school/home routines.
• Students will identify which strategies work, for whom, and when (linking cause to effect).
• Students will explain their support plan clearly using sentence starters and a simple visual organiser.

Success criteria

• I can complete a sensory accommodation survey with clear, honest answers.
• I can interview a family member (or record their responses) about strategies and outcomes.
• I can match strategies to situations (e.g., during transitions, noise, waiting, work time).
• I can write a short explanation using my sentence starters and a “Because/So” structure.

Curriculum links

• Literacy — planning, creating, editing and publishing written and multimodal texts using paragraphs, complex sentences, punctuation, and vivid topic-specific vocabulary.
• Literacy — using digital/visual supports to enhance meaning and organise ideas for an identified audience.
• Literacy — re-reading and editing using negotiated criteria for structure, grammar, spelling and punctuation.
• (Unit connection) Science/other learning through collecting information (surveys/interviews) and reporting findings in a structured way.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Dopamine hook + set up. Teacher shows a simple “Sensitivity Thermometer” visual (calm → overwhelmed) and asks the prompt: “When do you feel most ‘too much’ sensory-wise?” Student chooses 2 times on the thermometer (point/label).

2. 5–14 min · Direct teach: survey purpose and how to answer. Teacher models the difference between “need” (what helps me) and “preference” (what I like), using 2 examples with picture cards. Student watches/reads a low-friction checklist of question types (noise, lighting, movement, touch, smells, transitions) and prepares their answer method (circle/colour-code/dot-stickers).

3. 14–27 min · Accommodation needs survey (complete). Teacher circulates attention cues: “Choose your strongest moments. You don’t need perfect wording.” Student completes the survey using:

• “Often/Sometimes/Rarely” icons
• “What helps?” picture menu (ear defenders, fidgets, quiet corner, breaks, standing option, sunglasses/cap, movement breaks, headphones/white noise, reduced visual clutter, predictable schedule)
• A short “My top 3 supports” box (can be spoken then written by choice)

4. 27–38 min · Family strategy interview + record findings. Teacher provides 4 quick questions with sentence stems to reduce reading load, e.g., “When you notice I struggle, what do you see?” “What do you do that helps?” “How long until it improves?” “What makes it worse?” Student conducts a verbal interview with family (or a recorded voice note), then selects the matching outcomes in the organiser: Situation → Strategy → Result (Better / Same / Worse).

5. 38–45 min · Explanatory writing: “Because/So” mini paragraph. Teacher gives 3 sentence starters on a visual card:

• “I need sensory support when…”
• “A strategy that helps is…”
• “It works because… so I can…” Student writes (or dictates + transcribes) one short paragraph using the sentence starters, plus a “reason” arrow from Situation to Result.

Resources

• Story-illustration style picture cards for sensations (noise/light/touch/smell/movement/transitions)
• Sensitivity Thermometer visual (calm → overwhelmed)
• Accommodation needs survey sheet with icons (Often/Sometimes/Rarely)
• “What helps” strategy menu (images + word labels)
• Family interview question cards + sentence-stem prompts
• Cause-effect organiser: Situation → Strategy → Result
• Sentence starter cards (“Because/So”)
• Coloured pens/markers or stickers for low-reading answering
• Optional: voice recorder/app for interview notes
• Optional: dyslexia-friendly choice list (large font, minimal text)

Assessment

• Teacher checks survey accuracy with a quick “show me” confirmation: student points to their top 3 supports and explains them verbally.
• Teacher reviews the Cause-Effect organiser for completeness (all three parts: Situation, Strategy, Result).
• Exit check (last 7 minutes): student reads/demonstrates their mini paragraph; teacher notes if the “because” reason is included.

Differentiation

• Support: Provide choice-based answers (circle/colour/dots) and allow voice dictation for any written part.
• Support: Use pre-selected strategy images and sentence starters so the student only fills key blanks (not full sentences).
• Extension (optional if energy allows): Add one extra “What doesn’t help” line with an arrow to “Result”.
• Dyslexia-friendly options: minimise on-page text, use large font, chunk into icons, and allow spoken responses first then transcription.
• Attention regulation: brief movement between tasks (30–60 seconds stretch, water sip, or sensory reset in a designated spot).

Next steps (for continuity within the unit)

• In the next lesson, the student will convert the completed survey + interview evidence into a clear “Support Strategy Sheet” for their Ultimate Guide to Me, ready for later visual presentation building.